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The Lobster Chronicles Life on a Very Small Islan
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Rating: 3.72/5 from 46 reviews Life on an "Very Small Island" is indeed BoringAnother from the lady who survived The Perfect StormRemember Linda Greenlaw? The captain of the boat that DIDN'T go down in The Perfect Storm? Here she is again, and she's written a beauty of a book, very different from The Hungry Ocean, her previous book about that nasty storm. Greenlaw has given up swordfishing and lives on a teensy island off Maine's coast where she's a lobster-woman. Only 47 souls live full-time on this island, and she figures she's someway related to more than half of them. This book is a collection of essays, many of which are stand-alone pieces, full of Down East eccentric characters that enrich her life, the island, and the world itself just by the largess of their existence. I recently participated on a panel with Greenlaw at SF's Books by the Bay and found her to be as open, engaging, self-confident, and funny in person as she is on the printed page. Read it. No StoryA fitting title, but no story here other than the quiet life of a tomboy and her father. Nothing really happens, at least not in a way that was interesting to me. I enjoyed the book, I was relaxed by the book and I learned from the book. But in the end Lobster Chronicles was a bit lite for me. I never really got to know or understand any of the characters, the author included. I did not read her 1st book about sword fishing, but must assume it was better written than this one. Michael Duranko www.bootism.com | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island started out well enough with some background into Linda and how she found herself on her home island after a career on the open sea. Her character development and pace are fine but she never delves deeper into this eclectic group of characters she has at her disposal.
Her look into the impending "Gear War" never reaches any fruition, oh it is brought up a number of times but the group never undertakes the task of keeping their "turf". While I realize this is based on her real experences, I never felt the urgency that could have been displayed, when an industry that so many people depend on was "floundering". I never felt that if her foray into lobster fishing failed, that she would really suffer, being a best selling author and all. Perhaps if a long time lobster fisher person wrote this book, they could better convey the hardship and perseverance it takes to eke out a living by fishing for "bugs".
My overall feeling was, when I reached the last page,I did gain some insight into Linda's life and the life of her community but I wanted more. I feel that this book could have offered that "more" but Linda was content in offering a shallow glimse into her life and the life of her community. Some may feel her look at cancer was not shallow and I would agree but my feeling stands.
If you want a rambling read about a single woman looking to find a man on a small island and by the way she is starting out lobster fishing, then by all means buy the book.
If you want more then that then I would recommend looking elsewhere.