Not Wanted on the Voyage

This novel, a retelling of the story of Noah's Ark, is surprising for its unexpected degree of brutality and action. That isn't unwelcome, but be forewarned that it is nothing like the gentler tale you know. It is also filled with contradictions: subterfuge disguised as miracles, miracles disguised as magical realism. Some portions read like an adventure thriller, between mildly philosophical meanderings. It is straightforwardly told, but rewarding in its subtleties. There is more going on here than poking fun at a Bible fable and incorporating legendary elements like the unicorns.

By at least one reading this is an anti-fascist novel, where the surprise is the positioning of Noah as antagonist. Findley leaves an exercise for the show more reader: what does this say about the morality of unquestioningly following Yaweh's wishes? What morality exists outside of that model? Mottyl senses this question, when she is tempted to call Noah evil but shies away from it and the problems that it poses.

The novel's title primarily refers to what is not wanted, rather than whom. Lucy's presence and symbolism are of a piece with Noah's illusion being the inspiration for Yaweh's flood: the illusion of thinking that even a worldwide flood could eradicate all evil. It is too inherent in what we are, too well disguised to root out and destroy, as Mrs. Noyes comes to realize. Better that we work to appreciate and foster what good we are able to find, and accept what evil we must abide, than engage in hopeless attempts to start anew that will forever end in failure. show less

I read it 10 years before for the first time and
loved it. I finished it again on December 17, 2004, and loved it again.
This is a wildly imaginative and deliciously irreverent twist on the biblical great flood story. And, despite its fairy tale setting where
angels mingle with humans and unicorns and dragons are treated casually, it is not a nice-easy book to read. After all, Noah's voyage "wasn't an excursion,"..."It was the end of the
world."
I loved the premise, the setting, how Findley takes Bible to task,the psychological portraits of the characters and the way it all came together to make a great tale (albeit not the popular Biblical one)

The story goes as follows:

God is very tired and disappointed. He doesn't get any respect. People show more throw eggs and rocks at him. They don't respect his miracles. They even kill him and he has to resurrect himself. His creation is blasphemous and immoral: perverse sex, murder and cannibalism abound. Because of this state of affairs God decides to die and to take the entire human race with him. But before he does,he makes sure that one of his faithful followers, his servant Dr.Noah Noyes has an opportunity to save himself and his family from the great flood that will drown the world.
Leaving the world in the hands of Noah and his family, God doesn't realize that, like everything else on earth he had created, this family is far from the ideal he had had in mind. Noah is not a
benevolent old man who is looking with a smile as the animals walk two by two into the ark, either. He is rather a righteous, fundamentalist priest who is not going to falter before committing atrocities in the name of his faith.
Many wondrous things are lost for mankind during the great flood as they are "not wanted on the voyage", but much is gained as well. And, Mrs. Noyes- Noah's wife- carries the ark and the plot with her great and strong character.
Loved it, but don't read it if you are a strong believer. show less

Parts of this story are wickedly funny, but it’s also a powerful portrait of the fragility of family, of doubt, temptation, greed, and the power relations between men and women. The scene where Mrs N nearly drowns in the raging waters when she goes to the rescue of Emma’s intellectually disabled sister (who is most definitely not wanted on the voyage) is extraordinary: I can almost feel the cold water trickling down the back of my neck as I write this.
For the rest of this review see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/not-wanted-on-the-voyage-by-timothy...

I did enjoy this book quite a bit. Basically it is a non-religious retelling of the Noah's ark story in which the flood was caused by god, but a god who appears all to human (but wizard like?), being elderly, smelly, and mad at not being worshiped. Noah and his family are one of his last followers, so are entrusted with building an ark and taking on animals, etc.

Add to this the fact that Noah himself is not at all a likeable character (and quite sexist!), and some of his sons become tyrants on the ark (Locking others down in darkness to look after the animals) and you have a re-telling that may not sit well with those who take the bible literally. But a fascinating story nonetheless.

Findley is a marvelous story-teller and takes us back show more to a time when animals could talk, and unicorns, demons, and angels were not unusual sightings. The descriptions of the flood itself, and the 'many types of rain' (Pine cone rain, black rain, etc) was fascinating. Highly recommended. show less

I've read this re-telling of the story of Noah's ark four times and I always love it. Timothy Findley creates a magicial world of angels, demons, talking animals and a God who is disillusioned with the human beings he has created. Dr. Noah Noyes is the tyrannical patriarch of a disfunctional family; and as the flood drowns the world, family politics becomes increasingly a matter of survival. Wonderfully done, thought-provoking and Mrs. Noyes is a genuine hero and an inspirational character.

I first came across Timothy Findley's work in Ottawa, in a small Lebanese grocery story whose owner always had CBC-Radio playing in the background. In the broadcast, someone was reading a few pages from this book. Within a matter of moments I was mesmerized, and I had to go buy it IMMEDIATELY. Not Wanted is a retelling of the story of Noah and the Flood. But it's an unforgettable detournement of the original, sired by Secular Humanist out of Magical Realism. You will never forget Mrs. Noyes (the wife of Noah) and her talking cat Mottyl. And lest you think this story sounds cute - it's not. Try chilling, heartrending, and unforgettable. I cried several times when I read this novel, and I don't cry easily.

This retelling of the story of the flood puts the tale into a parallel universe, or better, into a world before the end of the world. It's not the world of a kindly ,obedient Noah and his family leading the animals calmly onto the ark. Dr. and Mrs. Noah Noyes preside over a dysfunctional family -- Shem's wife Hannah maneuvers her way into the patriarchal power structure by being the biddable daughter; Japeth, frustrated that his eleven-year old wife Emma refuses to part with her virginity, makes a foray into the world, only to return dyed blue; Ham falls in love in love with the rogue angel, Lucy. It is a world in which sheep are taught to sing, animals speak, and Yahweh drives through the world in a decrepit carriage. The characters show more are well imagined, especially Mrs. Noyes' cat, Mottle, who is determined to save her last litter of kittens from the nefarious experiments of Dr. Noyes. An entertaining read with some thought-provoking ideas. show less