Beyond the Sea: From the Booker-shortlisted author of Prophet Song
£4.70
Winner of the Prix Gens de Mer, 2022
Hector and Bolivar set sail from their South American fishing village on what they believe to be a routine expedition. But then a devastating storm casts them adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With no means of contacting the outside world and no sign of rescue, their only hope lies with one another. Both men must confront the truth about themselves, and the regrets that they have spent a lifetime trying to forget, if they are to survive.
Part gripping story of resilience, part fearless existential parable, Beyond the Sea is a meditation on what it means to be human, in a world that pushes us to the brink.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Oneworld Publications (29 Aug. 2019) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 500 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 194 pages |
by HLeuschel
What a fantastic read. It’s a short novel that packs a real punch and is very fitting for our times of pandemic and quarantine.
Two fishermen take out a boat despite storm warnings and find themselves lost at sea. Initially Bolivar and Hector are intent on staying alive, eat fish, capture birds and tell each other about regrets and memories of their past. Their company keeps them going as well as the hope that they may be rescued, that they do everything in their power to stay alert of changing weather conditions.
‘He thinks what is life but waiting. He closes his eyes and listens. Always waiting upon the awaited thing… Watching how the wave travels then folds, falls upon another that carries the passing energy within it, the life and death of the sea.’
The situation they find themselves in seems to make the past worries slip away. The urgency of staying alive is gripping and their attempts of finding purpose in the smallest of victories is palpable.
‘Life on the panga isn’t so bad. That out here, for the first time, everything has fallen away. The weight you carry in your heart … The pain and problems of living.
The insights offered are those we face to a much lesser degree right now. Lock downs around the planet, the appeal to stay at home and make do with limited social contact is somewhat similar to the situation the two fishermen find themselves in. They experience fear, anxiety but also hope and they have a lot of time to reflect on what’s essential, what matters when normal life, connections with family, friends and foes fall away. It’s a great read that I highly recommend!
by Michael J Richards
One reviewer says the first thing we think of when reading this novel is Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”. He’s right. I did. “Beyond the Sea” comes nowhere near it. This novel, unlike the Hemingway, has little or no character development. The narrative is confused, not helped by the startling lack of clear punctuation. It offers little in the way of redemption. I was glad when I finished it and, afterwards, wondered why I’d persisted.
by Amanda Jenkinson
Bolivar, a humble Mexican fisherman, sets out on a fishing trip with a young and inexperienced companion Hector, in spite of bad weather warnings. Bolivar desperately needs to earn money so is willing to take the risk. As might be expected, terrible weather catches them far out to sea and soon they lose power and GPS. What follows is a gripping account of how they battle for survival over the coming weeks. Adrift in the vast ocean, their situation becomes increasingly desperate. It’s a powerful and haunting evocation of their plight, although occasionally I found it a bit repetitive. While they struggle for physical survival, the emotional and psychological stress also take their toll, as they reflect on their past and muse on what life has thrown at them. On one level it’s a survival tale, but on a deeper level it’s an exploration of what it means to be human, on the human condition, and the existential challenges of life on the edge. If I have a quibble it is that their reflections, especially Bolivar’s, seem beyond the scope of simple fisherman, but perhaps that’s not the point and perhaps it doesn’t really matter. It’s still a powerful and compelling tale, predictable up to a point, but always engaging and a page-turner, and the tension is masterfully maintained throughout. A good read.
by Little Bookness Lane
“Beyond the Sea” introduces us to Bolivar and Hector during a punishing voyage of endurance, on which they experience an unexpected metamorphosis and extreme mindfulness that will immerse your core and wring it dry.
These two South American fishermen flounder on an endless swell of resistance and surrender, its briny depths summoning countless trials to fluster their souls.
Settling into the erratic rhythm of an unwelcome reality, their already strained relationship is further distressed by overexposure to the elements and each other’s company.
Proving to be both merciless and charitable, the ocean becomes a rolling, heaving crossing to self-illumination, with mellow narration perfectly complementing its profound undertow. I can only compare it to a veteran storyteller calmly sharing a deeply affecting account with a hopeful audience of one.
An intense story of how it is to be every kind of lost, and what it takes to find yourself again.
(Huge thanks to the publisher for providing a digital copy of this title via Netgalley, which is was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review.)
by MartinC
Paul Lynch’s third novel is centered on Bolivar, a humble Mexican fisherman. With a novice helper, he sets off into a sea that holds a dangerous storm, and things do not go well.
However the ostensible plot is not all that important as this is about a simple man discovering the complexities and, conversely, the simplicities that lie in his mind.
Naturally, the first thought for the reader is Hemingway and The Old Man and the Sea, but this is more extensive and deeper.
Deeply philosophical, it brings the reader far into the amalgam of emotions that comprise Bolivar and, to a lesser extent, his helprr Hector.
Unforgettable.