The Discovery of Slowness by Sten Nadolny, 0140265848, Lowest Book Price Finder

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I was given this book as a gift...

I was given this book as a gift from a great friend of mine and it possibly has to be one of the best presents I have ever received! This book is beautifully written; and I savoured every page.

a different view of the world

The Discovery of slowness charts the amazing life of John Franklin, runaway, Midshipman, Veteran of the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar, Arctic Explorer, Governor of Tasmania, Knight of the British empire and finally, missing hero. However, the really extraordinary part of his life is that he managed all this with what the author calls 'slowness'.

From the beginning of his life, it became apparent that he was not like the other people. He could not catch a ball, or the ideas of people who spoke quickly. He was teased, and bullied repeatedly in each new situation until his peers began to notice his strengths. It seems that once he had committed something to memory, there it would stay, he could master detail that others could not, and was able to analyse problems and come to clear, usually correct, solutions. How he set about altering his life to cope with this difference, and to overcome obstacles forms the core of the book. I will leave it to you to discover his explanation for this part of his personality, and how he came to terms with it.

I thought that Nadolny spun a series of well-researched facts into an engaging novel. The early parts of Franklin's life were fascinating and compelling. The middle part of the novel, and the end slowed down (no joke intended) for me, and left me wanting to know more. Maybe this part didn't interest the author so much. I found that the writing was a bit two dimensional in places, with not much characterisation of the supporting 'cast', but I suppose that in a factual novel, many people drift in and out of importance during a lifetime, and perhaps there isn't time for more detail. In a pure novel the author can concentrate on a small 'cast', so perhaps this isn't fair. The translation may also have had a part in this clunkiness, and perhaps the book would read differently in the author's native tongue. How the author discovered Franklin's 'slowness' I am not sure, and how much of his descriptions are based in truth, but he paints an intriguing portrait of this trait.

In summary, I found the book a compelling read, looking at a fascinating time in our history from a very different perspective.

The North West Passage, and to each his own time.

In recent years, polar exploration has regained much attention; particularly so the voyages of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Relatively little, in comparison, is known about Sir John Franklin, who after several expeditions to the Polar Sea lost his life shortly after having discovered the North West Passage in 1847.

Working from Franklin's own accounts, other historic sources and several scholarly treatises, German author Sten Nadolny in 1983 published an award-winning and (at least in Germany) highly successful novelized biography of Franklin. But "The Discovery of Slowness" (German title: "Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit") is no mere rendition of the facts of Franklin's life, fascinating though they may be. Nadolny sees Franklin as a proponent of the idea of giving to all persons and things their own time; of not being unduly rushed, nor influenced by outside factors over which one has little (if any) control: then and now, an unusual concept in a world growing faster by the day.

Growing up in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, Nadolny's Franklin is a perpetual outsider, seemingly handicapped by his slowness, which renders him defenseless against spiteful attacks and unable to follow anything occurring at an even moderately fast pace, including speech. Early on, John thus turns his desires to the sea, which he perceives as a dark and boundless ally. He tries to run away to a nearby port, but is recaptured and sent to boarding school. There, an enlightened teacher eventually shows interest in him after having discovered that "the student F." (as he entitles a treatise based on his observations) is not simply slow but rather, takes particular care in observing things, and anything once lodged in his brain will be lodged there forever.

To deal with the difference between his own pace and that of the world around him, Franklin adopts a number of varying techniques: A stare enabling him to bypass quick action, memorized phrases to cover the breaks he needs in longer sentences, and a mental sorting system to distinguish issues in need of immediate address from those requiring long-term care. And as he grows older, his behavioral patterns progressively shape his outlook on the world and personal philosophy.

On his teacher's recommendation, Franklin is allowed to board his first ship at age fourteen. A few years later, he joins the Royal Navy and, rising through the ranks, witnesses the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen, the Battle of Trafalgar, and a campaign against American forces before New Orleans, during which he is wounded. Having already participated in the 1801-03 expedition to Australia led by his uncle, renowned navigator Matthew Flinders, Franklin receives his first commission for a voyage to the North as the commander of one of two ships sent to explore the Polar Sea north of Spitzbergen in 1818. However, both ships are damaged by the drifting floes of a large ice field and forced to return home.

Unsatisfied, Franklin requests - and eventually receives - a commission for a second voyage, this time a land expedition; his first attempt to discover the North West Passage. For its sheer gripping storytelling, this 1819-22 trip is one of the highlights of Nadolny's book; particularly the return journey, which confronts Franklin's crew with sorrow, hunger and death, from both starvation and murder. (No recommended bed-time reading if you value a good night's rest.) Yet, having first suffered humiliation due to what the Admiralty considers a "failed" trip, Franklin's no-frills account of the expedition garners him unexpected fame and fortune; and eventually a commission for a further journey to the North, which due to its thoughtful preparation and the extensive cartographic material and observations it yields is considered a success, although it, again, does not result in the discovery of the North West Passage. Franklin is knighted, his fame and fortune grows - but for the moment, no further voyage to the Polar Sea is in sight.

