Men's Lives

Shortly after the book was published I picked it up and read it while floating in my sister's pool. It was a summertime read. The true story in this book is the story behind the culture of manhood as expressed through numerous anecdotes typically experience in a difficult (and dying) industry-commercial fishing. I read this book during a changing and growing period of my own life, and the story oftentimes lead to tears for me. Having spent some of my young adulthood as a commercial fisherman I truly identified with the scenes that Matthiessen eloquently paints with his words. Masculinity comes with a rather ambiguous set of expectations. Matthiessen reveals them without label, gently, even in the midst of anxiety felt by the characters in his book. If you love the sea, if you want to understand manhood better, if you just need to float away into the surf of Long Island, read this book, but read it slowly. I think you'll find that much of what is written will find a place in your soul, whether you are man or woman.