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Russell Hoban was an American expat writer who lived in London from 1969 until his death in 2011. You may be familiar with some of his work already. He is the author of the Frances the Badger series, you know, Bedtime for Frances and all the rest that follow. But did you know that he was also a prolific author of books for adults too some of them by all reports, pretty strange. Turtle Diary is not strange but it is quirky. Or rather the characters are quirky.
The novel is narrated in alternating diary chapters by two forty-something Londoners stuck in a bit of a midlife funk. William G. used to have a family and a career in advertising but now he is divorced, working at a bookstore and living in a boarding house. Neaera H. is the author of a number of successful children’s books featuring the character Gillian Vole but she’s lost her inspiration for the series and hasn’t written anything in a while. She lives alone, never married. In search of new stories she buys herself a water beetle and tries to imagine great adventures for Madame Beetle but she can’t find a spark.
Separately, William and Neaera venture to the London zoo and there discover the sea turtles, huge and swimming gracefully through their green, fake ocean to nowhere. The turtles begin to haunt them both and each begins to wonder if they could rescue the turtles and deliver them to the ocean. Neaera wanders into the bookstore where William works looking for information about sea turtles. They each realize they are thinking turtle thoughts, that each wants to set the turtles free. They hatch a plan. With the help of the zoo keeper who cares for the turtles and who has also petitioned to have the turtles set free, William and Neaera take the turtles to Polperro and launch them into the ocean. This happens about two-thirds of the way through the book. There is more that follows.
Because the turtles aren’t just turtles. In rescuing the turtles William and Neaera are also hoping to rescue themselves. The turtles are always just turtles, they don’t have to try and be anything else. The turtles have life all figured out. They swim, navigate to the beach where they breed, and then swim some more. Not having to think or figure out life but simply always knowing one’s purpose is appealing for William and Neaera, two people who are lost and lonely. But rescuing the turtles does not come with a big change. William tells the zoo keeper later,
Launching the turtles didn’t launch me. You can’t do it with turtles
But while the launching doesn’t bring about a dramatic change, both of them eventually realize they are different. They think about the turtles, swimming, swimming. They will never know if the turtles make it to their destination. But just thinking of them swimming free in the ocean is enough. They realize the turtles could not do the swimming for them. William and Neaera will need to figure out what their own swimming is. And that is now ok. Even if what that swimming might be is still unknown, each of them feels like something is emerging. Says Neaera:
I was waiting for something now and the waiting was pleasant. I was waiting for the self inside me to come forward to the boundaries from which it had long ago withdrawn. Life would be less quiet and more dangerous, life is risky on the borders.
The book doesn’t end like you would expect it to, however. The story is, as Neaera says, “the back of things” and as William notes, not a charming film starring Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith which is only charming because so many of the details of real life are left out.
A quiet, swimming sort of book, Turtle Diary is also very funny. When William first sees the turtles there is a plaque that explains that the Green Turtle is the source of turtle soup. William’s response to that is:
I am the source of William G. soup if it comes to that. Everyone is the source of his or her kind of soup. In a town as big as London that’s a lot of soup walking around.
And a few paragraphs later he describes his boss as, “Mr. Meager, manager of the shop and the source of Meager soup.” Ha!
Turtle Diary is such a delightful book. On the front side it is a simple story, on the back of it there is much to notice and think about. It was my June NYRB subscription book and, I think, my favorite of them all thus far. Of course, I am also quite partial to turtles so I was primed to like this story. I plan on reading more of Hoban’s grown-up books sometime. Riddley Walker is supposed to be especially good. Anyone read it?
You have made me curious. Now I want to read this book, too. Thanks.
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Lydia, it’s a wonderful little book. I hope you like it!
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I discovered this through the NYRB book club as well and was completely blindsided (in that good way) by it. Didn’t make the association with Frances et al. at first but that somehow makes it all the curiouser. I loved it – both funny and torturously lonely at the same time, and the mix of the two was really refined and satisfying (not that sometimes I don’t like to Lonely-Passion-of-Judith-Hearne it to the max and eat an entire pint of ice cream).
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Alana, oh another person with a subscription! It was a very satisfying book I found too. So glad to find someone else who loved it!
