Painting: The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa by Hokusai
For 2023, we’re organizing the entire year around books that deal thematically with the Sea.
The goal is to bring the books into an ongoing conversation around the meaning and nature of the Sea, also weaving in theology and the Bible’s portrayal of the Sea.
So far, I’ve sketched a list of books, and broken them into different sets. I’m glad to say, here’s our first set.
January - The Sea Wolf by Jack London
January’s novel is one of Jack London’s finest novels, The Sea Wolf.
What happens when a literary gentleman who’s never earned a single callous his entire life finds himself aboard a vessel where might is all that matters?
It’s a great read that represents the possibilities the Sea offers as a proving ground, an unknown place that operates by a completely different set of rules.
It’s a great intro for our journey.
February - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Next up is a novel that’s all about a man accidentally finding himself aboard a submarine that’s roving about the entire ocean.
Just how far do they go?
A league is roughly 3 miles.
So, 20,000 leagues x 3 = 60,000 miles.
for reference, coast-to-coast in the U.S. is about 3,000 miles.
60,000 miles traveled underwater in a submarine.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a classic novel that leans into the vastness and mystery, the infinite variety, and the unending imaginative potential of the Sea.
Until next time, enjoy your reading!
-Trevor