William Falconer’s The Shipwreck
December’s item of the month is somewhat hard to categorise: part fiction, part autobiography and part instructional guide for sailors, William Falconer’s poem The Shipwreck is a must-read for Patrick O’Brian fans. Fair enough, there’s no Jack Aubrey character – but the combination of high seas drama and technical detail makes for a surprisingly compelling read.
If you’d like to take a look for yourself, stop in at the library (do check our Christmas opening hours) and ask staff to request it from the Rare Book collection. Or, you can read a digisitised version of the 1772 edition of The Shipwreck courtesy of Google Books.
Renee (Digital Resources Librarian)
What an evocative poem, using using imagery from Phoebus as a metaphor for the sun to a genuine story telling style. Not a poem to be read in one sitting, but on a dark evening with the rain battering the windows it’s very atmospheric.
Dan
Comment by Dan December 14, 2009 @ 10:24 pm