The North Water: A Novel

· Sold by Henry Holt and Company
4.5
38 reviews
Ebook
272
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Now an AMC+ original miniseries event starring Colin Farrell and Jack O'Connell! A nineteenth-century whaling ship sets sail for the Arctic with a killer aboard in this dark, sharp, and highly original tale that grips like a thriller

One of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year, and named a Best Book of the Year by The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Publishers Weekly, and The Chicago Public Library


Behold the man: stinking, drunk, and brutal. Henry Drax is a harpooner on the Volunteer, a Yorkshire whaler bound for the rich hunting waters of the arctic circle. Also aboard for the first time is Patrick Sumner, an ex-army surgeon with a shattered reputation, no money, and no better option than to sail as the ship's medic on this violent, filthy, and ill-fated voyage.

In India, during the Siege of Delhi, Sumner thought he had experienced the depths to which man can stoop. He had hoped to find temporary respite on the Volunteer, but rest proves impossible with Drax on board. The discovery of something evil in the hold rouses Sumner to action. And as the confrontation between the two men plays out amid the freezing darkness of an arctic winter, the fateful question arises: who will survive until spring?

With savage, unstoppable momentum and the blackest wit, Ian McGuire's The North Water weaves a superlative story of humanity under the most extreme conditions.

National Bestseller

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

Winner of the RSL Encore Award

Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize

Ratings and reviews

4.5
38 reviews
Daniel Chang
December 31, 2016
There are some wonderful scene descriptions, often poetic and lyrical. The dialogue contrasts with its over simplicity. As a fan of McCarthy, I enjoyed the book.
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Matthieu McAuliffe
August 14, 2016
Great read, not perfect but we'll done and full of characters.
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David Berg
August 4, 2019
A dark, but compelling story. Well written, with characters that are well defined and brought to life by the author.
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About the author

Ian McGuire grew up near Hull, England, and studied at the University of Manchester and the University of Virginia in the United States. He is the cofounder and codirector of the University of Manchester's Centre for New Writing. He writes criticism and fiction, and his stories have been published in Chicago Review, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. He is the author of The North Water, among other books.

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