- Hardcover: 408 pages
- Publisher: McClelland & Stewart; First Edition edition (Aug 25 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 077108546X
- ISBN-13: 978-0771085468
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.8 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 617 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #181,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Quill & Quire
It’s contemporary Spain, and a man who believes he’s Christopher Columbus is admitted to the Sevilla Institute for the Mentally Ill. His case is handled by Nurse Consuela, who has a penchant for drinking red wine straight out of the bottle. Meanwhile, in Paris, disgraced Interpol officer Emile Germain, assigned to a missing-person case, must leave his penthouse to go in search of a mysterious “person of interest.” Thomas Trofimuk’s latest novel has all the ingredients of a sexy, cosmopolitan mystery, deftly alternating between the viewpoints of its psychologically broken players, creating smooth transitions in what could have been a choppy read. We are also privy to the stories Columbus relates to Consuela, the unfolding epic of how he convinced the King and Queen of Spain to fund his Atlantic crossing. In the end, the key to Columbus’s true identity lies within his stories. Characters and encounters turn out to be skewed representations of people and events in his real life. It’s an interesting premise, and Trofimuk throws cars, café culture, and telephones into 15th century Spain, further blurring the line between fantasy and reality. But Waiting for Columbus never delivers on its promise. The novel is not tight enough to be truly suspenseful and often resorts to melodramatic dialogue – particularly between Columbus and Consuela. The problem may be Trofimuk’s tone. From the outset he employs sincere, sober language. He depicts Columbus as a wronged prophet, when in fact his overblown sexual escapades and tendency to end conversations with a slice of dime-store wisdom (“All stories are true, Fuentes”) make him appear more than slightly ridiculous. In one of his “memories,” Columbus and Beatriz, the mother of his children, make love on top of his navigational charts. The next day he finds a crease made from “the sweat lines of her buttocks” and decides it will be his route to the Indies. You’d laugh, but you suspect Trofimuk doesn’t mean for you to.
Review
#1 Edmonton Journal Bestseller
An Amazon.ca Best Book of 2009
"What a wonderful, mad mongrel of a book — part mystery, part passionate romance, part postmodern historical romp in the spirit of Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers and Douglas Glover's Elle…. The hero of Thomas Trofimuk's Waiting for Columbus is, like all storytellers, a seducer — and so is the author himself. His compassion, intelligence, shrewd humor, and taste in wine make for an irresistible read."
— Steven Heighton, author of Afterlands
"Waiting for Columbus is a riveting meditation on identity, loss, and the fragility of our own life stories. Thomas Trofimuk shows us that when it comes to love, we are all Columbus, setting sail on unknown waters, hoping we won't come to an edge."
— Carolyn Parkhurst, bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel and Lost and Found
"Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk is a compelling read, a tale very well told. The idea that a mental patient convinced he is Christopher Columbus is so persuasive in the role that he has others convinced in is a masterstroke. Trofimuk's story is imaginative and realistic, fueled by an epic mystery, and the ending surprise is both shocking and deeply moving. From beginning to end here, we are in the hands of a gifted storyteller."
— Selden Edwards, author of The Little Book
"[Trofimuk] forced me to rush headlong through his story, reading it simply for pleasure…. If you give him the chance, prospective reader, Trofimuk will use his sorcery on you, too. He'll steal precious hours from your life, which could be used for riding horses or volunteering for charity. He'll make you ignore your family, and possibly even forget to feed your children. Worst of all, he'll set you up with all these little details that you think are simply nice touches in the story, but are actually landmines planted in your subconscious, waiting to explode with pathos and beauty when you least expect it. So go ahead. Let Trofimuk steal your time and explode your head. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
— Andrew Davidson, author of The Gargoyle
"The Columbus that Trofimuk creates is both fascinating and intensely likeable…. There is real tension and suspense that builds as the novel progresses…. An impressive work, masterfully blending the history of Columbus with a real-world mystery."
