Scan barcode
vhardman's review
4.0
I’m giving this book four stars due to the extensive research and interviews the author did. The story is well written and for the most part interesting yet I found myself bored through several sections.
nancydrew's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
1.75
You can't help but sense the author patting herself on the back for "exploring" this tragedy of four men lost at sea, however, the author's clumsy prose, gratuitous details ("he would even have sex with her when she had her period") and reliance on cliches, turns this into exploitation as opposed to exploration. Similarly, the author's descriptions of the Maidstone club set in juxtaposition to the "working-class" fisherman is full of tropes and condescension. In describing two players in the drama, she states that the came from "good-stock". Who uses such terminology anymore without acknowledging its many biases and limitations? Sorry, but as one of the author's potential sources who refused to be interviewed said, "The Perfect Storm" has already been written.
ellemnope's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
In March of 1984, a rogue storm resulted in the loss of the Wind Blown and her four man crew. An experienced captain, his trusted first mate, and two young crewmen lost their lives to the freezing waters off Montauk, New York. The captain was skilled, but the seaworthiness of his vessel was questionable, and the town mourned the life that had been lost...it still carries the scars of losing fishermen at sea.
Fairbanks delivers the story of these men and their families, including their lives leading up to their fateful journey and the lives of those who loved them following their disappearance. There is a lot of great historical information and family history present in the pages, along with a very atmospheric description of the fishing life and the dangers that these men faced every day as they rode out to find their catch.
While the story is very obviously heavily researched and Fairbanks has to be given credit for the amount of background that she managed to obtain on these men's families as well as their chosen profession, the final product was unfortunately a bit lackluster for me.
There is a lot of information present, but not all of it is necessarily pertinent. There is a LOT of back history on prior generations and wandering anecdotes that sometimes paint extraneous characters in more detail than some of the four lost men. The story isn't told in any particular organizational style, as it moves from time to time, place to place, and character to character, without a lot of cohesive sense. This led to a bumpy and disjointed read that sometimes had me lost in the pages and confused about whose story was whose.
The writing itself was good and there were some great family histories told, but the organization seemed to be the sticking point. Though plenty of time was taken in the gathering of information, it almost feels as if the narrative was thrown together in a hurry to meet a deadline rather than following the painstaking detail that was taken with each individual piece.
Points for the information given, as I did learn a lot about the area, the profession, and the four men who disappeared. It just didn't hit the mark for me.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Fairbanks delivers the story of these men and their families, including their lives leading up to their fateful journey and the lives of those who loved them following their disappearance. There is a lot of great historical information and family history present in the pages, along with a very atmospheric description of the fishing life and the dangers that these men faced every day as they rode out to find their catch.
While the story is very obviously heavily researched and Fairbanks has to be given credit for the amount of background that she managed to obtain on these men's families as well as their chosen profession, the final product was unfortunately a bit lackluster for me.
There is a lot of information present, but not all of it is necessarily pertinent. There is a LOT of back history on prior generations and wandering anecdotes that sometimes paint extraneous characters in more detail than some of the four lost men. The story isn't told in any particular organizational style, as it moves from time to time, place to place, and character to character, without a lot of cohesive sense. This led to a bumpy and disjointed read that sometimes had me lost in the pages and confused about whose story was whose.
The writing itself was good and there were some great family histories told, but the organization seemed to be the sticking point. Though plenty of time was taken in the gathering of information, it almost feels as if the narrative was thrown together in a hurry to meet a deadline rather than following the painstaking detail that was taken with each individual piece.
Points for the information given, as I did learn a lot about the area, the profession, and the four men who disappeared. It just didn't hit the mark for me.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
drlindseynb's review
4.0
I loved this book. Fairbanks described the individuals related to the story vividly. Before A PERFECT STORM, there was a nor’easter in 1984, which sunk a ship with four young commercial fishermen. She begins by describing the storm and probable events leading to the ship sinking. The middle unspools all the of the fisherman’s histories and family dynamics. It ends with all the reverberations and impacts the survivors faced immediately after the tragedy and many years later. I like ocean/fisherman stories so this scratched that itch. There were some moments when I was tired of reading about *another* family member’s whole history - however, she always found an interesting thread/connection. Highly recommend if you tend to like nonfiction.
sgardenier's review
2.0
While this was a well written, interesting and well researched book, as it went on, I couldn't help but wonder about the ethics of a journalist writing a book about the private lives and secrets of ordinary people who are not public figures. At times it felt invasive and disrespectful.
More...