The Birthday Boys

If you are new to the story of Robert Falcon Scott, and his four companions, who were beaten to the South Pole by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and died in their attempt to get back to home base, then this novel isn't the place to start. (One place to start: "The Worst Journey in the World," by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a member of Scott's final expedition.) This novel consists of five first person stream of consciousness "reflections," which depend on some knowledge of the legend of the tragedy, and its key characters: the "noble" leader Scott; scientist Wilson; plucky, gung-ho team player "Birdie" Bowers; taciturn, self-sacrificing Oates; and the "gentle giant" (and only representative of the non-officer class) Petty Officer show more Evans.[return][return]Without knowing the cliches that these five men were turned into, in the "Boy's Own" fairytale that their disastrous mission became in the 100 years since their death, I don't think it would be obvious just how cleverly Bainbridge puts flesh on bones that hero-worship had stripped of most of their humanity. While revisionist histories put the blame squarely on Scott, as a poor leader who made very bad choices, Bainbridge does a remarkable job of channeling the voices of the five, demonstrating how the weaknesses of each one (and even their strengths) contributed to the tragedy. And at the same time, she gives credit to the power of the legend, leaving the reader with a sense of profound sadness that such good intentions and --yes, let's be old fashioned for a moment -- nobility should have ended so badly. I'm greatly looking forward to Bainbridge's take on the Titanic ("Every Man for Himself") -- another tragedy that might have ended very differently if only one person in a position of authority had thought for a moment and said, "Hey, wait ...."[return][return]So if you're familiar with the story of Robert Falcon Scott, I highly recommend this novel for its canny insights into the characters involved, and how an expedition that was supposed to demonstrate an Empire's strength of technology and character went so badly wrong. And if you are new to the story of Robert Falcon Scott ... it's a great story. And this wonderful novel will be waiting for you. show less

An imaginative, brilliantly realized evocation of the thoughts and voices of Captain Scott and the four men with him, who suffered extraordinary hardships before finally dying during their 1912 attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.
This was a fictional account of the Antarctic expedition that actually occurred 1910-1913, led by Captain Scott in a race to be the first to the South Pole. Scott and four companions made it to the South Pole, only to realize they were not the first; they were one day short of that fame. Tragically, they all died on their return journey.

Each chapter is written from the point of view of the men who died on that last push to the South Pole. While these men come from varied stations in life, their show more underlying themes are very similar. Taff Evans, Dr. Wilson, Captain Scott, Lt. Bowers and Captain Oates each describe a different stage in the journey as part of the Terra Nova expedition in 1910-1913 and the often, horrific conditions that the entire team endured. The men come across as optimistic, confident, and courageous, and finally to the point of, misguided.

They were amateurs playing a dangerous game of life and death, where missteps could lead to life changing, and tragic consequences.... which it did.

This was an arrogant expedition composed of men, who despite their professional expertise, they believed in the romantic notion that heroes are those who overcome anything through sheer force of will. Throughout their story lies a tale of a man who for years was seen as a "tragic hero". Here he was portrayed more as a reckless adventurer in pursuit of the glory no matter what the costs.

When disasters continued to occur one after another, rather than turn around and try to return later, he shifted the blame onto the others and continued in his dangerously rash pursuit of his goal. He didn't think, and brushed off the dangers he knew could occur, knowing these men who were accustomed to following the given command, would follow him to their deaths, and they everyone, did. This wasn't his first expedition in these dangerous deadly conditions. The author of this book is fairly scathing in his view of Scott, even if you have hold on to the view of Scott as a tragic hero who died in a moment of self-sacrifice you have to realize that it wasn't just his sacrifice...it was the sacrifice of the men that he led to their deaths with very little thought given to the act.

By the end of this well researched and thought-out book, previous beliefs, as well as history, may be reweighted, rethought and reassigned and rewritten. The final chapter in Captain Oates’s words was by far the most poignant and so well worth a read.

Again, a warning: This book will appeal to readers who enjoy history as well as historical fiction, and novels with extremely dark subject matter. Keep in mind that there is NOT in any way, a happy ending and the struggles of all who were involved is not for the faint of heart. show less

Not at all what I expected. See, it was chosen by my book club so I knew it was about an early exploration of Antarctica but nothing else; I simply ordered it and didn't give it another thought. Well the book that arrived was very slim, surprisingly slim given the subject. My second surprise was regarding the structure of the book, specifically that we don't reach Antarctica until the 3rd chapter; for such a short book I assumed we would be plopped down on the ice ASAP.

Once I understood what the author was doing I was captivated. Enthralled. It is such a beautifully written book, and the characters so vivid. Highly recommend, absolute must-read.

I know enough about the Scott Expedition to Antarctica to know that Beryl Bainbridge captured the essence of the adventurers' courage and determination in the five different voices she channeled. The angle about each of the men 'celebrating' a birthday under formidable circumstances humanized their predicament. I liked getting the different perspectives of their journey and their impressions of what they endured. I had previously listened to much of The Worst Journey in the World based on one of the survivor's journals and found Bainbridge's fictionalized accounts spot on.

Each of the five narratives advances the quest to reach the South Pole. It was heartbreaking that for all their efforts they would be second to the Norwegians. It is show more evident that Scott's leadership was inept and just as evident that his men were loyal and brave to the end. The book is a labor of love and a tribute to the men who wouldn't turn back. I recommend this book to those who enjoy retellings of true adventure stories. show less

Beryl Bainbridge captures the iciness, the darkness, the danger, the heroism, and the horror of the Scott expedition to the South Pole through the voices of the five men who reached the Pole and died just short of a supply depot on their return to base camp. Because I read, and was fascinated by, The Coldest March by Susan Solomon, I was familiar with the story and the cast of characters; I'm not sure whether this enhanced the novel for me or lessened the impact of Bainbridge's amazing writing because I knew what happened.

Unlike some of her other novels, in which much is allusive, here Bainbridge tells the story straightforwardly. Each man narrates a part of it, chronologically, from boarding the Terra Nova in June 1910 to the final show more days in March 1912, and each tells it in his own distinctive voice. Part of what makes this fascinating is that the reader gets different perspectives on each of the characters, not only of the men who died but also of wives and mothers left behind and of other participants in the expedition. In addition to telling a compelling tale of a compelling series of events, Bainbridge conveys both the discipline and the challenges of British naval tradition at the dawn of the 20th century, the lure of exploration and of science, and above all the beauty and danger of the Antarctic landscape. This is one of her best novels (of the ones I've read so far). show less

Takes on the voice of each of the party of 5 who reached the pole, with the narrative going from the preparations to depart the UK through to the disastrous return across the ice. The book is well researched, but set well aside from biography by the author bringing the characters to life -- human, with all the attendant moods, contradictions, and anxieties. The result is 5 separate convincing voices who keep you turning the pages. Managing this in a book just 180 pages show what a skillful writer Beryl Bainbridge is.

This pulled me in more than I expected, despite the very gruesome details of freezing to death in Antartica. The four narratives were an interesting effect, though I found I never really got a consistent sense of Birdie and totally lost track of which Evans was which. The utter tragic stupidity of the expedition really hits home with the final narrative by Oates. I will need to read some history of it now.