Sounding [Mass Market Paperback]

Hank Searls (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1985

SOUNDING takes us into the extraordinary mind and emotions of the magnificent sperm whale, an aging bull roaming the waters of the Atlantic. Troubled and separated from his herd, the whale wants to fulfill his one obsessive desire -- to communicate with the human race and learn why they can be both vicious hunters and frolicking playmates.

Far away, on a doomed Russian nuclear submarine, Lieutenant Peter Rostov, the sonar officer and a classical musician, is spending what he's sure are his last days listening to the beautiful "sounding" of the whale.

In the amazing climax to this unique novel, man and whale come together -- and a magnificent destiny is fulfilled.

"Searls is remarkably eloquent. . . . you'll stand up and cheer." -- The Washington Post Book World

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

SOUNDING takes us into the extraordinary mind and emotions of the magnificent sperm whale, an aging bull roaming the waters of the Atlantic. Troubled and separated from his herd, the whale wants to fulfill his one obsessive desire -- to communicate with the human race and learn why they can be both vicious hunters and frolicking playmates.

Far away, on a doomed Russian nuclear submarine, Lieutenant Peter Rostov, the sonar officer and a classical musician, is spending what he's sure are his last days listening to the beautiful "sounding" of the whale.

In the amazing climax to this unique novel, man and whale come together -- and a magnificent destiny is fulfilled.

"Searls is remarkably eloquent. . . . you'll stand up and cheer." -- The Washington Post Book World

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345325265
• ISBN-13: 978-0345325266
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #860,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing thoughts from a whale, May 26, 2001

By 

marnie (Liberec, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sounding (Paperback)

It may sound crazy that this book is from the perspective of a whale, but it is extremely insightful and touching. The whale is recalling his life and the lives of other whales through mental pictures and sounds. He thinks about his kind and their experiences with whalers, other species like dolphin, sharks, etc. and deals with how terribly dangerous humans can be. In a cool twist we also get the thoughts of a soldier on a Russian sub that is trapped, much like the fate of the Russian sub earlier this year. This book is amazing. It once again convinced me of our actions and what we do and don't do and how it can drastically change the world.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Package, Big Bang, July 21, 2002

By 

jimmy (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sounding (Paperback)

I can't believe I missed this book these many years, but then the title is not descriptive until you read the book and much like "Watership Down" does not at first glance appear offer the depth and breadth to captivate adults as well as children. What a wonderful surprise! This book is now in my personal Top Ten because of the combination of the scope of the story and the beauty of the telling. Mr. Searls immediately validates the scope of his novel by revealing the enchanting facts of his considerable research early on that describe the size and complexity of the sperm whale brain ( the thinking portion is many times larger and more convoluted than man's and was in that advanced state 30 million years before man's ancestors began to grow big brains ). The reader can't help but wonder for what evolutionary advantage that thinking ability began and survives for so long. We don't have to wonder alone as Mr. Searls immerses us in a completely new and expansive world, the society and history of our oft unseen and rarely appreciated cousins, seaborn mammals. If it were only this deep I would love this beautiful story but the truth is he has achieved much greater depth, much like the miles deep dives of the sperm's themselves so hauntingly described here. Among us humans is a deep desire to know we are not alone in our grasp of Life and the Nature of the Universe. Anyone who has ever utterred the words or even had the thought "If they can put a man on the moon, why can't ( here at home ) they...." need look no further. Here is vast wonder that can't help but stir any sensitive reader to a new grasp of the nature of intelligence and what it means to be an "Earthling". It is a solid mile-marker in the journey to view the "oneness" of our rich planet, Mother Earth, including the larger part under water.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A WHALE OF A TALE, July 10, 2007

By 

Joseph R. Calamia (El Paso, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sounding (Paperback)

SOUNDING by Hank Searls is without a doubt; "A whale of tale!" I first read this book some 20 years(+) ago. The first edition showed the fluke of a whale as it started it's souding. I have always been interested in things of the ocean and of course, I immedietly bought the book.

I recalled the basic story line after 20 some odd years, and although I had forgotten the specifics, I remembered what a fasinating and enjoyable read it was. Therefore, I ordered the book once again and read it with the enthusiasm of a child reading a classic fairy tale.

Hank Searls is/was a master of anthromorphism, and his research knowledge of the Sperm Whale only serves to enhance it's character.

The reader is plunged into the dark abyss of the seas and witin the belly of a sunken Russian submarine all in one book. Hank Searls weaves a fine tapestry of drama and suspense in the lives of the Sperm Whale and Mankind.

A great read, a fun read, and one well worth enjoying!!