Yann Martel's Ambitious Novel Explores Trojan War Through a Common Soldier's Eyes
In his fifth novel, Son of Nobody, acclaimed author Yann Martel, best known for the Booker-winning Life of Pi, crafts a complex tale that merges ancient epic poetry with contemporary domestic drama. The story follows Harlow Donne, a Canadian classicist who accepts a fellowship at Oxford University, leaving behind his wife Gail and their seven-year-old daughter Helen. Their strained relationship culminates in Gail's whispered warning as he departs: "Don't come back." This sets the stage for a narrative that shifts from everyday marital conflict to a profound exploration of art and loss.
A Lost Epic Rediscovered in Oxford
Once at Oxford, Harlow's work involves translating ancient papyri from Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Amid the tedium, he pieces together what he believes to be a long-lost epic poem about the Trojan war. Unlike Homer's focus on heroes and gods, this poem centers on Psoas, a common soldier dubbed a "son of nobody." The poem, titled The Psoad, comprises half of Martel's book in word count and dominates its creative energy. Presented in fragments across the top half of pages, with Harlow's footnotes below, the structure allows the ancient and modern narratives to intertwine, distorting each other until they converge in a mournful conclusion.
Innovative Structure Echoes Literary Precedents
Martel's approach is not entirely new, recalling works like Nabokov's Pale Fire, but he handles it with ingenuity. Readers may question Harlow's reliability—is he fabricating the poem to express his own emotions? His supervisor dismisses it as a "corpse with a thousand stitches," yet Martel's skill keeps the narrative compelling. The Psoad itself, written in iambic pentameter, features vivid details, dialogue, and songs, shifting focus from warriors to merchants and highlighting the grim realities of battle, such as fear, discomfort, and homesickness.
Thematic Depth and Structural Imbalances
Martel introduces exotic animals like giraffes and elephants, adding a sacred dimension, and explores themes of faith, though his argument linking warrior heroes to Christianity feels tacked on. The novel attempts to balance war's devastation with Harlow's heartbreak, but this falls short; as Helen notes, the Iliad's anger isn't truly akin to parental quarrels. Harlow's self-pitying voice in the footnotes is overshadowed by the epic's power, culminating in a harrowing scene of "a rain of children" from Troy's walls. Despite its flaws, Son of Nobody is a fine novel that showcases Martel's talent for reimagining classic tales.
Published by Canongate at £20, this book offers a unique blend of historical and personal narratives, though its structure may leave some readers wanting more cohesion.
