A retelling of Jason and the Argonauts mashed together with other Nordic and Greek mythology in the backdrop of post World War II. The magic of this short novel is in the juxtaposition of mythology and reality. Valdimar Haraldsson has been invited to sail on a Danish Merchant ship to the Black Sea in 1949. His eccentric ideas about fish and the superiority of Nordic Civilization are quirky. This adds to the general oblivious air of his perception of the world around him. Every evening, the first mate grabs a small splinter of wood, holds it up to his ear, and tells of myth and legends, claiming to be his own. What the reader finds is how close myth matches reality.

Every evening, the first mate recites a tale from the olden days. Mythology slightly altered and too fantastical to believe to be true Caeneus tells the tale of Jason and the Argonauts. He tells not just of the heroic battles, but the dark side of the journey, the times of being stuck, lost, and adrift. It is these stories that are told in the backdrop of post World War II. It turns out there is no glory to war. Everyone knows Jason’s fate with the story of Medea.

Overall, the story is a twisting tale that marries the tale with the everyday. It is faith in believing a story that can help during a difficult time. We need our faith in heroes and myth. These stories stay with us, restoring our faith something beyond.

Odd little book combining Greek mythology with Nordic ship-work in the early 20th century, as narrated by an elderly, somewhat arrogant (and racist) Icelandic man. An unexpected amalgamation of my interests in myth, Scandinavia, and sea voyage, though the protagonist’s thoughts were as irritating as they were humorous. Could’ve been longer, as the novella form meant the interesting parts were truncated.

A quick and fun read. I love the way Sjón weaves the mythical tale of Jason and the Argonauts into an otherwise banal boat trip.

I am not surprise to learn that he wrote for Bjork. What doesn't Sjon cover in this slim little volume? Still thinking about it days after reading it. It's actually a wonderful novel. Thank you Richard.

3.5 - It was a very clever, short book that held my interest the whole time. At times I even giggled. I just wish it was a little easier to follow. I like to think i know the story of Jason and the Argonauts pretty well, so I was confused in a few places. But overall, a clever and, weirdly, heartwarming book

Ha!

I really enjoy reading about mythology and so I was drawn to this book just because of that, what I got was much much more than what I expected.

***I must advise that there should be a trigger warning for a rather descriptive rape scene.***

The main character, Valdimar Haraldsson, was certainly unlikeable, he's judgemental, arrogant, and egotistical, I certainly didn't connect with him but the way Sjon writes makes it really interesting and it drew me into the story.

The story itself is that Haraldsson is an expert on fish consumption in Norway and gets invited to go on this merchant ship as it travels to the Black Sea. There he meets Caeneus, the second mate of the ship, who tells stories of his mythical past during dinner. The novel goes back and forth between Haraldsson's experience in the ship and Caeneus' mythical stories. They seem to not have much to do with each other for a good part of the book but the ending is what makes it quite funny and amusing.


This was a unique book that I can't quite compare to another, Sjon's writing made it a really great experience, and the mythology connections made it amusing and simply enjoyable.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of mythology and quirky strange books.

There was more cohesion to this novel as, well, a novel than I experienced with From the Mouth of the Whale and as such it enabled me to enjoy Sjón's writing so much more. He has a gift with phrases that seem to spin out like gossamer thread, glinting in the light - and he creates a vivid picture, even without too many adjectives or bluntly descriptive phrases, of a world in the North. He's the kind of writer who, at his best, can (like Caeneus, perhaps) make a reader (or listener) believe in the myth or the grand story over whatever's occurring in their present. What greater gift could there be?

More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2014/04/25/the-whispering-muse/

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

The Whispering Muse is about an Icelandic man who joins the crew of the MS Elizabet Jung-Olsen, a merchant ship owned by a family friend. On board, the second mate is Caeneus, who tells the crew tales of when he was with Jason and the Argonauts aboard the Argo.

The story was compact, wonderfully written and easy to get through despite how long it took me to read it (technically only a few hours total, but I had to spread it out due to packing, etc.). Caeneus's tales were nicely told and a great new way to revisit the mythology. Unfortunately, there just didn't seem to be a point to the story; I couldn't tell where the plot was going, what the point of listening to Caeneus re-tell his time on the Argo in search of the Golden Fleece was. Maybe I just don't get it?