— Macleans.ca
An Amazon.ca Best Book of 2009
"What a wonderful, mad mongrel of a book — part mystery, part passionate romance, part postmodern historical romp in the spirit of Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers and Douglas Glover's Elle…. The hero of Thomas Trofimuk's Waiting for Columbus is, like all storytellers, a seducer — and so is the author himself. His compassion, intelligence, shrewd humor, and taste in wine make for an irresistible read."
— Steven Heighton, author of Afterlands
"Waiting for Columbus is a riveting meditation on identity, loss, and the fragility of our own life stories. Thomas Trofimuk shows us that when it comes to love, we are all Columbus, setting sail on unknown waters, hoping we won't come to an edge."
— Carolyn Parkhurst, bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel and Lost and Found
"Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk is a compelling read, a tale very well told. The idea that a mental patient convinced he is Christopher Columbus is so persuasive in the role that he has others convinced in is a masterstroke. Trofimuk's story is imaginative and realistic, fueled by an epic mystery, and the ending surprise is both shocking and deeply moving. From beginning to end here, we are in the hands of a gifted storyteller."
— Selden Edwards, author of The Little Book
"[Trofimuk] forced me to rush headlong through his story, reading it simply for pleasure…. If you give him the chance, prospective reader, Trofimuk will use his sorcery on you, too. He'll steal precious hours from your life, which could be used for riding horses or volunteering for charity. He'll make you ignore your family, and possibly even forget to feed your children. Worst of all, he'll set you up with all these little details that you think are simply nice touches in the story, but are actually landmines planted in your subconscious, waiting to explode with pathos and beauty when you least expect it. So go ahead. Let Trofimuk steal your time and explode your head. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
— Andrew Davidson, author of The Gargoyle
"The Columbus that Trofimuk creates is both fascinating and intensely likeable…. There is real tension and suspense that builds as the novel progresses…. An impressive work, masterfully blending the history of Columbus with a real-world mystery."
— Macleans.ca
"Captivating….Waiting for Columbus is a mash-up of novelistic structures and influences. D.M. Thomas's masterpiece The White Hotel, with its puzzling and heart-rending symbology, comes immediately to mind…. A.S. Byatt's Possession, a hybrid of contemporary and historical fiction, also comes to mind….And like those works, it is one of those rare gems that works on a number of levels and makes ingenious use of eras shadowed by anxiety, uncertainty and tectonic, historic change — times like ours. Thomas Trofimuk's novel throws you for a loop, pulls you back, twists you around and opens your eyes to the world not just as it was, but as we find it."
— The Globe and Mail
"Powerful….A delicate but heady novel which will enthrall and captivate….The emotional impact of the novel's conclusion is devastating. Waiting for Columbus is a bravura performance."
— Edmonton Journal
"[Waiting for Columbus] should add to [Thomas Trofimuk's] reputation as an engaging storyteller, thanks to its fully developed characters and engaging plot….Though many writers try weaving several stories together to advance one master narrative through different protagonists, this is not easily accomplished. Trofimuk makes it look easy."
— Winnipeg Free Press
"A rich book, positive in its view of humanity…about love in its many forms and ultimately about the power of love to restore life and meaning….The detail and descriptions, the scent of vanilla lingering on women's skins and burnished light embroidering the Spanish setting, provide a sensual atmosphere for love and lust, to flourish and nourish [with] delightfully deep, layered, and mature writing….Stunningly lovely and deeply moving, difficult to put down and most welcoming to pick up….Intoxicating….gripping and contemporary….Unforgettable."
— The Owen-Sound Sun Times
"Inventive, charming….[A] multifaceted story that never loses its vitality. [Trofimuk's] literary gifts allow him to portray each character with depth, while at the same time creating a rising sense of suspense at the possibility of uncovering Columbus' true identity."
— Bookpage (US)
"A story of sorrow and loss that packs a huge emotional punch."
— The Times (UK)
"A tale told with gorgeous, often quirky detail. . . . Daring and remarkable. . . . Grace notes of longing, of yearning, are frequent, and lovely. So are the questions that compel them. . . . [Trofimuk is] a novelist of considerable talents."
