To the White Sea

A page-turner all the way. I had to force myself to put it down at times. It's a masterful piece of story-telling, for sure, but much more: a complex portrait of a serial killer which is also remarkable lyric poetry. It's this juxtaposition which is so disturbing: a cold-blooded killer with the mind of a poet. Dickey's ability to "paint with words" is incredible. I don't know what else I can add to what other reviewers have already said. I was disappointed to discover (as I should have expected) that this novel is probably going to be made into a movie. No, no no! I don't care who does it or how good it supposedly is; it can't achieve what the novel did, which is told in the first person. Why, oh why, can't Hollywood leave this one alone? In any case, read the book by all means. I haven't read anything that caught my attention like this one did in a long time.

This novel operates on myriad levels, and there is enough here to make you think for years. Multiple readings will only raise more questions, and/or cause you to rethink the conclusions you've previously thought solid. Merely for the fact that this is a book that makes one think and ponder and consider, it is a great book.The basic story is that of a WWII bomber crewman shot down over Tokyo immediately prior to the great firebomb raids of Spring 1945. He is utterly alone on a hostile foreign island, likely listed as missing, presumed dead, with the book's opening pages promising a superior adventure as our protagonist struggles to stay alive and eventually repatriate. But, as the story matures and we gradually learn more about Muldrow, we see that repatriation has been only a fleeting inspiration. Mudrow has been freed, and he pushes north toward a place that is much more imagined than real.As he struggles north Muldrow changes from serviceman to fugitive, from survivor to predator, from endangered hero to questionable protagonist to a perplexing and difficult-to-like principal character. To my reading, Muldrow is an unpredictable, dangerous psychotic, with only the regimen and discipline of societal interaction and military service having kept him in check during brief periods of his life. When in his element, out in the wilderness relying only upon himself, he is a nation unto himself, free to make any choice which suits his needs and his whims. We see it in the flashbacks to Alaska, and we see it in his maniacal odyssey to Hokkaido and the White Sea, and to a mental and physical place which of course does not exist.In the end where does Muldrow go? This is as debatable as the nature of his character, the origins of his actions and thoughts, and his motivations. Dickey takes us from a strong, pulsing adventure narrative in the opening pages to a lyrical, poetic, almost mythical climax as Muldrow finally dies/transforms/transcends. It is a fascinating transformation for the character, for the narrative, and for the experience of the reader. I wholeheartedly recommend this riveting, expertly written book.

I had the rare honor of a long telephone conversation with James Dickey 12 months before his untimely death. We talked about "To the White Sea" and the novel I was working on "Greif". James was busy writing the screen play for the novel, which I hope his daughter will finish. When I first read it I was sucked in, shocked, stomped and emotionaly drained. Here we have a novel written in the first person which is essentially some of Dickey's best poetry. At the same time Dickey places the reader squarely into the mind of a serial killer (Muldrow) who has the entire Japanese Home Army tracking him down. They are faced with "Muldrow's" ultimate camouflage! Himself! A wild human being hunting other human beings with absolutely no conscience or feeling for his victims. The reader will, at first, cheer on Muldrow! But as Dickey begins to work on your mind, you feel a chill up your back as he takes you on a wild ride that seems to have no end. I discribed my experiences in Alaska exploring the Brooks Range to Dickey, who merely chuckled. I had the impression this consummate Southern Gentleman had an unreal grasp of those desolate wind swept and COLD plains. COLD IS THE WORD THAT BEST DESCRIBES 'TO THE WHITE SEA'.

An unforgettable, hypnotic meditation on survival and finding peace among chaos. Dickey paints a complicated, ambiguous lead character whose brutal and selfish actions are contrasted by his beautiful laments about nature, manhood and glaciers. Apparrently, there are several screen treatments of this novel in the works, including a dialouge-free adaption by the Coen brothers.

Narrated entirely in the first person, the reader of the audio version is superb. He IS the "hero." He delivers Dickey's poetry in a voice that is both mesmerizing and believable. You listen to this man's words and you will never, never forget him, his story or the sound of "his" voice. I listened to this book while on an exercise bike and was totally absorbed for the entire 9 hours (obviously in 1-hour segments!) It helps is you are old enought to remember World War II, but not essential.