Dayswork

After reading Moby Dick earlier this year, this seemed like an interesting companion piece, but it turned out to be much more enjoyable than expected. Instead of being dry, as I feared, it has a lovely conversational tone and is full of fascinating details of not only Melville's life, but also of his associates and various biographers. Much of the subject matter is serious, often recounting cruel and upsetting behavior, but somehow this novel still manages to feel charming and even funny at times.

I listened to the audiobook version and thought Janet Metzger did a wonderful job with the narration, especially during the conversations between the couple. These feel remarkably natural, like listening to a friend tell a story.

The authors are married and considering the themes of this book, it's sadly ironic that the “follow author” section on this book page lists only Bachelder. Possibly this is GR's fault and only allows for one author to be displayed, but if not this should be corrected. Or at least Bachelder's bio could mention Jennifer Habel by name instead of just referring to her as “wife.”

Otherwise no complaint, this was a surprisingly fun read!