— Charles Foran, in the Literary Review of Canada
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Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A well crafted and haunting read,
By hazel_figurine (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Waiting for Columbus (Hardcover)
Trofimuk's novel deftly explores what happens when memories and stories become indistinct, and if the difference matters. A hybrid of romance, adventure and historical novels, yet set in the modern world, Columbus is haunting and atmospheric. The stories told by the man Columbus are beautiful vignettes in their own right, and they work to bring nurse Consuela into the mystery of how the navigator got lost. There is a dense mix of ideas in this book, but Trofimuk never loses sight of his job of bringing characters to life in a humane and thoughtful way. A terrific read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating....,
By
This review is from: Waiting for Columbus (Hardcover)
Thomas Trofimuk is a Canadian author who is new to me - and one I'm very glad to have found. The premise of Waiting for Columbus very much intrigued me.A bedraggled man is forcibly delivered to an institute for the mentally ill in Sevilla, Spain. He insists that he is Christopher Columbus and it is imperative that he speak to the King and Queen about arranging for his ships. He needs to phone them right away. Consuela is the nurse assigned to Columbus when he arrives. When Columbus begins to tell the story of how he got his boats, she is the one who listens. The stories are rich with details of the 15th century. Columbus tells Consuela tales of his loves, wants, trials and desires. Just when we're caught up in that time period, an anachronism interjected into the tale, such as using a cell phone or turning on a television, jars us back to the present day. What has happened to this man to make him retreat to the 15th century - and why Columbus? Consuela finds herself captivated (and a little bit in love with him), as do all who come into contact with him. "For her, the details of his stories are remarkable. The clarity with which he paints these word pictures is sometimes quite marvellous. She sometimes finds herself caught beyond redemption, so enthralled that she wants to believe him. Something denied inside her yearns to believe him." In a separate story line we meet Emile, a detective. His story is somewhat of a mystery as well. An incident from two years ago is alluded to, but not explained. Emile is just back to work. We know that he is good - very, very good at finding lost people. Does he hold the answer to 'Who is Columbus?' Trofimuk had me spellbound, turning page after page. I was totally enthralled with Columbus's story and trying to tease out details that would give me a clue as to who he truly was. But I was just as caught up in the 1400's. The stories are lavish with detail, sensual and emotional. I almost wanted him to be Columbus. Trofimuk's descriptions and prose are rich and evocative. "Regardless of his ranting, she liked the colour of his voice. It sounded like burnt sienna, and at the bottom, the colour and texture of fine sand." A unconventional, multi tiered tale of love, loss and redemption that will grab you and not let you go until the final pages......
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
One Big Puzzle,
By
This review is from: Waiting for Columbus (Hardcover)
This novel sends its readers on a mesmerizing journey, a tale that hovers between the 1400s and the present.This captivating story chronicles the life of a man in residence at the Seville Institute for the Mentally Ill. He insists he is the famous explorer Christopher Columbus and it is imperative that he reach by phone the King and Queen to obtain funding for ships and supplies needed for his upcoming adventure across the Atlantic. . Rich in details of the 15th century Columbus tells his caregiver Consuela how he cherishes dreams of sailing across the Western Sea , how he falls in love with every women he meets and how he came to wager everything on a single game of billiards with the king of Spain and many other tales of fantasy. While entertained by this evidently educated man's fantastical tales of adventure and love, Consuela tries to find clues as to why this man is so detached from reality and who he really is. The story is told from three perspectives: the delusional man who is convinced he is Columbus, Consuela who finds herself romantically attracted to this unusual personality and Emile Germain, a French Interpol Officer who is scouring Spain for a mysterious person of interest. Their paths eventually cross in an intriguing mystery. At first I found it hard to stay focussed, the story is multi-layered and unconventional, a big puzzle. The various details are taken from a mish-mash of 15th and 21st century events mixed with Columbus's strange ramblings. Slowly, I was hooked by the emotional intensity of this imaginative mystery. Mr Trofimuk is a storyteller that plants little details that are seemingly irrelevant but blossom when you least expect them to. His style grows on you, I enjoyed this novel.
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