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The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship
In March 2019, the Viking Sky cruise ship was struck by a bomb cyclone in the Arctic Sea. Rocked by 60-foot swells and 87-knot gales, the ship lost power and began to drift straight toward the notoriously dangerous Hustadvika coast in Norway. This is the story by one passenger who contemplated death aboard that ship.
Chaney Kwak is a travel writer used to all sorts of mishaps on the road, but this is a first even for him: trapped on the battered cruise ship, he stuffs his passport into his underwear just in case his body has to be identified. As the massive cruise ship sways in surging waves, Kwak holds on and watches news of the impending disaster unfold on Twitter, where the cruise ship's nearly 1,400 passengers are showered with "thoughts and prayers." Kwak uses his twenty-seven hours aboard the teetering ship to examine his family history, maritime tragedies, and the failing relationship back on shore with a man he's loved for nearly two decades: the Viking Sky, he realizes, may not be the only sinking ship he needs to escape.
The Passenger takes readers for an unforgettable journey from the Norwegian coast to the South China Sea, from post-WWII Korea to pandemic-struck San Francisco. Kwak weaves his personal experience into events spanning decades and continents to explore the serendipity and the relationships that move us--perfect for readers who love to discover the world through the eyes of a perceptive and humorous observer.
Chaney Kwak is a travel writer used to all sorts of mishaps on the road, but this is a first even for him: trapped on the battered cruise ship, he stuffs his passport into his underwear just in case his body has to be identified. As the massive cruise ship sways in surging waves, Kwak holds on and watches news of the impending disaster unfold on Twitter, where the cruise ship's nearly 1,400 passengers are showered with "thoughts and prayers." Kwak uses his twenty-seven hours aboard the teetering ship to examine his family history, maritime tragedies, and the failing relationship back on shore with a man he's loved for nearly two decades: the Viking Sky, he realizes, may not be the only sinking ship he needs to escape.
The Passenger takes readers for an unforgettable journey from the Norwegian coast to the South China Sea, from post-WWII Korea to pandemic-struck San Francisco. Kwak weaves his personal experience into events spanning decades and continents to explore the serendipity and the relationships that move us--perfect for readers who love to discover the world through the eyes of a perceptive and humorous observer.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
46 people are currently reading
2,281 people want to read
About the author
Chaney Kwak
3Ìýbooks50ÌýfollowersChaney Kwak has been traversing the globe for more than a decade to write about food and travel. His work appears regularly in newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler, Afar, and Travel & Leisure. He teaches nonfiction writing at the Stanford Continuing Studies program and lives in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
December 13, 2020
I saw this author give a reading during LitCrawl in San Francisco, where he read a passage from this book, and I was FLOORED! His writing is incredible, and the story is so compelling. I've been searching and waiting for this title to come on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. I can’t wait for it to be published. I searched for him online, Chaney Kwak, and he wrote some really fabulous travel pieces. There’s also a reading of a short story by him on this library podcast, very worth the listen!
February 16, 2021
A wild and unforgettable ride! Kwak uses his terrifying brush with mortality on board a sinking cruise ship as the launching pad to reflect on life, love, family, and the history of maritime disasters. It moves with the momentum of action film, while also grounding us in an unforgettable and moving personal narrative. Peppered throughout is Kwak’s sparkling queer wit and razor sharp eye for detail. Both epically riveting and hauntingly intimate, The Passenger is a book I won’t soon forget.
June 28, 2021
Great book!
November 3, 2021
Any book someone would read in one day would get a higher score than this one would think? I'm used to epic 500-700 page historical reads, so a 143 page book that's a small hardback was a finger food for the palate I've grown over the past year (humble brag!). To be as fair as possible this was a good read, I could've certainly put this down and come back to it over the course of a few weeks or relegated it to bathroom reading if it was something less. Kwak has a good writing style and I hope his travel writing is an honest and entertaining as this because I would be game for more of that. But with that said, this ultimately was just like I opened up with. A finger food. Light and forgettable, momentarily satisfactory. I don't recall this particular cruise "disaster" as recalled in the book, probably because it wasn't a disaster. I couldn't get overly sucked in to one man's epiphany moment because he's on a giant cruise ship caught in a really bad storm. His personal reflections and musings on life just didn't grab me like I think they were intended to. This was the equivalent of finding someone's diary who wants it to be found. They write knowing it will be read by someone else, but still sharing what they think are intimate and soul bearing moments. I gave this I think a very generous 3 star out of 5, because I still think the writing is good and his sarcasm and cynicism are the best parts when directed at people who take cruises. But I don't think it did the job the author really set out to do which was leave me thinking of a man who found his purpose after a "near-death" experience.
