Corrick follows his promising debut (The Navigation Log
) with another intricate novel where readers must work to detect the story within a sparse yet elegant narrative. This time the setting is contemporary England, the protagonist a man whose life passes quietly until an extraordinary event strikes. James Watson Bolsover is first seen seated on a dock, waiting for a ferry. Raised by parents who leave him their house and little else, Bolsover, at age 20, finds his home and income as a technical writer enough to attract a delicate 19-year-old wife, Katherine. Bolsover tries to work out what love and life are about as he puzzles over his bride's budding passion. After 16 years, he becomes a widower, adding grief to the emotions he experiences without understanding. An accident in middle age then propels him into the nightmare that puts him on the dock. Corrick proves as meticulous as Bolsover at crafting a story that will send readers racing back to reread so they can retrace Bolsover's steps and savor Corrick's language. (Oct.)
