Several colourfulĬharacters narrate through monologues and letters, which can create the impression of a confused relay team running without a baton. Two themes dominate: the vicious debate tirelessly waged between the men of God and those preferring to believe in the wonders of science and Kneale's deadly serious, detailed examination of the slave trade and the inhuman exploitation of native peoples in the name of exploration. Still, it is highly readable, and draws on the appeal of a long sea journey aboard a 19th-century sailing ship in the days when there was still something left to discover. That said, this novel of lively moments and intelligent insights has a creaky technique and is not overly subtle. Having looked like the dark horse capable of snatching last year's Booker Prize from Margaret Atwood, Kneale's colourful, funny, at times angry and often profound yarn, duly became the Whitbread Book of the Year.
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