Customer Reviews

The Wendover Whale

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

 

 

I think I can best reveal how I felt about The Wendover Whale, by responding to Miss Taylor's review. The only thing I found predictable about the book, was my desire that the young boy would realize his dream, and this desire provided a great deal of suspense when the dangers of failure were imminent. Miss Taylor's comment about "no major publisher picking up the book," puts a human face on the theme of the story. Here is a new writer (Mr. Lane) unable to overcome the obstacles of entering the closed world of publishing, pursuing his own convictions (or dreams) by self-publishing. I was very interested in the many well defined characters; especially the character of the young boy and his relationship to Cap, an old sea salt, and the boy and his father, as well as Cap's relationship with his very intelligent, insightful dog. I found the book meaningful and enjoyable.

I am always amazed when I come across a novel with a completely original and fascinating plot that makes me wonder how the author ever thought it up. The Wendover Whale has that. I truely enjoyed the book. Aside from the plot, the characters drew me in. It is one of those books that reads so smoothly I'm surprised by how quickly I reach the end. Highly recommended, especially if you like Tom Robbins.

The Wendover Whale is a chance to remember about dreams that don't have to come true, about possibilities and how we choose to approach and subsequently handle situations that are perceived as out of the ordinary. To find the goal of the characters (building a boat in the desert) "sort of silly" as Ms. Taylor said in her review, presents the closed mind of someone who has forgotten the excitement of slipping into a slightly farfetched adventure like those in Harold and the Purple Crayon or the Elmer and the Dragon Series. I was first introduced to the Wendover Whale as a screenplay and although I preferred it in that presentation, I found the adaptation to a novel very pleasing. I do take exception to the simpler elements of copy-editing that seem to have been neglected in this printing. There are quite a few spelling errors and although it is a working part of the story to refer to the action in a cross-tense form, I found a couple of times that it read as if someone had just forgotten to transpose tenses. There are a few Robbins-esque passages that tend to ramble on in abit of a mid-hippie disjointedness, but hidden inside each of these are fine gems of insight. It can be dangerous to approach a piece of fiction with such strong preconceptions that a person can get angry at the author for not writing the book you've decided you wanted to read. Then go write it yourself! If you are not motivated, get yourself a copy of The Wendover Whale instead and embark on a wondeful journey and an entirely pleasurable read!

For a good read, with just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, try "The Wendover Whale" Interesting characters, well defined--even the dog comes through as a dog you'd like to know!Keeps you rooting for the good guys to win.

Having spent my youth dreaming of boats and time on the ocean, I could not have had a more enjoyable stay with Jim Lane's landlubbing characters. The story represents the essence of the pull of the ocean, a draw that everyone seems to notice, and that many find overpowering. The translation of a phenonmenon with such simplicity, leaves the reader to embrace the concept in his or her own terms. My feeling is that this story has everything to do with the ocean, in direct contrast with the setting in the Great Salt Desert. Many of the author's writing techniques represent a style that will undoubtedly be embraced by today's newer generations of readers. Among the techniques I noticed: a willingness to express opinions about the world (and the characters in the story), references to regional events that give insights about the author and storyline, and finally, the refusal to pigeonhole this novel with a specific type of reader or age group. To any reader, (other than those offended by language used in PG-13 movies!) I would recommend this book, and say that it will give you a taste of the salty sea that you may not have appreciated before.

A friend mentioned this book to me knowing that, as I am originally from Utah, I'm always looking for stories set there. But I just don't get it - the other reviews of this book that is. I was looking forward to this one as something for both myself and my children. However, in reading it I found the prose to be flat and listless - to compare the writing to Tom Robbins is incomprehensible. The writing was trite and the story predictable. And I can, unfortunately, understand why no major publisher picked it up. It's a good idea, but the realization of that idea leaves a lot to be desired. I really wasn't interested in either the characters or whether or not they accomplished their goal, which is really a rather silly goal when you think about it anyway. I hate to start the new year this way, but maybe Mr. Lane should stick to his business in the wilds of Los Angeles instead of writing. I found this a very disappointing experience.