Ivana Books Are Magic's review of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (original) (raw)

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Ivana Books Are Magic's Reviews > The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
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I've read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket yesterday (in one sitting) and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I'm certainly glad I picked it up and read it for it proved a fascinating read. Nevertheless, there were quite a few things I didn't like and that confused me about this one and only novel by Edgar Allan Poe.

On overall, I have to admit to feeling a bit conflicted about this novel. Firstly, because it doesn't feel like a novel at all. It feels like a collection of stories or novellas. A collection of stories featuring the same protagonist but not a novel as such. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym doesn't have that inner connection and flow that a novel has. There is no character development to speak of. When I finished it, I felt like I read maybe four stories or three short novellas.

I'll explain what I mean, but there might be some SPOILERS so considered yourself warned. The first story is when Arthur Gordon Pym decided to become a sailor and boards a ship in secret with the help of his fried August. I would call it a mystery story with elements of horror. The second story would be the mutiny on board that would be adventure with elements of horror. Third story would be the castaway part and that would be pure horror for me. The fourth part would be the sailing and exploring prior to meeting the indigenous people as well as the meeting/adventure part itself. That final part reads more like an adventure with a symbolic ending so a mix of symbolism and adventure. The symbolic ending was well done, I felt and was very true to Poe.

If this book was a collection of novellas with the same protagonist, it would just make more sense because then we wouldn't have to pretend not to notice how disjointed it is. The episodes or the stories aren't interconnected. Even the writing style is different. For example, the graphic episode/story where they are stuck on a boat with no food is written so vividly and the author assures us it is something they will never forget but as soon as that part ends- you guess what? They never talk or think about it. It just doesn't make any sense as a novel. Long story short, Poe wasn't a novelist. He was a poet and writer of short stories and novellas. Do you know what? That doesn't make it any less of a writer. Not everyone has to write novels. Back to my points.

Secondly, even if taken as series of stories (it makes more sense of it to see it that way), this book still seems a bit chaotic. In one instant Poe is writing horror in all its gore details and in the next, he goes all sir David Attenborough on us, devoting page after page to description of animals and nature. Thirdly, there were some expressions that are not comfortable to read nowadays and some parts feel racist from today's perspective. Fourthly, the book is a bit too graphic for my taste. Finally, Tiger (the dog) deserved more space!!! Now, that I'm done with complaints, let's say what I loved about this 'novel'.

Edgar Allan Poe had such a talent. Poe's imaginative force is something that you don't come across often, even in the best of writing- let's put it like that. Poe wrote so imaginably and originally, it is always a pleasure to read. The edition I read was quite old and it said how this novel was ignored by critics until some critic (forgot the name) said it was the predecessor to Moby Dick. Do you know what? It truly is. Here you can see a description of a similar legendary friendship and whale hunting is mentioned. It is crazy to think of how many writers Poe influenced. With his stories, Poe practically invented the detective and horror short story genre. So, if he published a collection of novellas and labelled it a novel, I'm willing to forgive him for it.

Would I recommend this novel? Yes, I definietly would but only for adults. There are many violent and graphic passages in this book (that include cannibalism) that make it non advisable for children and/or overly sensitive adults.

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Reading Progress

July 26, 2020 –Started Reading

July 26, 2020 –Finished Reading

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