Yuri Rytkheu (1930–2008)

I really enjoyed this novel. It's about an American man who is on a ship in the Arctic, on the coast of far eastern Russian where the Chukchi people live. He has an accident that causes him to lose his hands, and while he is healing, the boat departs without him. He eventually assimilates into the Chukchi culture and this novel is the story of him doing that. As the story progresses, outside influences begin to creep in, and this reintroduction of western culture and people shows just how deeply John has adapted to this new way of living.

I thought this was really well done. Sometimes books that are this foreign in culture and setting are hard for me to connect with, but I think because there was a well-drawn American character experiencing this way of life, I was able to really get what the author was trying to say.

Highly recommended - a great look at a different culture and way of life, and also a good exploration of what matters in life.… (more)

This book seems sort of metamythic because part 1 is a creation myth and then the rest of the book is about how people engage with that myth (while its subject is still living!) and eventually become myths themselves. It makes you wonder, in reading this, will it make you part of the story? Probably, because of how universally applicable this story is, and considering how this predates the “Tragedy of the Commons” by a few millennia. Instead of the typical Western hopelessness, When the Whales Leave is a cautionary tale that has hope for humanity even though the ending is quite bleak. That being said, it doesn’t feel like it was written for a white audience, it’ll meet you halfway but won’t spoon feed you or guide you through understanding.

Rytkeu talks a lot about the difference between ancestor worship and the gods, with Nau being the living embodiment humanity’s earliest ancestors (she’s a really old lady who lives through like at least 5 generations). The escalation from the first few generations doubting her story to the last guy who just totally starts fucking up everything seems really drastic, but maybe that slippery slope is realistic. At first the misogyny was bothering me but I dont think that depiction of something is necessarily an avowal of it, and that perhaps the patriarchal society that develops is just another symptom of human hubris. But that’s the thing, this book is so deceptively simple but it won’t give you a straight answer on anything and will linger with you for a lot longer than it takes to actually read it.

The translator's note and introduction are definitely interesting, but read them after you read the story because both spoil it and it's a lot better to go in with no idea of what's coming next. I thought the prose in this was so easy to read and yet so flowery, in the translator's note Rytkheu says, "Write it like a song. Like you could sing it if you wanted to." which is honestly the best way anyone could put it.… (more)