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A review by martydah
Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
5.0
This novel almost requires a cast list to keep track of all the 'fools' on the ocean liner the Vera which sailing from Mexico to Germany. On board are a very mixed bag of travelers, all returning to Europe in search of something they are missing in their lives or to get away from past mistakes or simply to reunite with loved ones. There are merchants, academics, businessmen, artists, entire families, dancers and even soft-core prostitutes among the passengers in the first class section. Add to this heady mix the ethic, racist and societal tensions among Germans, Americans, Jewish, Spanish and Cubans and the reader knows form the beginning that this will be the quintessential 'bumpy ride' for all concerned.
Originally begun in the 1930's, Porter did not publish this novel until the early 1960's. Most of the characters are based on her own notebooks, written during one of her own voyages. None, besides the gentle Dr. Schumann, are very sympathetic, not even most of the children. Most of the Germans come off as stiff-necked, self-righteous and racist, the Americans are either self-absorbed, vulgar or unstable, and the Spanish passengers are depicted as brutal, opportunistic criminals. However, Porter does not turn all of them into two-dimensional caricatures - most have some sort of redeeming trait, whether it's Jenny Angel's boundless enthusiasm, the Hutten's devotion to their spoiled bulldog, Bebe, or Wilhelm Freytag's shaken but still relatively solid devotion to his Jewish wife, Mary. Even divorcee Mrs. Treadwell, wavering as she admits between being 'no-longer young and not-yet-old' uncertain about what to do with her life, has some appeal. The voyage proves to be life-changing in some fashion for each one.
What Porter does well is to present us human beings, with all their warts showing. The reader may not like many of the characters, in fact will probably be horrified by the anti-Semitism and stereotyping of some of the passengers, but the issues she raises in this book are those that we still struggle with today. This is not a quick or easy read since the plot switches back and forth between characters (most of the action taking place in their minds) and it is often difficult in the beginning to remember who is who. I stuck with it and found it to be a very rewarding experience.
Originally begun in the 1930's, Porter did not publish this novel until the early 1960's. Most of the characters are based on her own notebooks, written during one of her own voyages. None, besides the gentle Dr. Schumann, are very sympathetic, not even most of the children. Most of the Germans come off as stiff-necked, self-righteous and racist, the Americans are either self-absorbed, vulgar or unstable, and the Spanish passengers are depicted as brutal, opportunistic criminals. However, Porter does not turn all of them into two-dimensional caricatures - most have some sort of redeeming trait, whether it's Jenny Angel's boundless enthusiasm, the Hutten's devotion to their spoiled bulldog, Bebe, or Wilhelm Freytag's shaken but still relatively solid devotion to his Jewish wife, Mary. Even divorcee Mrs. Treadwell, wavering as she admits between being 'no-longer young and not-yet-old' uncertain about what to do with her life, has some appeal. The voyage proves to be life-changing in some fashion for each one.
What Porter does well is to present us human beings, with all their warts showing. The reader may not like many of the characters, in fact will probably be horrified by the anti-Semitism and stereotyping of some of the passengers, but the issues she raises in this book are those that we still struggle with today. This is not a quick or easy read since the plot switches back and forth between characters (most of the action taking place in their minds) and it is often difficult in the beginning to remember who is who. I stuck with it and found it to be a very rewarding experience.