THE WHALE In Search of the Giants of the Sea

Being in the presence of a whale is a moving experience, and the giants of the sea have inspired many writers. Unfortunately, much writing on whales is mawkish, and far too much is derivative of MOBY-DICK. Philip Hoare made his name as a literary biographer. Much of his prose is poetic, but most of THE WHALE falls into the usual traps, weighed down by its tiresome references to Melville. Michael Page delivers Hoare's meditations with an eloquent British accent, using just the right pace to move along this work of natural history. But his tone sounds stiff and cold, a quality that amplifies the pretentiousness of the text. D.B. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]