Die Verwandlung

What an amazing book. It has been a while since I've read a book where the writing itself was so delectable. In describing an unsavory character: “You have seen, perhaps, sketches of Piltdown man? Cover him with coal dust, add deerskin leggings and a cutaway coat tight as wet leather, and you shall have Santos's younger, undernourished sister.”

This was not what I was expecting, as I'd gone in with little research on the book itself. It was not a fictionalized historical re-enactment of a Middle Passage journey. It was more akin to Lovecraft Country in that it was set against a historical backdrop and introduced just a bit of supernatural flavor. The main character, “Rutherford Calhoun from Illinois” is not quite protagonist, not quite anti-hero, not a stereotype, but fully three dimensional and his character arc is believable and satisfying. Nobody in the cast of characters is fully played to trope. They are for the most part rich and surprising, complex, and very human. Though many do not spend a lot of time on the page, their actions speak volumes and you feel you get to know and understand many of them.

Though written in 1998 it does indeed evoke Moby Dick in flavor and context. There were some prescient passages that take you out of the 1800's, but only serve to add to the import of the commentary. The books comes with a reading group guide, and the whole structure feels like layers within layers. It is composed as a sequence of journal entries, with the journal itself both a key plot device in the story and representing the book you hold in your hands.

I'll refrain from a description of the plot that you can find elsewhere, or a discussion of themes. I will simply whole-heartedly recommend the book as immensely enjoyable and worthy of the National Book Award.