The Whispering Muse is by the celebrated Icelandic author and poet Sjon. He has published many novels and books of poetry, collaborated with Bjork and worked with The Sugarcubes. I have a more recent novel of his (From The Mouth Of The Whale) but picked this one up first to read.
In 1949, an Icelander named Valdemar Haraldsson, an expert on fish and exponent that Nordic people are the greatest civilization due to their fish consumption, has the good fortune to be a guest on a Danish merchant ship. There are several other passengers and a small crew - such as the kitchen staff who are selling off the supplies - and a second mate who is actually the mythical hero Caeneus, who once sailed with Jason on the Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Each night, Caeneus lifts a splinter from the bow of the Argo to his ear, and entrances them all with tales of of antiquity. Stories such as the building of the Argo from timbers off Mount Pelion where Jason lived with the centaur Master Cheiron; being entertained with the queen of the Lemnian women to Nordic myths by Psamathe the seal woman; and calls from the Argo herself for Jason to take her out to sea again.
"Take me away. Sail me out to the sea, the blue sea, where Poseidon shakes his trident at bold seafarers who steer their ships thorough the mountainous waves as if they were thunderbolts from the hand of supreme Zeus."
One of the most interesting was the story of Caeneus himself who was born Caenis, the daughter of the King of Elatus - by the sea, she was raped by Poseidon and after living through it he granted her one wish, to become a male, and added the protection that no metal would harm him.
It's a short novel, and packed with story. As enjoyable as it was, I feel like I missed something, like I should have been more than just entertained. It's liked by authors such as Michael Faber and David Mitchell, both whom present novels on many levels. It was an original way of presenting or retelling Greek mythology, which I am always interested in. Whether it is worth recommending, I'm not sure - looking back at it, the myths themselves resonate more than the novel as a whole. I wished the modern and the ancient stories had more to do with each other, and if they do I feel I missed it, and so, have mixed feelings about The Whispering Muse.
I'll certainly try Sjon again.
2005 / Hardcover / 143 pages
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