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Stephen Marche

Shining at the Bottom of the Sea Hardcover – August 2, 2007

by Stephen Marche (Author)

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An evocative tale told through an anthology-style series of pamphlets, literary journals, and other cultural publications introduces the island nation of Sanjania, a fictional region inspired by the literary traditions of English-speaking nations. By the author of Raymond and Hannah.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For this anthology of the literature of Sanjania, a fictitious North Atlantic island, Marche (Raymond and Hannah) creates a Sanjanian dialect and embeds it in an authentically alien atmosphere, as in the two stories that represent 19th century pamphlet literature, "The Destruction of Marlyebone, the Pirate King" and "Pigeon Blackhat." The stories have commonplace plots, but their twisted diction is brilliant: "In that time, no sailor on Sanjan Island did not know of the Beacham house and Pigeon Blackhat, I say it to my shame." As Sanjania goes through an independence movement and postcolonial dictatorship during the 20th century, the writing styles reflect international fashion, from the Hemingway-influenced "clean writing" movement of Blessed Shirley to the supposed magical realism of covetown life in, for instance, "A Wedding in Restitution" (later made into a festsival-sweeping film). In keeping with the academic anthology structure, Marche provides a preface, an index of author biographies and a selection of Sanjanian criticism—all straight-faced, and all perfect. Marche's concept is fascinating, but Sanjanian literature gets noticably worse the further one gets into the 20th century—perhaps Marche's sly comment on declining national hopes, Sanjanian and otherwise. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Marche's avant-garde first novel, Raymond and Hannah (2005), brilliantly recounted the struggles of a long-distance relationship in elegiac prose poetry. Marche raises the ante for experimental fiction even higher with this unique faux anthology of stories written by the leading authors of an imaginary island nation. Floating somewhere in the North Atlantic, cove-ringed Sanjania has weathered British colonialism, thrived on the bounty of sailors and privateers, and nurtured a predilection for pamphlet-bound fiction. In tales about cutthroat pirates, the isle's duplicitous aristocracy, and crime in its capital city, Port Hope, Marche unveils Sanjania's rich and vibrant history. Redeemed bordello madame Pigeon Blackhat looks back on her life of destitution and sinfulness. A sailor's wife endures virtual widowhood awaiting her long-missing husband. Marche's accomplished prose embraces a breathtaking variety of literary styles, from a fractured early Sanjanian dialect to a "recovered" Hemingway letter in the volume's concluding section, "Criticism." The consequent kaleidoscope of details about Sanjania renders it so vividly that you can barely resist consulting an atlasjust in case. Hays, Carl

Review

It has been said that great writers emerge from minor literatures (think Kafka; think Joyce). Stephen Marche has gone farther still, and created his own minor literature, with its own surreal turns and linguistic flourishes. There's a little Joyce here, and a little Kafka, too, but Shining at the Bottom of the Sea is mostly Sanjanian, and delightful. -- Paul La Farge, author of Haussman, or the Distinction and The Artist of the Missing

Like a walk along Marche's invented island, this novel opens always to new breathtaking vistas. All hail this brave and ingenious act of storytelling. -- Andrew Sean Greer, author of The Confessions of Max Tivoli

Untrammelled, unfettered, unprecedented, unselfconscious and friggin' unbelievable, this book busts the novel open, makes literature an open question, and maps out brave new worlds for the reader to spelunk. With Raymond and Hannah I knew this guy was up to something brilliant. Shining at the Bottom of the Sea tells me I hadn't the faintest idea. -- Daniel Handler, author of Adverbs

About the Author

Stephen Marche is a novelist and culture columnist. Marche received his Ph.D in Early Modern Drama in 2005 from the University of Toronto. He went on to teach Renaissance Drama at City College in New York. He is the author of two novels �� Shining at the Bottom of the Sea (2007) and Raymond and Hannah (2005), which was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award in 2006. His recent non-fiction project, How Shakespeare Changed Everything (2011), uncovers the sometimes hidden influence of Shakespeare in modern culture. He currently writes ��A Thousand Words About Our Culture,�� a monthly column for Esquire magazine, which was a finalist for the 2011 American Society of Magazine Editors National Magazine Award for commentary. Marche also writes a weekly column for the National Post and has written about literature and politics for Salon.com, The New Republic, The Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, Maclean��s, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Walrus. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Hardcover; First Edition (August 2, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594489416
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594489419
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.48 x 0.94 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,280,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #218,023 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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Canuck Baritone

A surprisingly readable "novel"

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 27, 2008

I picked up this book solely on the precis on the dust jacket. I was curious - could the author pull off this conceit, or would it simply turn out to be a clever gimmick that went horribly wrong? I must say I was MORE than impressed by this clever yet READABLE "novel". Its very form makes me question what constitutes a novel.

There is no linear plot, per se. Instead, the book is an anthology of short stories which chronicle the history of literature on the fictitious island of Sanjania. And yet, these short (fictional) stories by (fictitious) Sanjanian authors manage to evoke for the reader a believable history of the island while giving him a feel for the life and customs of its people. Extraordinary.

Mr. Marche easily changes stylistic hats - and the breadth of his writing style is truly astonishing. While it may be true that not ALL of the stories are first rate (perhaps intentional?) there are quite a number which have a freshness that I found quite appealing.

I cannot think of another book which has so pleasantly surprised me in recent memory. A truly delightful book.