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A review by nerdygnome
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"No one carries the best parts of themselves. The best parts are those held inside of others."
While unique in its own right, "Whalefall" feels a bit like the oceanic version of "The Martian" — a solo man, left to fend for himself under seemingly insurmountable survival odds. As you might then expect, "Whalefall" is atmospheric and tense. What you may not expect, though, is that along with this pervasive sense of adventure comes a good deal of quiet reflection. Readers are taken both deep into the ocean and deep into the protagonist's emotional growth.
Jay, a young man estranged from his family, is making an epic attempt at reconciling with his relatives. He's on a deep-dive quest to locate the remains of his deceased father, who committed suicide by leaping into the sea. Jay is convinced that by doing so, his mother and sister will forgive him for staying away from his father's deathbed even when his father was begging to see him. Just when it seems he may have succeeded, Jay is accidentally eaten by a 60-ton sperm whale and must try to battle his way out of the whale and to the surface before his oxygen tank runs out.
I enjoyed the clever, crisp writing that Kraus delivers. While I did sometimes feel that the graphic descriptions of his battles against whale flesh were long winded, it's safe to say I was suitably enchanted by the story throughout. Flashbacks to Jay's childhood experiences gave me a breather from his ardurous task of escaping the whale, and slowly revealed the complexities of his relationship with his dad. While it has the feel of an adventure story, at its core "Whalefall" is instead a beautiful testimony to the parent-child relationship (even, perhaps especially, when flawed), grief, reconciliation, and love.
While unique in its own right, "Whalefall" feels a bit like the oceanic version of "The Martian" — a solo man, left to fend for himself under seemingly insurmountable survival odds. As you might then expect, "Whalefall" is atmospheric and tense. What you may not expect, though, is that along with this pervasive sense of adventure comes a good deal of quiet reflection. Readers are taken both deep into the ocean and deep into the protagonist's emotional growth.
Jay, a young man estranged from his family, is making an epic attempt at reconciling with his relatives. He's on a deep-dive quest to locate the remains of his deceased father, who committed suicide by leaping into the sea. Jay is convinced that by doing so, his mother and sister will forgive him for staying away from his father's deathbed even when his father was begging to see him. Just when it seems he may have succeeded, Jay is accidentally eaten by a 60-ton sperm whale and must try to battle his way out of the whale and to the surface before his oxygen tank runs out.
I enjoyed the clever, crisp writing that Kraus delivers. While I did sometimes feel that the graphic descriptions of his battles against whale flesh were long winded, it's safe to say I was suitably enchanted by the story throughout. Flashbacks to Jay's childhood experiences gave me a breather from his ardurous task of escaping the whale, and slowly revealed the complexities of his relationship with his dad. While it has the feel of an adventure story, at its core "Whalefall" is instead a beautiful testimony to the parent-child relationship (even, perhaps especially, when flawed), grief, reconciliation, and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Grief, Terminal illness, Gore, and Animal death