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My husband gave me the subscription for anniversary – Best. Gift. Ever. I will confess that Turtle Diary is the first one I’ve read, but it gives me a lot of hope for the rest! I also have some older NYRB titles in my to-read bookcase and I’m always impressed that they are pulling out of print or untranslated materials into the US market, which I find can be SO insular (I’m from Canada where there is just much more availability of UK/EU/Int’l titles). When I’m at the library/bookstore I find myself scanning for that NYRB cover template…that and Europa Editions. Thank goodness they all look alike – takes the guess-work out of things. And thank goodness for great blogs with never-ending good-read tips! Thank you! 🙂
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Oh Alana, what a nice husband you have! Did your subscription start with Turtle Diary or earlier than that? Mine began in January and come the end of the year I will very likely be renewing it. I have some older NYRB titles too and will search for them sometimes at the bookstore. They are pretty easy to spot! I’ve got enough titles now that I am considering making a NYRB shelf on one of my bookcases. I agree the US market can be very insular when it comes to works in translation, an unhappy thing for an avid reader! Thanks for your kind words! 🙂
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Riddley Walker is almost unique, as much a linguistic experiment as a novel. Well worth your time. And The Mouse and His Child is an extraordinary book, too.
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Yes, The Mouse and His Child *is* an extraordinary book. I wish I’d discovered it before I turned 25! I tried to read one of Hoban’s books for adults, though, and I found it (whatever it was, I’ve forgotten the title) to be utterly unreadable.
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Colleen, both you and Tom recommending The Mouse and His Child has excited to find a copy. Turtle Diary is for adults and totally readable, sad and charming.
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Tom, thanks for the word on Riddley Walker and the recommendation on The Mouse and His Child! Will get myself copies of each.
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Have you seen the film, script by Pinter, staring Glenda Jackson & Ben Kingsley, wonderful movie, at Netflix, Instant or DVD?
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Richard, I have not seen the film. I saw somewhere mentioned that there was one. Glad to know it is wonderful. I will definitely find it somewhere. Though now Bookman has decided he wants to read the book so I have to wait for him to finish it before we can watch the movie.
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I don’t know this as a book but I’m also putting in a good word for the film version. I saw it too long ago to remember if it’s true to what you say about the novel but it is a superb film. I’m also adding my voice to ‘The Mouse and His Child’ and ‘Ridley Walker’. Very different but each magnificent in their own way.
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Alex, glad to know the film is good. I am curious now how it will compare to the book. And more votes for The Mouse and His Child and Riddley Walker. I have to find myself copies of them!
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I think my favorite NYRB so far is Testing the Current, but I am very much enjoying this one, too. I am halfway through, though, so maybe I’ll end up calling this my favorite when I am done as well! I thought I didn’t ‘know’ the author but I loved the Frances books when I was little -how wild it is the same person! I wonder if William and Neaera will get together–though they are attracted to each other, they aren’t, too–if that makes sense. I can relate to the loneliness of the story–it’s sort of melancholic in its way but very realistic too (in its way as well…emotion-wise). Another great NYRB selection!
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Danielle, Testing the Current was great, I won’t argue with that! I am glad you are enjoying Turtle Diary. I look forward to finding out your thoughts on it when you finish. There is a melancholy to the story but it isn’t depressing at all. The book ends on a hopeful note but not how you think it might.
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I’d never heard of this author but it sounds like I’m definitely missing out. What a cute story. I need to read more NYRB books!
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The Mouse And His Child is a wonderful book that I don’t remember enough- must read it again. I have never tackled Riddley Walker but I know where my copy is so really must try it. Both novels would be good choices for NYRB editions I would think. Manny Rat rules OK?
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Ian, my public library has lots of copies of The Mouse and His Child. I will have to figure out when I can fit in getting to know Manny Rat though he doesn’t sound like a very nice fellow.
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Iliana, it is a delightful story that can be read lightly and deeply at the same time. Whoever the editors at NYRBs are, they really know how to find and select good books.
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I will make a little Mouse and His Child semi-recommendation.
The original illustrations are by Lillian Hoban. They are charming, sinister, clear, and obscure as needed; wonderful illustrations.
The more recent edition replaces them with new pictures by David Small. This ought to be a desecration, except it turns out Small’s illustrations are also wonderful.
So: the library’s battered copy of the old version, good; a shiny new edition, also good.
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Tom, how interesting about the illustrations. I wonder why they were re-done? But at least the new ones work too. It appears my public library only has the edition with David Small’s illustrations, it would have been fun to compare. Maybe I can find a used copy with Lilian Hoban’s in them.
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You convinced me to put this on my TBR pile — thank you! And I’m considering getting a NYRB subscription next year. You and Danielle make it sound so much fun.
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Rebecca, just returning the favor 😉 The subscription has been really great and worthwhile.
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Oh my goodness. The soup quote. Sold.
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Buried, I know, I loved the soup! And he manages to slip it in casually one or two more times further along in the book. There’s a crunchy-granola hippie pscyhic healing scene later in the book that is a riot that I am sure you would also find amusing.
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