Shipwreck by Louis Begley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Shipwreck—review on Goodreads
Hawaiian vacation, day 5 of 6, third novel of three. From a stack of books in the rental cottage, all mysteries and spy thrillers. Had picked through what looked interesting or not previously-read. Gazed at the first few paragraphs of Shipwreck. Then the next few pages. Then was a quarter of the way through when the wife reminded me we were due for a sunset boat tour. Put the book down reluctantly.
Back from cruise, back to book. Next day, packed for return trip home, quickly, so I could read as much of book as possible before leaving. Before leaving, downloaded book to my e-reader. Finished book on plane.
Thus 4 stars. This is a dense little tome, the narrator’s prose style long and meandering, at points self-deprecating, but only barely so, hinting at a sense of shame if not outright guilt. The reader knows, fairly quickly, that something must go wrong. And then then reader guesses, and the rest is the intrigue and anxiety of finding out if you were right.
A main character you can sort of like if not respect, a lifestyle you can be envious of if not appreciate, all of it painted with an artistic disingenuousness. A heavy book for so few pages, a light book considering the subject matter. You won’t sink your teeth into it, as it were, but you’ll definitely get a taste for it.