In June 1910 Captain Scott’s latest expedition
sets off from Cardiff on the Terra Nova.
Its destination is Antarctica, its purpose to
be the first to reach the South Pole. The book consists five sequential
narratives, one each from the five men destined to make the final push for the
pole.
First off is petty Officer ‘Taff’ Evans with
his account of a wild send-off at Cardiff. A month later in July 1911 ‘Uncle
Bill’ Wilson tells of a hazardous expedition en route, undertaken to collect
specimens from the remote South Trinidad Island. A gap of nine months ensues
before Scott himself, ‘the owner’, takes up the story of the error-strewn
landfall on Antarctica (by now March 1911) and establishing bases. A fourth
voice, that of Lieutenant ‘Birdie’ Bowers, describes a risky midwinter sortie
in July 1911 to collect penguin eggs. Finally, ominously dated March 1912,
‘Titus’ Oates relates the final, fateful, journey alongside the four previous
narrators whom by now we know well.
In fabricating these voices and linking them
together, Beryl Bainbridge presents a most human account of their endeavour.
The conflicts, disagreements and resentments are presented alongside the
respect, camaraderie, loyalty and love. Heroic failure is made understandable
if not sensible.
Is it bravery, patriotism or thirst for
adventure or knowledge that drives their quest, or some compulsion to test
themselves to the limit, inexplicable to most people? Whatever, it makes for
gripping reading as each episode raises the stakes and shortens the odds on
survival. Even the celebrations in Cardiff put Taff Evans at risk, of his job
if not his life.
A clever idea very well executed.
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