Jones, Ben. The rope eater, a novel

JONES, Ben. The rope eater, a novel. Random House, Anchor. 294p. c2003. 1-4000-3368-3. $13.95. SA

This slow-moving novel features Brendan Kane, a weary veteran of the American Civil War who has returned to the North. With no other prospects for his future, Kane signs on as a crewman on a ship leaving on a secret mission. The ship's enigmatic owner, Mr. West, secludes himself on the ship and is apparently the only one who knows the ship's destination. Soon, however, the ship's egomaniacal captain and his bizarre crew--an eclectic group that includes a strangely disturbed doctor, a few experienced but volatile sailors, a mysterious three-handed Muslim, and the bewildered Kane--begin to learn something about the tantalizing goals and diabolical challenges that await them. They are looking for a utopian paradise hidden within the paralyzing grip of the Arctic wilderness, Mr. West tells them. The quest, however, will be complicated by ineffable terrors far beyond their imaginations.

This derivative tale of good versus evil, thematically reminiscent of but aesthetically dwarfed by Melville's Moby-Dick, never really gains momentum and will appeal only to patient readers willing to endure a darkly lyrical Gothic narrative about a protracted frozen adventure. Tim Davis, Lit. & Comp. Instructor, Univ. of W. Florida, Pensacola, FL

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

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