Every Man For Himself by Beryl Bainbridge

Every Man For Himself was one of those books that ticked many boxes for me.

It was my very first Bainbridge and I've been curious about her for quite some time now.

It also won the Whitbread (now the Costa Award) for 1996 and was shortlisted for the Booker (which I note was actually won by Graham Swift for Last Orders).

Furthermore it's a Titanic book, for which I have a bit of thing.

Every Man For Himself also allowed me to tick off another book for my #20booksofsummer (winter) challenge and join in Annabel's Beryl Bainbridge reading week.

I prefer Titanic stories that avoid romanticism and nostalgia. I prefer the curious but true, the psychology, or the everyday approach to this tragic human drama.

Every Man For Himself returned all of this in spades. Peopled by fictional characters who mixed with actual first class passengers and crew, Bainbridge explored the nature of class and courage and integrity, all mixed up with foolishness and snobbery and the mundane.

Mystery abounds, there are puzzling characters, snatches of overheard conversations, loads of drinking and buffoonery. Our narrator, Morgan spends a lot of time philosophising and pondering his future (even though the story is actually told from this future Morgan's perspective). He is insecure about his past, yet the hand of fate seems to play a big role in every thing that happens to him.

I wasn't sure how much I enjoyed this at first and puzzled over what star rating to give it on Goodreads.

Bainbridge provided sooooooo much foreshadowing that I nearly yelled out to her "enough already! I get it!" There was also a coolness in her writing style that kept me from engaging wholeheartedly.

However now that a couple of days have gone by, her attention to detail and startling descriptions keep popping into my mind. I also read somewhere that she suggested that her books should be read three times each. An artists conceit perhaps, but for an inveterate re-reader like myself, this was manna to my eyes.

I am now very curious to see what a re-read might reveal.

The other Titanic books that I've read and enjoyed are:

The Midnight Watch by David Dyer
Psalm at Journey's Ends by Eric Fosnes Hansen

You can also read the reports from the two enquiries at Titanic Inquiry Project.

Do you have any other Titanic suggestions for me?

P.S. I did not like the modern movie (too romantic and nostalgic), although I did find the information about how the ship split in two towards the end fascinating.

4/20

The Midnight Watch by David Dyer

Subtitled A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian, The Midnight Watch is an incredible, engrossing story by a debut Australian novelist.

Dyer attempts to understand how the Captain and the crew of the Californian, the ship within sight of the sinking Titanic, failed to respond to the Titanic's distress flares - eight in total - until the following morning, when it was all too late.

John Steadman is the reporter who sniffs out that something is amiss. He becomes obsessed with unearthing what really happened on board the Californian that night. He needs to know the how and why...and so do we.

I couldn't put this book down.
I desperately hoped all the way through that somehow Dyer was going to rewrite history and give us a happier ending.

I desperately hoped all the way through that this was not going to be one of those stories that didn't actually answer any of the questions at the end. I really needed to know how this could happen.

Dyer has written a believable, well-researched, deeply psychological study into the nature of human frailty.

He delves into childhood trauma, personality traits and unconscious behaviours.

The real tragedy here is watching history fall through the gaps of miscommunication, assumptions and preconceived ideas. It's about how two men - two decent, flawed men - with contradictory, deeply held beliefs about the role of command, loyalty and leadership failed.

And an answer is provided. One that makes sense; one that feels real.

Due for publication in March with Penguin Australia.