After finishing A Simple Carpenter (Radiant Press, 2024) by Saskatchewan-based poet and novelist Dave Margoshes, the opening sentence from David Copperfield came to mind: “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
This not-so-simple story of a ship’s carpenter, who has no memory of who he is or where he came from and goes by various names but finally settles on Yusef, chronicles his search for identity, his past, and his place in the world in the modern-day Middle East. I found the novel to be both timeless and timely. I often felt lulled into thinking the story was taking place at some unspecified point in the ancient past, possibly Biblical times, only to be woken up from this misperception by the occasional dropped hint that there are airplanes or through the description of modern clothing styles.
Even as these hints became more frequent and it was unquestionably apparent that we were in the latter part of the 20th century, I still sometimes found myself lapsing into the illusion that we were in a much earlier time in history. This false sense of timelessness gave me the impression of seeing the world through Yusef’s eyes, to experience his disoriented state of mind of having no memory.
Yusef goes through many adventures and takes on a number of roles, including sailor, carpenter, castaway, merchant, a translator for the U.N., a messenger for a mysterious Sheikh, and finally a clockmaker, a vocation which symbolically brings us back to the novel’s timeless/timely motif. But it is early on, when he is a castaway, stranded on what he dubs Shipwreck Island, that he experiences a disarming visitation by a strange beast that talks to him.
When I think of this beast that appears to Yusef throughout the book, even after he returns to civilization, I can’t help thinking of the Jungian shadow. My very limited understanding of this concept is that we must confront our dark side in order to bring balance to our lives. To wake ourselves up from the somnambulance of civilized life to understand those difficult and uncomfortable aspects of our personalities. It often felt that the beast was telling Yusef that he must give himself over to his fate and trust that it will all work out. This brings up the conundrum of Free Will. God gives us choices, but we are the ones to choose. Is the beast a manifestation of Free Will or Predestination? Or perhaps some kind of go-between or middleman? And secondly, does the beast appear to Yusef to tempt him or to warn him?
A Simple Carpenter by Dave Margoshes
A Simple Carpenter is an eminently readable novel, a veritable page-turner. I found that the declarative, spare prose brought to mind the similar style of Cormac McCarthy. Perhaps it is because A Simple Carpenter shares the universal themes of violence and identity in the human condition that can be found in many of McCarthy’s novels. Where Margoshes’ style – being a poet – differs from McCarthy’s, is the musical cadence of his sentences. One does not have to go farther than the very first paragraph for evidence of this:
‘The blood in my veins sang and boiled. The sheets of my bunk were awash with sweat and the other foul emanations from my body. I slept and slept, slipping in and out of consciousness. Through the haze of my own mind I heard voices babbling in a slew of languages, their words clear and distinct at the same time, their meanings incoherent. I heard the voices of men calling for their mother the way a child would, helpless and completely devoid of bravado. I heard curses aimed at various gods, at poor choices and bad luck. I heard the plaintive sound of men sobbing. Through that cacophony one voice eventually distinguished itself and became clear, the voice of the first mate, cutting like the serrated fisherman’s knife he wore on his belt: “Come on, Carpenter, hold on,” and while everything else was vague, in turmoil, suspect, I was certain of two things: I was Carpenter – Najjar – though whether that was my name or my occupation, I did not know – and I was holding on.’
Margoshes manages to sustain this level of turmoil throughout the novel. I don’t want to say too much more, lest I inadvertently provide any spoilers. But I will conclude by returning to the Dickens quote I cited at the start of this review. Yusef often comes across as a blank slate, a walking enigma who could be this or that, Arab or Jew, Israeli or Palestinian. But eventually, the mystery and myth of his existence take on a starkly human dimension. His journey and revelations will raise serious questions about the role each of us plays in the story of our lives and the interchangeable perspectives between who are the villains and who are the heroes.
Author Dave Margoshes.
More about Dave Margoshes:
Dave Margoshes is a poet and fiction writer. Most of his adult life has been spent in western Canada, for 35 years, in Saskatchewan. He began his writing life as a journalist, working as a reporter and editor on a number of daily newspapers in the U.S. and Canada, and has taught journalism and creative writing. He has published twenty books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. His work has appeared widely in literary magazines and anthologies, in Canada and beyond, including six times in the Best Canadian Stories volumes; he’s been nominated for the Journey Prize several times and was a finalist in 2009. His novel Bix’s Trumpet and Other Stories won two prizes at the 2007 Saskatchewan Book Awards, including Book of the Year. His collection of linked short stories A Book of Great Worth, was named one of Amazon.ca’s Top Hundred Books of 2012. Other prizes include the City of Regina Writing Award, twice; the Stephen Leacock Prize for Poetry in 1996 and the John V. Hicks Award for fiction in 2001. In 2022 he was the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Dave lives on an acreage near Saskatoon.
Author Steven Mayoff.
About Steven Mayoff:
Steven Mayoff (he/him) was born and raised in Montreal. His fiction and poetry have appeared in literary journals across Canada, the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of the story collection Fatted Calf Blues, winner of the 2010 PEI Book Award for Fiction; the novel Our Lady of Steerage; and two books of poetry Leonard’s Flat and Swinging Between Water and Stone. His acclaimed novel, The Island Gospel According to Samson Grief, was released by Radiant Press in 2023. Steven lives in Foxley River, PEI.