Customer Reviews

THE SEA RUNNERS

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ivan Doig's story of four indentured servants attempting escape 1200 miles from Alaska to Oregon apparently has some basis in truth (for such an attempt did take place), although he adds his vivid imagination and powerful capacity for describing the natural world to the basic story.

In fact, Doig's ability to describe the fierceness of nature is the best feature of this book. Doig's literary style, though, is a bit Hemingway-esque to me (I like 'real' Hemingway but not Hemingway-esque). His characters speak in stoic monosyllabic bursts, although the narrative voice seems in contrast torrid and mannered. These stoic characters sporadically explode with highly emotional self-revelation: a guy who barely puts two words together for the whole trip suddenly burst into tears revealing his sad reason for a gambling addiction. I wish Doig had let us "in on" his characters a little earlier in the game, but perhaps that would be inconsistent with the style of the story.

For my money, Doig has a superb handle on nature and adventure and a less good handle on character, but fans of adventure in general, and the Pacific coast in particular, will still enjoy reading this.

Descriptions of the Pacific Northwest are accurate and beautiful. The rhythm of the book captures the frustration of its characters and makes it part of your life. I felt I was on the sea paddling for seemingly forever. What kind of characters are required to make a superhuman effort? What kind of relationships are developed by disparate humans when pitted against great odds? Doig helps to answer these questions. This is a MUST READER for understanding the Pacific Northwest.

This book is an excellent story of courage and strength against the harshest forces of nature. The four characters in the story are all brought together through one goal--freedom. Even the fierce and mighty ocean will not stop them from what they wish to obtain. Although their lives as indentured servants in Alaska are not horrible, they are still willing to risk it all for just a taste of freedom. Ivan Doig has a wonderful grasp on the Pacific Northwest and the society in the mid-1800s. His characters are developed quite effectively throughout their struggles and triumphs. Yet at the end, the reader is left to decide whether the voyage was entirely successful. It is important to remember that, to these men, adventure and freedom were more important than a life of security and dissatisfaction. This book is great for those who live in the Pacific Northwest or for those who wish to learn more about it.

I have lived in Washington and Southeast Alaska for 25 years. Over these years I have been to or seen most of the places Doig writes about, from Sitka to Dall Island (crabbing with a friend), to Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert, as well as the Pacific coast of Washington. The mere thought of getting into a canoe and crossing Dixon Entrance in the winter sounds like suicide. The images of the mountains, trees and water are so true I could feel them.

The story about the men is also very true and brings back to me experiences with men over my life, in circumstances good and bad. We are weak, fragile things and usually hold onto the normal and cozy for comfort, but these men took on the unknown and elements with a courage few can muster; though whether they would have done this if they had known what they faced is questionable.

Doig does an admirable job of capturing the beauty, the menace and the feeling of SE Alaska, as well as the courage and weaknesses of men.

Wonderful story. Fear was the constant. I could hear the voices, see the scenery, smell the smells. I loved it.

After a recent trip from Seattle to Juneau on a small cruise ship (100 passengers) I read this book, which is based upon a true story, upon the recommendation of a fellow passenger. It was the perfect post script to a modern day cruise up the coast of British Columbia and Alaska's "inside passage" (along its southeast coast). Author Voig's four Swedes, all indentured servants escaping from the the Russians, take a similar route, but they do it in 1860 (when Alaska was "Russian America") and they head South from Sitka to Astoria, Oregon. They travel in a twenty foot open dugout canoe stolen from the "Kaloshes", a sect of Northwest Indians (Tlingit). The Swedes experience the same unpredictable weather, seas and coastline as they modern day traveler, but they have no cablin, dining room or tour director. And they have to paddle all the way - a distance of over one thousand miles. The tale is a tribute to the human spirit. Ivan Voig knows this part of the world, and he enabled me to relive my fabulous trip as high adventure from my living room chair.

Ivan Doig is a word-smith who crafts wonderful stories in beautiful language. This early book of his is no exception. Taking a sparse, true account from the mid-1800's he develops a wonderful tale of escape and survival.

An enjoyable survivalist tale, along the lines of "The Long Walk" or even Shackleton's "Endurance." Basically four workers escape an indentured work camp in Alaska, steal an Indian canoe and try to make it down the coast of British Columbia and what is now the state of Washington to make it to the settlement at the mouth of the Columbia River.
The depictions of the water and scenery is good. The author spent some time researching the surroundings. The rough humor and tension between the men is hilarious. As they battled starvation during their journey my only question is why didn't they catch more fish, as that coastline is chock full of fish, but that's a minor detail. Love the scene where they get to witness a Northwest Indian tribe bring in a whale, as that is of historical significance. You'll feel an ache in your own back and blisters on your own hands as you empathize with their journey.
First book of his that I've read, and I now want to find more.

This is a stellar example of how beautiful prose writing can be. Story telling is an art, a skill, and this is as good as it gets.

Based on a true incident, this tale of the escape of indentured workers from a fish packing plant in Alaska in the 1800s is hair-raising adventure. Doig's descriptions of the trials the men face in the unforgiving wilderness are masterful and vivid. There's humor here too. At first, the syntax was challenging, but Doig succeeds in giving the narrative a Scandinavian and historical flavor through the language. This boat takes some startling turns, so hang on!