books:

	Passage to Juneau : A Sea and Its Meanings Jonathan Raban Pantheon, 1999 - 435 pages average customer review:based on 50 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I came away from this book wondering what hit me. And it was a great feeling.


An enjoyable read

Living in Seattle, and having traveled the Inside Passage I really enjoyed the familiarity and memories this book stirred up. I did find myself skipping portions of texts dedicated to the mechanics of boating, as well as much of the reflections on his late father, but I enjoyed the comparative narrative of Captain Vancouver's exploration. Each time we sailed into a new place I felt I was there. I took the trip with him and really enjoyed the scenery. A wonderful read if you have ever dreamed of taking a trip through the Inside Passage.

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Insightful

I suspect that going on an afternoon outing with Raban on his sailboat would be an experience I'd remember for a while. His extensive knowledge on Indian art and culture, the voyage of Discovery, 18th century travels in the Northwest is incredible. It sounds like he read everything on these subjects, internalized it and is now giving you a concise, pleasant tour filled with amazing bits of knowledge.

Raban is a good writer who never fails to make his subject matter interesting. His account of a fisherman's funeral service in Seattle brought tears to my eyes. The treatment he received by suspicious Canadian border officials made me laugh out loud. My only complaint comes from the fact that the book has two distinct halves. The first half is his journey up to Vancouver and it is superb. In the second half, he goes back to England for his father's funeral and you can tell that when he comes back he is no longer interested in the places he is sailing through. He starts quoting Shelley instead of journals from the officers on the Discovery. He freely admits he would never want to live in Alaska. The book ends on an unfinished note, Raban is more concerned with personal problems ahead than outlining any benefit he derived from his voyage. All the same, it is an incredible book, worth reading if only because it taught me so much about the places I've been living in blindly for so long.

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Sometimes difficult passage

For those interested in the Inside Passage and the shore of the Northwest (West for Canadians), this book is worth the read. It is chuck full of the ocean's hydrology, the native cultures that used to exist, their disappearance, and the history of the white man's first incursion in these waters. Raban's sharp eye gives the reader an outstanding sense of place. However, the book too often digresses into the evolution of English literature and then into Raban himself. He leaves the boat and then takes a tack all the way to England, to his father's funeral, his father's experiences, and his relationship with his father. He could have recounted how the ghost of his father may have visited him during his Passage to Juneau, but the chapter-long digressions are a bit too self-indulgent for a readership ostensibly interested in the Inside Passage and the oceans.

The end of the book is also a bit desultory, making the return trip to Seattle in a matter of a few pages. Better to have skipped the attempt altogether and ended it with the drama that met him in Juneau.

Passage to Juneau is a good book written by a master of the language. A little stronger editing would have made it a great work.

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Nice writing, but there are better Inside Passage books

Wisecracking author grumbles up the Inside Passage trailing a wake of cigarette butts and the scent of stale smoke. Seems disconnected from residents and the realities of the passage. Significant portions of book devoted to his personal life that sounds similarly littered and antisocial. For a great book that's REALLY about the Inside Passage, seek out Byron Ricks.


reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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