Somewhat reluctantly, he thus accepts the appointment as governor of Van Diemen's Land (which he will rename Tasmania, for its discoverer Abel Tasman); telling himself that a governorship - even of a penal colony - is not substantially different from commanding a ship. Like at sea, Franklin attempts to divide responsibility between himself and his "second(s) in command," taking personal charge of all matters requiring long-term care and leaving the issues requiring fast, immediate attention to his chief subordinates. Here, however, he is not dealing with loyal men who understand his philosophy: His personal secretary Maconochie is a pseudo-reformist radical; colonial secretary Montagu a crony of the local elite without any sympathy for Franklin's reformatory measures, whereas Franklin's efforts to better the fate of the convicts and aborigines reflect the humanistic qualities of a man whose empathy for all human beings and keen interest in science has developed over a lifetime spent in the company of sailors, explorers, American Indians and Inuit, through war and peace, hunger and satisfaction.

Facing opposition from the local ruling class and the politics of royal secretary Lord Stanley, Franklin is finally recalled in 1843. Upon his friends' intervention, he is granted an audience with prime minister Sir Robert Peel, who offers him the newly-created position as royal supervisor of educational affairs; but realizing that Peel merely wants to capitalize on his apparent reluctance to take action, not implement any true reforms, Franklin declines. At last, he is granted another commission for a voyage to discover the North West Passage: his last journey, during which he (and his crew) have to realize that there is one who is more patient than even the most patient of humans - death.

"Thou ... art passing on thine happier voyage now towards no earthly pole," reads part of a poem by Franklin's cousin Tennyson, printed on his Westminster Abbey memorial. Franklin was certainly not the only polar explorer to whom these words could be applied. As Sten Nadolny's book shows, he is as deserving of renewed attention as are his brethren in spirit; and not only because much yet remains unclear about the exact fate of his last expedition.

The North West Passage, and to each his own time.

Working from Franklin's own accounts, other historic sources and several scholarly treatises, German author Sten Nadolny in 1983 published an award-winning and (at least in Germany) highly successful novelized biography of Franklin. But "The Discovery of Slowliness" (German title: "Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit") is no mere rendition of the facts of Franklin's life, fascinating though they may be. Nadolny sees Franklin as a proponent of the idea of giving to all persons and things their own time; of not being unduly rushed, nor influenced by outside factors over which one has little (if any) control: then and now, an unusual concept in a world growing faster by the day.

Growing up in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, Nadolny's Franklin is a perpetual outsider, seemingly handicapped by his slowliness, which renders him defenseless against spiteful attacks and unable to follow anything occurring at an even moderately fast pace, including speech. Early on, John thus turns his desires to the sea, which he perceives as a dark and boundless ally. He tries to run away to a nearby port, but is recaptured and sent to boarding school. There, an enlightened teacher eventually shows interest in him after having discovered that "the student F." (as he entitles a treatise based on his observations) is not simply slow but rather, takes particular care in observing things, and anything once lodged in his brain will be lodged there forever.

Slow but surely

I have always been of the opinion events in history are best served when the static skeleton of reported facts, is adorned with flesh and given motion through the singular power of fiction.
In the case of The Discovery of Slowness by Sten Nadolny my conviction is emphatically reinforced.
Based upon the life of famous 19th century explorer John Franklin, Nadolny portrays over fifty years of history. Credited with finding the Northwest Passage Franklin’s remarkable determination for discovery encompasses naval battles, shipwrecks and starvation in the Arctic.
Opening in the village of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, Nadolny introduces the early years of John Franklin’s life. A painstakingly slow and rather awkward boy, he is given more to a mental reflection of the world rather than an active participant within it.
As John enters his youth the slowness that sets him apart from his peers is ever present. Bullied at school and born into an affectionless family typical of the time, John feels an overwhelming affinity with the motionless sea.
With each progressive chapter Nadolny tells of John’s first sea voyage and his subsequent experiences in the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar.
However, crucially Nadolny recognises the material’s potential for being more than just an account of a man’s ascent to the greatness he is destined. Moreover, The Discovery of Slowness is far more a universal experience of an innocent trying to find meaning in a world during one of its most traumatic periods.
Soon John meticulous slowness is proved to be a valuable asset in navigation and exploration. Now matured into a man he embarks on the path destined to be his making and demise, his quest for the North Pole.
Nadolny's ability as a writer is evident in his masterful use of succinct, welcoming prose to focus reader attention upon John Franklin the man as much as the myth. This raises the book from simple genre classification within the confines of historical novel or fictional biography. Instead it is a story rich in its contemplation of childhood, communication, religion, science and human survival.
After two failed but celebrated attempts to conquer the Arctic, John is officially made a captain and given an opportunity to govern Van Diemen’s Land. Later to be renamed Tasmania by Franklin himself; Nadolny uses this episode of his life to highlight the explorer’s lesser known humanitarian aspirations.
Removed from office and entering the twilight of his life John Franklin once more sets out for the Arctic. Nadolny chronicles the final episodes in this great man’s life with a satisfying artistic flourish. One feels the man so often out of rhythm with the rest of the world does in the end discover the place where time ceases to exist.
Although perhaps not my usual choice of novel, I became engrossed in this book immediately and at its end I felt genuinely affected. It could be said Nadolny’s characterisation of John Franklin is not without its faults.
For one he offers very little to the action in terms of direct dialogue, making him seem a little less convincing as a real person. Equally, the arduous lengths taken by the author to establish his main character as a man able to succeed in view of his extraordinary slowness mean in John’s moments of triumph he is in danger of appearing superhuman.
However, the heart of the novel is about the interior of John’s mind. Here Nadolny etches a detailed contemplation of the merits of a slower, more methodical outlook in regard to leadership, understanding and ultimately the human condition.
The Discovery of Slowness was originally published in Nadolny’s native Germany in 1983 and has never been out of print. With this new English translation I urge you to ensure similar prosperity is enjoyed over here.

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