brewed_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
ashcomb's review
4.0
Maybe it is the poetical words or the dream-like narration, or the mystery embedded into the book which drew me in. All of which is the strong suit of St. Elmo's writing style. Letters from a Shipwreck in the Sea of Suns and Moons don't fall short of it. It is a beautifully written story about a failed poet who becomes a sailor shunned by his love's, the mysterious K's, father and family. Clarence St. Elmo's, the poet's, story, future, and discovery of himself is revealed through an interview with an enigmatic entity, who lies, but so does Clarence. The poet rebels against the interviewer, showing what is necessary for him to remember and occasionally survive. We get to see Clarence's thoughts and past through his letters to K, the true motivation why he began the wretched journey. He writes of his sea voyage to the island of Theodosia. Behind the poetry is a hidden world of ancient gods, strange shipmates, cat, and books. But that is as far as I can go without taking away the mystery from you.
Like with most St. Elmo's books, you are trapped inside this surreal world, hungering to understand what is going on and where the story will lead you. This book is not an exception. You let the writer toy with you, in desperate need of clues, the great secret, what he knows more than us, and what kind of enlightenment we can find at the end and between the covers. In that aspect, he doesn't disappoint. There are questions about reality, perception, death and life, and who you are, and about the ultimate one, yet, occasionally, I needed the book to move on quicker and give me clarity to let me be tied to the narration and the persons telling it. Maybe it is me. Perhaps I need to be more in control. I want to add more here about how it all concluded for me, but again, I'm at the dead end with this book and not wanting to reveal anything to hinder your reading experience.
This book is magical realism at its best. It plays with perception and reality, tying it to something unreal you wish existed in this world. You need to read it to understand and feel the story. And you feel it through St. Elmo's words. He doesn't let you escape, or he didn't let me. Beautiful book, written so well that it leaves me in awe.
Thank you for reading, and have a mysterious day <3
Like with most St. Elmo's books, you are trapped inside this surreal world, hungering to understand what is going on and where the story will lead you. This book is not an exception. You let the writer toy with you, in desperate need of clues, the great secret, what he knows more than us, and what kind of enlightenment we can find at the end and between the covers. In that aspect, he doesn't disappoint. There are questions about reality, perception, death and life, and who you are, and about the ultimate one, yet, occasionally, I needed the book to move on quicker and give me clarity to let me be tied to the narration and the persons telling it. Maybe it is me. Perhaps I need to be more in control. I want to add more here about how it all concluded for me, but again, I'm at the dead end with this book and not wanting to reveal anything to hinder your reading experience.
This book is magical realism at its best. It plays with perception and reality, tying it to something unreal you wish existed in this world. You need to read it to understand and feel the story. And you feel it through St. Elmo's words. He doesn't let you escape, or he didn't let me. Beautiful book, written so well that it leaves me in awe.
Thank you for reading, and have a mysterious day <3
barb4ry1's review
4.0
Raymond St. Elmo’s writing is often magical and creative, which is a delicate way to say it’s totally wackadoo:) It makes me laugh while, simultaneously, it laughs at conventions and doesn’t pay any attention to what sells at the moment. As the title suggests, Letters from a Shipwreck in the Sea of Suns and Moons is a weird book and its narrative requires certain patience from the reader.
The writing is excellent and shows the author stretching his abilities. Told primarily as an interview between the protagonist and mysterious interviewers, it’s a time travel book, but not in the usual sense. The adventure starts at the board of Unicorn (a ship) as it sails upon the Sea of Suns and Moons. An ancient poet-turned-sailor, Clarence St. Elmo, shares vignettes of the voyage that ended in a shipwreck caused by unnatural storm. St. Elmo survived but found himself washed up at the shores of Theodosia, the island of dead gods inhabited by mythological terrors.
It’s an adventure story. And a love story told through letters. A story of lovers torn apart, but also a love letter to stories and storytelling. It’s often confusing, but also funny. It’s weird, but also immersive. It throws a lot to the mix - adventure, satire, humor, romance, fantasy, mythology and makes it work. There’s also a cargo of dead gods who are perhaps not as dead as everyone believes. And a haunted cemetery.
So far I have performed a dark ritual in a cemetery, escaped a theological asylum, been locked in a dungeon for arguing at lunch, and run from unnatural dogs through a labyrinth. Checking my schedule, I see that tomorrow morning I am to fight a duel to the death. And yet, for all the theatre of my current residence, my attention keeps slipping. Gods, dogs and duels: they must clear their throats to recall my attention. Else my mind turns towards home, and a poem there I left unfinished.
I love St. Elmo’s dry, insightful humor. It makes me giggle. As for the story and plot - they ask for attention; the narrative requires it. The interviewing committee repeats some questions and answers differ or add to what Clarence has already said. But it also tells a story within a story. The interviewer claims the narrator is the blind old man, but it’s not as simple as that. It never is.
Letters from a Shipwreck in the Sea of Suns and Moons is a weird and unique book with a convoluted plot and unusual narration. It won’t appeal to readers looking for a well-pronounced plotline and quick pacing. Probably even fans of literary fiction will find it infuriating at times. And yet it’s the book worth trying as once you start to get into it you probably won’t want to leave.
The writing is excellent and shows the author stretching his abilities. Told primarily as an interview between the protagonist and mysterious interviewers, it’s a time travel book, but not in the usual sense. The adventure starts at the board of Unicorn (a ship) as it sails upon the Sea of Suns and Moons. An ancient poet-turned-sailor, Clarence St. Elmo, shares vignettes of the voyage that ended in a shipwreck caused by unnatural storm. St. Elmo survived but found himself washed up at the shores of Theodosia, the island of dead gods inhabited by mythological terrors.
It’s an adventure story. And a love story told through letters. A story of lovers torn apart, but also a love letter to stories and storytelling. It’s often confusing, but also funny. It’s weird, but also immersive. It throws a lot to the mix - adventure, satire, humor, romance, fantasy, mythology and makes it work. There’s also a cargo of dead gods who are perhaps not as dead as everyone believes. And a haunted cemetery.
So far I have performed a dark ritual in a cemetery, escaped a theological asylum, been locked in a dungeon for arguing at lunch, and run from unnatural dogs through a labyrinth. Checking my schedule, I see that tomorrow morning I am to fight a duel to the death. And yet, for all the theatre of my current residence, my attention keeps slipping. Gods, dogs and duels: they must clear their throats to recall my attention. Else my mind turns towards home, and a poem there I left unfinished.
I love St. Elmo’s dry, insightful humor. It makes me giggle. As for the story and plot - they ask for attention; the narrative requires it. The interviewing committee repeats some questions and answers differ or add to what Clarence has already said. But it also tells a story within a story. The interviewer claims the narrator is the blind old man, but it’s not as simple as that. It never is.
Letters from a Shipwreck in the Sea of Suns and Moons is a weird and unique book with a convoluted plot and unusual narration. It won’t appeal to readers looking for a well-pronounced plotline and quick pacing. Probably even fans of literary fiction will find it infuriating at times. And yet it’s the book worth trying as once you start to get into it you probably won’t want to leave.
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