The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet – Reif Larsen
Uncorrected proof copies of a novel can be of varying quality. Some I have received have had paper covers (although the shabby appearance belied the quality of the writing within). Others I have received looked no different to what I imagine the finished product would look like, although the illustrations may have been blurred or left out altogether. When I received my copy of The Selected Works of T.S.Spivet, I opened up what could only be described as a beautifully produced book, complete with exquisite margin drawings and copious notes. My curiosity was definitely piqued, and I couldn’t wait to sit down with the book and get started.
Strangely enough, when I had read the publicity material for this book, I had immediately formed a picture of T.S. Spivet. In my mind he was an explorer, an illustrator and a grown man. When I met T.S. Spivet for real, he was the first two of these things, but in the body of a 12 year old boy. But T.S. was no ordinary 12 year old. Despite having grown up on a ranch in Montana, his skill at map making and drawing, as well as his scientific mind meant that soon after we meet him, he discovers that he has won a prestigious award from the Smithsonian and, in order to accept it, must present himself in Washington D.C. the following Thursday.
And thus his adventure begins.
I was charmed by T.S. The author captured a moment in the life of the protagonist which was still so childish, and yet was laced by a budding maturity. This meant that T.S. spoke to me as an adult, but would still speak to a child just as effectively. The book is an account of his journey to Washington on a freight train, his discovery of an adult world which he doesn’t fully understand, as well as his own self-discovery in coming to terms with the death of his younger brother, his perceived rejection by his father and his own gifts. Parallel to his own story, T.S. learns the story of his grandmother, herself a gifted scientist in an age when women’s academic abilities were not taken seriously, and through that he learns about the struggle of not belonging, and how that can ultimately lead you away from your own talents.
If it were just the story without the accompanying illustrations, this book would have lost something. I think I might have struggled with some of the flights of fancy into which it went. There were times I couldn’t decide whether this books was supposed to be a fantasy (with wormholes in the middle of America into which trains disappear), or an observation of reality. I finally came to the conclusion that this was reality for a 12 year old – and that reality is a combination of wormholes, talking winnebagos and secret societies, big cities, Macdonalds and the desperate need to be loved. When I had settled with that I was able to fully suspend my disbelief and take the journey with T.S. The little maps, pictures and drawings which litter the pages emphasise how the world appears through T.S.’s eyes. He helped me to start noticing tiny things again – things which, when you enter the adult world, blur into normality and become insiginificant in the day to day push to survive.
My biggest issue did come from the apparent incongruity between T.S.’s parents – his mother, herself a scientist without any apparent domestic ability somehow meets and stays with his father, a cowboy and ranchman who’s life partially emulates the Westerns he watches so religiously. Would two people like that come together? I couldn’t work out how or why. Although T.S. was as mystified as I was as he states in one of the margin notes early on in the book. The story of T.S.’s grandmother, Emma, goes some way towards answering the question but I never felt fully satisfied, just as I didn’t feel fully satisfied with how one so young could have such an in depth knowledge of science. But that was all part of the fantasy of the novel, so I didn’t let it worry me too much.
The author touches elegantly upon the Evolution/Creationism debate which appears to be so prominent in the United States. I liked how he introduced the beauty and logic of science in a way which was neither confrontational nor obvious. I believe that novels like this will go much further in convincing people than hard scientific fact because they pose no threat. This novel provides that middle ground between science and people’s personal faith which seems to be ignored to a great extent (from my limited understanding) in the US. If for no other reason, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet should be regarded as an important contribution to literature, and one that is timely and necessary.
I will go back to this book again and again, even if it is just to examine the drawings in more detail, or once again smile at T.S.’s thoughts and asides. It is a wonderful addition to my library and I was honoured to be given the opportunity to review it. It is a fantastic first novel and a recommended read.
You can find out more about the book and the author at http://www.tsspivet.com/
Rating: 9/10
ISBN: 9781846552786
Publisher: Harvill Secker
Year: 2009
Date Finished: 22 April 2009
Pages: 375
