I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this book. I have seen the film and I really enjoyed it. I read The Wyoming Stories and liked those so when I saw The Shipping News at the library book sale the other week, I just had to buy it.
Am I glad! I really loved this book. It’s one of those ones that you don’t really want to come to an end. As the book was first published in 1993, everybody else has probably read it by now, and will know the storyline from the film anyway. But if you’ve only seen the film then I advise you to read the book.
The only thing that I didn’t like about it was the amount of fish that people seemed to eat in Newfoundland. I suppose it is inevitable that the diet would be heavy on fish, but COD CHEEKS, really – it made me feel quite sick at the thought. I’m really not keen on fish. The other thing was that Quoyle chucked a hair brooch which had washed up on the beach back into the sea. He was revolted by it. I have a collection of hair brooches!
I’m wondering if anyone can answer this question for me.
Chapter 14 is called Wavey. It begins:
In Wyoming they name girls Skye. In Newfoundland it’s Wavey.
I understand the Wavey bit of it. But why are girls in Wyoming called Skye?
Is it because the skies in Wyoming are really BIG and they just stick an ‘e’ on the end for some reason – or what?
In Scotland Skye has become quite a popular name for a girl but that is because parents, for some reason have decided that it is a good idea to name their daughter after the Isle of Skye.
When I was young people called their dogs Skye, especially if it was a West Highland terrier (Westie) – or ankle biter as they are known in our family.
Anyway, that’s me going way off at a tangent again.
As I said, I loved the book and the film. It’s definitely one for re-reading. Although Kevin Spacey looks nothing like the description of Quoyle in the book, I think he was really good in the part.
The Shipping News won The Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
The Irish Times International Prize and
The National Book Award.
I have never read this book, which is peculiar because my husband raved about it. I, too, liked the movie very, very much. Ken and I were just talking a few days ago about how we should see it again.
I have to admit I’m a die-hard Kevin Spacey fan. I believe he’s a superb actor.
Ken has not unpacked his book boxes since we moved here five years ago. But inside one of them is The Shipping News and I ought to read it.
Wish I knew the answer to the Wyoming “Skye” mystery. I’ve been to Wyoming, and the sky there filled me with awe, but otherwise I haven’t a clue!
Judith
I hope you manage to dig the book out. I’m sure you will love it. I really like Kevin Spacey, he’s so un – Hollywood. I think he is doing something in London now. I seem to remember that he has something to do with a theatre there.