Whalefall

Locations
Call Number: Science Fiction / Kraus, Daniel, Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Kraus, Daniel
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Science Fiction / Kraus, Daniel	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Kraus, Daniel	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Kraus, Daniel	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Science Fiction / General / Kraus, Daniel	4-week checkout	Due 01-05-2026

"Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand-to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it's a long shot, but Jay feels it's the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his dad's death by suicide the previous year. The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid's tenacles and drawn into the whale's mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out-one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale."-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Overrated submitted by cdunlop on December 12, 2023, 5:34pm Can a man be swallowed by a whale, and live to tell the tale? Perhaps, if you are a Biblical literalist, or a character in Daniel Kraus' acclaimed novel. The character, seventeen year-old Jay Gardiner, has been estranged from his abusive father, a famous scuba diver who committed suicide by drowning after receiving a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. Jay seems to think that he can repair some psychological damage by recovering his father's underwater remains. He embarks on an ill-advised solo dive off the coast of Monterey, but soon confronts a giant squid that entangles him before they both are swallowed by a sperm whale. Jay has just one hour of oxygen left in his tank, but it sustains him for 200 pages, punctuated by numerous family flashbacks, which provide a key to the story.

Kraus' powers of graphic description are on display as he minutely catalogues the whale's interior, and Jay's ingenious attempts to free himself. Jay creates a flashlight from a jellyfish, and tries to manipulate the whale's larynx to produce a sound that might attract attention. He fashions a knife from the squid's sharp beak, mangling his own hand in the process of trying to carve into the whale. Eventually he decides that he might be able to blow up the animal by igniting the methane produced by its digestive processes. But how do you produce a flame in that slimy environment? As it happens, a box of ingested Brillo pads floats nearby in the whale's stomach, and Jay has a nine-volt battery in a compartment of his diving suit. Under ordinary circumstances, a steel pad placed across a battery's electrodes might produce a spark, but can a water-soaked battery and damp metal do likewise? You'll find the answer on page 300.

The author notes that he has taken pains to make his story scientifically accurate, but experienced divers have found a lot to complain about. Whalefall is somewhat entertaining, and the book certainly must be better than the film that it is due to inspire, but it still does not make for great reading. How much detail about a whale's inner anatomy do you really want? Moreover, Kraus' prose consists mostly of annoying short choppy sentences, perfect for an audiobook version narrated by Sgt. Joe Friday of yesteryear TV's Dragnet fame.

I liked it! submitted by monkk on August 17, 2024, 5:13pm For an excellent critical review, see cdunlop's above. Very well written!

But I liked this book! It was a great quick summer read, in my opinion. I was very invested in the story and found myself caring about the whale way more than I thought I would.

Be warned, though, that suicide and dying in general are major themes, so it may not be ideal for everyone.

Lush bioluminescence juxtaposed against the gruesome insides of a whale's digestive system submitted by hcharlan on June 21, 2025, 1:43pm One of my favorite books in years! I loved learning all about the lifecycle of the sperm whale and it's daily habits while also engaging in the backstory of the main character. This was hard to put down!