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A review by gruezelda_reads
The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
3.0
3.5 stars. This book tells of a fictional arctic expedition in the middle of the 19th century, but ultimately the story is more about the people than their adventures. It appears to be very well-researched, and maybe as a result it's a little dry in the first third of the book, which is all about the details and the start of the journey. A lot of people introduced, a lot of setting the stage, and it didn't all really stick with me too well. Once the expedition starts to run into trouble, we get a clearer sense of the personalities involved and the story gets more interesting. I found the last part of the book, the aftermath of the voyage, the most compelling and satisfying part of this book.
Throughout, it was in some places hard to read about the 'science' of the naturalists and the work they were doing in an era in which it never occurred to humans that in some situations it might be best to tread lightly. "Specimens" are collected in ways that seem a little barbaric these days; this is successfully addressed by the author and sporadically by the characters in a way that it authentic for the characters and the time.
Throughout, it was in some places hard to read about the 'science' of the naturalists and the work they were doing in an era in which it never occurred to humans that in some situations it might be best to tread lightly. "Specimens" are collected in ways that seem a little barbaric these days; this is successfully addressed by the author and sporadically by the characters in a way that it authentic for the characters and the time.