Books that delve into both the beauty and chaos of the ocean capture both the profound danger, isolation and unpredictable nature of our seas. Through novels, you can experience both the awe-inspiring and terrifying aspects of the sea, whether the themes are of survival, adventure or the struggle against nature. Here is a selection of some of our favourite books that delve into the beauty and perilous nature of the sea:
Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst is an extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love. You could ask any couple, married or otherwise, when it was that they were struck by a whale. And they could tell you. Not -really- struck by a whale, unless you’re Maurice and Maralyn, but metaphorically. Any couple could tell you the years or months they weathered their fiercest storm, fought their most trying battle, met their most difficult times. Survived their whales. And that’s what I love the most about this book. Sophie Elmhirst has brought together factual materials to create a good, emotive narrative, to tell the story of the couple adrift at sea in the 1970s, what came before and what happened since.
The Last Passenger by Will Dean is tense, impossible, nail-biting, dramatic… and certainly unpredictable. How does an entire cruise ship of passengers and crew just disappear into thin air? Well… read this book and you’ll find out exactly how. The storyline is complex, for a book that has so little characters (no spoilers, a whole cruise ship of passengers LITERALLY disappears) it is incredibly full. Of what? Well, secrets, lies, challenges, darkness and so much more. It’s also a book that will have you craving the isolation…but only for a short while. Then, the lights go out. Terrifying and mystifying in equal measures, you won’t be able to put this book down.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann is a gripping historical account that blends adventure, survival, and the human will to endure in the face of extraordinary odds. The book details the real-life story of the ill-fated British ship Wager, which was part of a naval expedition in the 1740s. After a violent storm leaves the ship stranded off the coast of South America, its crew is forced to endure months of hardship on a barren island, leading to mutiny, murder, and a dramatic test of human morality.
Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood is a memoir that recounts the author’s thrilling and harrowing experience sailing around the world with her husband, in a boat they had built themselves. The story focuses on a particular event in 1998 when Suzanne and her family were caught in a severe storm while sailing off the coast of Australia, a near-death experience that put their boat, Wavewalker, and their lives in grave danger.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a fantastical survival story about a young Indian boy named Pi Patel, who is stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days after the ship he and his family were travelling on sinks during a storm. The novel alternates between Pi’s recounting of his experiences and his life before the shipwreck, touching on themes of faith, survival, the power of storytelling, and the relationship between humans and animals. Pi practices multiple religions, and his spiritual journey is integral to his will to live.
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman is about choice. It is about good people making decisions. It is about the wider community and what brings people to the brink of being able to cope. It is about split seconds and long drawn out pain. Ultimately, it explores how the ocean can serve up a gift just as much as it can a heartbreak.
“Sometimes life turns out hard, Isabel. Sometimes it just bites right through you. And sometimes, just when you think it’s done its worst, it comes back and takes another chunk.”
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler is incredibly original, brutal, powerful and redemptive. It poses profound questions about artificial and nonhuman intelligence and offers provocative answers. When pioneering marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen is offered the chance to travel to the remote Con Dao Archipelago to investigate a highly intelligent, dangerous octopus species, she doesn’t pause long enough to look at the fine print…
This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.
There are so many more books that could be added to this list but those are some favourites that engage with the notion of the sea as an unpredictable force, often perilous, sometimes romantic and always impressive. A source of beauty and danger, the eight titles chosen span themes of psychological tension, terror, survival, mythological exploration, speculation and the enduring struggle of humans against the forces of nature beyond our control.
No responses yet