A review by evastrange
Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge

4.0

More than a dramatic account of a maritime disaster, this short novel is an elegy for the society that would perish not long after, the microcosm of the ship mirroring the old world order on the eve of its spectacular and spectacularly destructive demise. In just a few broad strokes Bainbridge paints a very vivid picture of that society and the rules by which it plays, of its gross inequality and of the casual oppression and dehumanisation of the lower decks – errr, classes. Most of all, it shines a harsh light on the absurdity of the lifestyle and behaviour of the upper class, the self-appointed captains of a ship that was slowly but surely, and just as willfully blind as the Titanic, steering towards a big fat disaster and tragedy of its own making, its crew astonishingly oblivious to the reality of their situation. This highlighting of the absurdity inherent in so many historic events and developments is classic Bainbridge and her novels’ strongest point. It’s infinitely more poignant in Master Georgie, though.