For my 1993 (bear with me) slot of A Century of Books I chose my second Beryl Bainbridge of the year; The Birthday Boys, which is Bainbridge’s take on Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. It was a book I was a little uncertain about before I began. I knew that is was a very different Bainbridge to those of hers I have read before. Also, a novel about people who really lived – and are already widely written about – can be problematic. However, this is a novel reviewed very positively by lots of people – and it was my only book for 1993 so it was worth taking a chance on. Then!! While writing this review – I discovered it was first published in 1991! So not only needn’t I have read it – but now I have slid back one year in my race to the end – so, so massively depressed by this I can’t tell you. How did I manage to make such a mistake? Just realised it wasn’t the only book I had for ‘1993’ either – I checked my trusty spreadsheet and there was another. Absolutely fuming with myself.
I have always been strangely fascinated by the men who chose to set off on such perilous and uncertain expeditions, in times when they could only rely on themselves. To set off for years, journeying into such inhospitable environments with no guarantee of return, what drives people to do that? I am similarly fascinated by the men who tried and then succeeded to conquer Everest.
In five chronological first-person narratives, Bainbridge tells the story of Captain Scott and the four other men who set out to conquer the South Pole with the Terra Nova expedition. Bainbridge gives each of the doomed men a voice, Edgar (Taff) Evans, Dr Edward Wilson, Capt. Scott himself, Henry Robertson Bowers and Capt. Titus Oates, relate their experiences, thoughts and feelings. Through good and bad, arguments, relationship breakdowns, thoughts of home and frostbite.
“It wasn’t all misery. On one of our halts we lay spreadeagled on the ice and stared up at a sky blazing with the glory of the most wonderful aurora I’d ever witnessed. I groaned beneath the splendour of those silken curtains, yellow, green, and orange, billowing at the window of the heavens.”
The novel opens in 1910, before the Terra Nova sets sail, with the testimony of Petty Officer Taff Evans – a large Welshman, who isn’t always popular with his colleagues, but who ‘The Owner’ Capt. Scott has a particular liking for. Taff has a wife and children, he is a proper sailor with a love of the sea, and a hatred of being too hemmed in. He is ready to give up the sea however after this two-year expedition, when his dream is to open a pub in Wales.
“I left him and went up on deck to look out at the slithering city, its glitter of street lamps fizzy under the rain. There’s something wrong about a ship in dock, something pathetic, like a bird fluttering in a spill of oil. The Nova was tethered to her berth by ropes and chains, caught in a pool of greasy water. I could feel her shifting under my feet, tugging to be free.”
In Taff’s company we first meet the other men who – in 1912 – Scott will select for the final push to the pole. He shares his thoughts about his colleagues, Scott’s wife and the terrible state of the Terra Nova. Taff’s account was my favourite, so much so, I was rather sorry to move away from him, and it took me a while to settle into the other narratives. When Taff, the most physically strong of the men, finally begins to break down it makes for hard reading.
Throughout the other narratives Bainbridge shows the heroism and patriotism that drove these men on. We see Scott’s rage when letters arrive informing him that Amundsen’s expedition is headed for the pole too – it is known that the Norwegian has a large number of dogs to assist the men – something which Scott had chosen not to have on his expedition. The psychology of these men is deftly explored – the delicately balanced relationships, jealousies and terrible hardships as the conditions inevitably begin to take their toll. All Bainbridge’s descriptions of landscape are glorious, you really feel the bitterness of the cold – the dreadful blizzards that almost halt their progress.
We know of course what happens before we start the book, yet Bainbridge does manage to tell the story of these men as if we don’t. There is a real poignancy to their fate – their efforts were heroic, their fate so horribly tragic – we can picture those families waiting two years for them to come home. We have witnessed their dreams, imagined along with them the glory of their successful home coming. It all went so horribly wrong – their dejection when they see the Norwegian flag ahead of them at the pole – is gut wrenching. In, The Birthday Boys Bainbridge writes sensitively and with an obvious fascination and understanding for these men. What she has produced is probably as close as a novel can get to a biographical account. This is not my favourite Bainbridge novel, but I enjoyed it, well written and researched with this novel she really showed her versatility.
