Whalefall is like no other book I have ever read. There’s a pretty substantial literary history involving humans being swallowed by a whale. This is an effective literary tactic because it reminds us how small we are in the grand scheme of things. I mean, think about it – day after day, we face struggles that seem insurmountable and all-consuming, right? Yet, every once in a while an event comes along that renders these struggles completely irrelevant.
And so, one day Daniel Kraus is playing around on the internet and comes across a headline that two people in a Kayak were swallowed by a whale. Now, whether or not the headline was clickbait or true doesn’t matter. That headline sparked the question in Kraus: is this possible? Could a person actually be swallowed by a whale?
Kraus did some research, and this led to the book, Whalefall, published by MTV books in August of 2023. I put Whalefall on hold at my library pretty much immediately after reading the description. While I’m not well-versed in ‘whale fiction’ – I can appreciate a unique survival story. That’s absolutely what I got.
Whalefall: The Plot
Jay Gardiner is a normal kid – a son raised by a father who is a larger-than-life local ‘character.’ Mitt Gardiner is a local diver, environmental activist, screw-up, and one of those people who are legends in their own mind. A son raised by a father such as this is going to have some major self-esteem issues, especially if they don’t naturally take to whatever the thing is that is the object of their dad’s life’s work.
In this case, Mitt’s life work is anything and everything related to Monastery Beach and the nearby Pacific Ocean. As a result, Jay has tagged along and been expected to absorb all the knowledge his father has amassed in his lifetime of maritime experience. At age 15, Jay rejects his father & his family and heads out into the world on his own, couch-surfing and doing what he can to graduate high school outside of his father’s giant shadow.
While Jay is off on his own, Mitt develops terminal Mesothelioma. He begs Jay to come and see him, but Jay refuses.
A year after Mitt’s suicide – he disappears into the ocean near Monastery Beach – Jay decides to go on a quest to discover his father’s remains. It doesn’t take long for him to get in the way of a giant sperm whale. He’s sucked into the whale’s mouth with a full tank of air, and has to figure a way out before his air runs out.
In his panic, it is his dad’s voice that he hears in his head, reminding him of what to do in an emergency. He fights and argues and remembers and does everything he can to fight the beast – both the giant beast he’s trapped inside and the giant beast that was his relationship with his dad. It’s quite well done.
The cover art is exquisite.
- YouTube video of Daniel Kraus discussing the viral headline that inspired Whalefall
- NYT Book Review of Whalefall
- Author’s website
Book Club Questions for Whalefall
- What is your opinion of Jay’s mother? How does she juggle her roles as wife and mother? Is she a natural peacekeeper or has she been forced into this role?
- Is Jay’s dive for his father’s remains a quest to prove something? Or a quest to bring closure to his family?
- Describe the relationship between Jay and Mitt.
- Jay’s not too far into the dive when he realizes that he has forgotten his gloves. He doesn’t go back to get them. What is the author telling us about Jay’s mindset?
- Is the Whale symbolic? Elaborate.
- Jay hears his father telling him what to do, and yet, he resists his father’s instructions again and again. Why?
- How do you think Jay feels about his father’s affinity for the ocean?
- How did you react when Jay starts to force his way from one stomach to another inside the whale?
- “You brought everything you need with you.” To what is the voice in Jay’s head referring?
- As the PSI diminishes, does Jay become more of an unreliable narrator? Did you begin to doubt his observations and thoughts?
- Imagine that Whalefall becomes a movie: Who plays Jay? Who plays Mitt?
- What role does Hewey play in Jay’s life? In Mitt’s life? Between Mitt & Jay?
- What would you have changed about the plot or the ending if you were the author?
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