Customer Reviews

The Deepest Sea

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very original, highly entertaining, hilariously funny in a couple of places, with a bittersweet twist at the end.
This is an adult oriented novel about a young man growing up in early Nordic society. It touches on adventure, politics, friendship, spirituality and human nature.
The editing could have been better, but it's still a great read.
I wish there were a sequel.

I ran across this book during one of those times when you just do not know what you want to read. Sort of like a burn out on fantasy which is my favorite reading.

This is one of those books that you can read, then a few months later blow the dust off and read again. I have read it 3 times now and am just amazed at this writers ability to keep me interested. From the first page to the finale it is wonderful and rich story telling. I do not think he has any other work out there, which is a shame because with this style of writing I could easily call him my favorite writer.

To give away too much of the story in this review would not do the next reader any justice, so you will just have to try it out for yourself. The humor and setting are the best I have ever read. I can give this 5 stars without even considering any other rating, highly recommend it for anyone looking for a book to keep you up into the wee hours of them morning.

If you've ever sat by a bonfire, tankard in hand, and listened to Some "Snori-whats-his-father type" regale you with a NO-*hit!- there I was story; you'll recognize the delightfully anachronistic tone of The Deepest Sea. If you haven't perhaps you should; or at least read this book. The Deepest Sea is a fun a-viking romp, written by someone who obviously bothered to crack a book or two on the subject. Barnitz succeeds in giving you a feel for the period with-out falling back on creating psuedo-Nordic speech patterns in his narrative. One feels the protagonist may have simply lived long enough to tell his tale to modern audiences in their own tongue. I think this is a great approach and WOULD BE PLEASED TO FIND IT AGAIN. (Are you listening Charles Barnitz?) The story is Laugh-out-loud entertaining. Which for me, excuses the "NOT PERIOD!" elements. I'll take potatoes in the wrong place and time, for the "Three wishes" joke any day. To sum it up, I was much too busy enjoying this book to care much about any literary, historical, or grammatical flaws. Purist be Dashed! The Deepest Sea is a good story, well told, in a fun and original style! Write some more Barnitz, any subject, I'll read'em! D Ambruso

Reads like a wisecracking modern detective story (though it's an adventure novel rather than a detective), except it's set in 9th-century Ireland and England. Great plot, great writing, great characters, with none of the usual Gaelic mythological airs.

Faults aside, this book is just what it was meant to be entertainment. I found it to be an easy and enjoyable to read. The research was good and brought us a little of 8th century history. You develope a sort of comraddarie with the Vikings. You follow their group as you would with any group..ie war, or disaster, or small town. You hope nothing happens to them but as always it does. The book takes its twists and turns, then you realize that its just like life. And then it ends leaving you looking for more. If Mr Barnitz decides to write more like this , I will be glad to read them.

The modern vocal style threw me at first, then I assumed that all would be explained (it is!) and from then on had a wonderful read. There is real history here, I've been to some of the places, and obviously so has the author. Some juicy characterisations, a little wannabe sex thrown in, but not enough to put people off. Charles, who's to say that the Vikings didn't bring potatoes back from Vinland? Who cares about the odd 'oops' with a cracking story like this - more please! BTW. a dragon is a Viking longboat.

If you've ever sat by a bonfire, tankard in hand, and listened to Some "Snori-whats-his-father type" regale you with a NO-*hit!- there I was story; you'll recognize the delightfully anachronistic tone of The Deepest Sea. If you haven't perhaps you should; or at least read this book. The Deepest Sea is a fun a-viking romp, written by someone who obviously bothered to crack a book or two on the subject. Barnitz succeeds in giving you a feel for the period with-out falling back on creating psuedo-Nordic speech patterns in his narrative. One feels the protagonist may have simply lived long enough to tell his tale to modern audiences in their own tongue. I think this is a great approach and WOULD BE PLEASED TO FIND IT AGAIN. (Are you listening Charles Barnitz?) The story is Laugh-out-loud entertaining. Which for me, excuses the "NOT PERIOD!" elements. I'll take potatoes in the wrong place and time, for the "Three wishes" joke any day. To sum it up, I was much too busy enjoying this book to care much about any literary, historical, or grammatical flaws. Purist be Dashed! The Deepest Sea is a good story, well told, in a fun and original style! Write some more Barnitz, any subject, I'll read'em! D Ambruso

Not a bad take on viking "adventure" in the ninth century as the hero embarks on a raid against the English coast from a viking stronghold in Ireland. The writing's fairly taut and fresh and the plot cracks along but the modern tone, though justified by the surprise plot twist at the end, seems remarkably out of place. We get a fairly good tour of the English (and Welsh) countryside as our reluctant viking protagonist learns to raid and kill in the best tradition of his forebears, gets lost from his raiding party and hooks up with a lovely, if mysterious, female companion and finally finds his shipmates again, only to get swept overboard, with the girl, and end up in the monastery at Lindisfarne just prior to the historical raid on that site which kicked off the full scale viking age in England -- which was to trouble the natives there for the next hundred years or so. We get an oddly bracing picture of these vikings too, professional warriors that they were, as they ready themselves for each upcoming encounter (not unlike the limbering-up exercises of a modern football team about to meet the "other side" out on the gridiron in a friendly match) -- you almost have to believe in the realism of it all, despite the warm fuzzy feeling you get once you've really gotten to know these boys. Even Thorfinn Skullsplitter seems like the kind of guy you wouldn't mind splitting a beer with -- assuming that's all he's in the mood for cleaving. But the dragon stuff seems rather forced and out of place. And the end, clever as it is, only adds to the sense that this book and this author didn't quite know where they wanted to go with the story. The protagonist's "voice" lapses into a rather sophomoric, counter-cultural patois as the tale winds down, which is both jarring and debilitating to the rest of the tale. And, though it's justified by the ending, the ending itself is discordant with what went before. You may guess it from the way the story moves, but I doubt you'll figure out the locale.

The surprise ending in this one seems to have pleased many readers but I found it a bit off-putting, myself, turning what had seemed to me to be a good, and nicely paced, historical yarn into something a bit too self-concious and cute. I prefer my viking tales with a larger dash of authenticity so the abrupt plot twist which brings this one to a close, left me a bit cold.

But it's nicely written and holds the reader to the end.

SWM

One of the best books I've read in the past few years. Solid, engaging storytelling, you feel like you're there.

I do not normally comment on books I have read. However, this is the best book I've read in years. The story grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go even after the ending. This author definately has the gift of "gab!" I have not been able to find anything else by this author. Does anyone out there have any info on him? If so email me.