Oh, horror of horrors re your ACOB mix-up…fingers crossed that you ‘ll be able to get back on track. As for the Bainbridge, it does sound radically different to some of her others books, but vividly imagined nonetheless. How heartbreaking it must have been for them at the end…
I should still do it but I am cross with myself. That sense of disappointment does come across, all that effort and then didn’t even get to go home.
I don’t know this novel at all. Looks like a good read and I’ll be prepared for the unhappy ending 😞
Yes, definitely one worth reading.
I really want to read this! My daughter is studying Captain Scott at the moment and he’s still taught as a hero – this sounded v interesting on the was he a hero or a fool (or both?!) question x
Absolutely I think Bainbridge goes someway to exploring those questions of Scott’s leadership. Your daughter might be inte in this.
I think we’ll get this on kindle. Thanks!
Nooooooooo! What a pain! Dating of books can be very erratic but you’re so close to the end that you could have done without this. At least it wasn’t a totally awful read – good luck on getting to the end in time. I foresee manic reading once term has ended…. 😉
All my own fault, I must have mistyped the date into my spreadsheet (I usually double check dates as I start reading). Lots of reading yes, when I can. Lots of nights out too, you what it’s like this time of year.
I’ve not read this one, but did read her other historical-factual account, Every Man For Himself, from 1996, about the Titanic. So sorry about your date problem: how infuriating for you.
I rather fancy the Titanic one. I should still finish, but I had hoped to be able to read whatever I liked around Christmas but it’s going to be tighter now.
Great review, Ali! It’s time I pick up another book by Beryl… What is your favourite? 🙂
Thank you, I haven’t read anything like enough Bainbridge. I know I really enjoyed The Bottle Factory Outing, but the one that has stated with me best is Harriet Said…
I’m a sucker for these adventure tales too – it never ceases to astonish me how people choose to put themselves in circumstances that test the human endurance to such an extent, maybe because I am such a wimp personally.
Me too, I think twice about going to the corner shop in the snow. 😂
I’m such a wimp too …..
I have the Titanic one, but I didn’t know this one. I also have Scott’s journal of his last expedition, so it would be interesting to read Bainbridge’s take on that story. Have you read Anne Fadiman Ex-Libris ? There’s a wonderful chapter in it called ‘My Odd Shelf’ which is about explorers (Scott, Franklin, Admunsen…) and in which she admits preferring ‘heroic failure’ to success.
My favourite Bainbridge is According to Queenie. It’s about Samuel johnson.
Yes this would be interesting to read alongside Scott’s journal. Not read the Anne Fadiman, I can understand her feelings it is the endeavor itself which is important perhaps.
I loved this one, possibly my favourite of her historical novels. Hope you’re able to catch up your Avon.
Thank you, I hope so too.
I remember you are a big fan of Beryl Bainbridge. This is the first of her historical novels that I have read.
So sorry this knocked your ACOB sideways – argh! Hope you’ve caught up now (I think you have). At least you haven’t taken 4 years and only got to no 70, right?
Well not really caught up, I still have five to go. I have spent most of the week reading The Towers of Trebizond and am so exhausted at the moment as well as having evenings out for Christmas events, that I am forced into reading very slowly. Five might not sound many but it could end up going right to the wire.
This was my first Bainbridge novel many years ago and I was really taken by it. I hope the date mixup isn’t too distressing for you. December is such a busy month.
Well I will be racing a bit I think, due to seasonal busyness but it should be fine.
How frustrating for you – I hope you’re back on track with ACOB. I think we had similar experiences reading this – it’s not my favourite Bainbridge but I did enjoy it and I think she did a great job capturing the psychology of it all. The description of the landscape was so evocative too.
She did an excellent job capturing the emotions and hardships experienced by those men. Getting inside their heads must have been difficult.