College Article 04: The Shipping News
More Was Expected:
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
* out of 5 stars
( D-)
Fiction
352 pgs.
Annie Proulx’s debut novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1993, so it’s reasonable to see why expectations would be high. Yet, much to this reviewer’s disappointment, upon finishing the book, much was left desired from the author of the haunting “Brokeback Mountain”.
The plot was, at its most basic, highly original (as far as self-discovery stories go). The main character (Quoyle) comes from a life of sadness and pain into a new land where he learns that love is something that can be experienced with joy, not pain. The characters are complex in their vulnerability, making them more realistic than most characters in other novels.
Proulx’s style of writing is one that is entirely her own - has an emotional, dream-like quality that makes it stand apart from other stories about journeys of self-discovery.
But that is where the praise ends from this reviewer. The story started at a decent pace, then slowed to a struggling crawl of monotonous routines, lists upon lists of materials/nouns (that is how the author mainly gives detail), endless descriptions of boats, and a complete stand-still of any real character or plot development until the very end of the book, giving the impression that the ending is rushed when the author should have been leading up to it all along.
It needs to be understood that while there is a great deal of time spent on boats and ships - almost to the point of being tedious - it is important in setting up the environment of the novel (Newfoundland). The reviewer understood this, but while this kind of dedication separates the good writers from the bad writers, it also shows how a potentially good story can become mediocre due to an author’s over-enthusiasm for other details.
Annie Proulx has become more famous recently for her groundbreaking short story, “Brokeback Mountain”, which was written in 1997. It shows that she improved her natural talent and learned to control her skill.
Bottom Line: While much more was expected of this talented author, it appears that her first efforts were awarded more than she deserved.
*originally written on 1/25/07*