The Sea by John Banville

The Sea is a curious little book.

This might seem a peculiar statement to anyone who has read it, for on the surface, it is very simple. An elderly man, one Max Morden (morbid, moribund - geddit?), revisits the dingy little town where he grew up, recalling his relationship with an odd family that holidayed there, and the recent death of his wife.

On my first reading, I found the novel disappointing. I am a Banville fan. I've read several of his books, and this has given me a sense for what he is about. Compared to his past work The Sea seemed weak at first encounter. I imagine that readers drawn to him for the first time, perhaps seduced by the MAN Booker prize award, will be deeply perplexed as to what is going on.

Banville's books seem to be connected in a loose sequence, and this is the latest installment. Though the main characters all have different names, they are all very similar, progressively aging males. They share an interest in art criticism, though not as creators themselves. This is significant, I feel. These people are all fascinated by the creation of artifice. They are not to be taken at face value. Also, there is always something dark and terrible lurking int he past, usually not identified or explained. In Banville's novels, the gaps and silences are often more important than the words.

And while we're talking about the words, all these protagonists speak with very similar voices. Some people find Banville's dense language off-putting. I've read enough of his work to say - I THINK - that this stuffy, affected tone is a deliberate ploy on his part, not merely him being monotonous. His characters use language as a shield or a disguise - often shielding themselves as much from themselves as from the outside. But when Max faces up to his grief in The Sea, he expresses it in short and brutally obscene spurts of grief. It is shocking and effective, and a few short sentences leave the preceeding pages of finally wrought words hollow and artifical, just as - again, I THINK - banville intended.

So, what of the book itself? On my first reading, I fell for Max's - or Banville's - trick. The whole novel is an exercise in misdirection, as Max tries to focus our attention, and his, on the long dead past. Don't be fooled by him. His grief is raw and deeply felt, but hidden under a miasma of postures and fine words.

Overall, a very effective, subtle novel. It may not be rewarding on a first reading, or to those unfamiliar with Banville's work, but it is worth getting to know.

**