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April 8, 2025Travel writer Chaney Kwak thought he was embarking on a Norwegian luxury cruise with an assignment to write an article for a “monthly found only in the libraries of country clubs.� Instead, he ended up in the middle of a catastrophic storm in some of the world’s most dangerous waters on a cruise ship with total engine failure. In The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship Kwak recounts the storm’s effects on the ship, its crew, and the 1,400 passengers who definitely didn’t sign up for this. As he waits for either a rescue or the weather to abate, Kwak also reflects on his life’s metaphorical storms, including relation-ships with his parents and partner. The drama is captivating, and I also appreciate Kwak’s insights into the work of a travel writer. I first heard about this book on the “Travel with Rick Steves� podcast, and I recommend this 143-page memoir for travel or adventure fans, but if cruises are your jam, you might want to read something else.
November 13, 2021
This book suffers from a major structural flaw: it leaps from one time and place to the next, skittering from a setting just as you the reader and he the author are getting comfortable. I can't tell if it's a deliberate choice to reflect the author's unease with examining his life choices.
This memoir could have been a lot better. It tries to cover a lot of ground: a maritime disaster in the making, what's happening to other ships in the area (seriously, what is the point of including those scenes?), his dead-in-the-water relationship, the cruise ship's upstairs/downstairs duality, his beloved parents' immigrant experience. None of them get the time, exploration, or breathing room that they need. There are glimpses of insights, but there is an unwillingness to either grapple with them fully or to share that struggle with the reader.
I had a dim hope for this book right up till the last chapter. But it was even more disconnected than the rest of it, a terrible behind-the-scenes look into the research for the book.
In the end, The Passenger is aptly named. I despair that he will ever do more than just be along for the ride.
This memoir could have been a lot better. It tries to cover a lot of ground: a maritime disaster in the making, what's happening to other ships in the area (seriously, what is the point of including those scenes?), his dead-in-the-water relationship, the cruise ship's upstairs/downstairs duality, his beloved parents' immigrant experience. None of them get the time, exploration, or breathing room that they need. There are glimpses of insights, but there is an unwillingness to either grapple with them fully or to share that struggle with the reader.
I had a dim hope for this book right up till the last chapter. But it was even more disconnected than the rest of it, a terrible behind-the-scenes look into the research for the book.
In the end, The Passenger is aptly named. I despair that he will ever do more than just be along for the ride.
January 31, 2022
Like a very long travel essay; I loved it.
October 25, 2021
The publication of this memoir was of particular interest to me, because my husband and I were passengers on the same ship, the Viking Sky, on which Chaney Kwak spent 24 hours pondering his past, present and future life and whether that life would end in the North Sea. Kwak was on board as a travel writer when disaster struck in March of 2019. He relates his skepticism regarding the entire concept of cruising, as a privilege of the entitled, a polluter of the seas, and a creator of false realities. Kwak has his own feelings of guilt and astonishment at the staff who continue to serve, clean up, entertain and encourage hundreds of passengers while maintaining smiling faces and positive attitudes. Yet they too suddenly find themselves ankle deep in icy water when windows shatter and the ship lists precariously toward the sea.
Kwak's notes during the experience before the ship's rescue, and after as he and the passengers are marched ashore in Molde, Norway were sketchy at best as he had only his phone on which to record his thoughts. Much of the narrative in the book was based on his memories of overheard conversations and the few interviews for which he found willing participants in the aftermath of the accident. The author fleshes out the book with recounts of other sea disasters in which lives were lost, and also his musing on the disintegration of his 17 year romantic relationship.
THE PASSENGER is a story not only of a travel writer on a cruise, but also that person's passage in the world. His 24 hour brush with death gave him time to examine how he has led his life and how he plans to change it. As many did when Covid struck, Kwak quarantined alone, during which time this book was written.
My husband and I cruised to Iceland and Norway on the Viking Sky in June, 2019 after the terrifying March voyage. Completely restored, redecorated, and refurbished, no one who hadn't heard of the accident would know what transpired less than three monthe before. So, onward she sails, fulfilling the dreams of travelers who thirst for adventure, respite or enrichment as millions have done for centuries.
Kwak's notes during the experience before the ship's rescue, and after as he and the passengers are marched ashore in Molde, Norway were sketchy at best as he had only his phone on which to record his thoughts. Much of the narrative in the book was based on his memories of overheard conversations and the few interviews for which he found willing participants in the aftermath of the accident. The author fleshes out the book with recounts of other sea disasters in which lives were lost, and also his musing on the disintegration of his 17 year romantic relationship.
THE PASSENGER is a story not only of a travel writer on a cruise, but also that person's passage in the world. His 24 hour brush with death gave him time to examine how he has led his life and how he plans to change it. As many did when Covid struck, Kwak quarantined alone, during which time this book was written.
My husband and I cruised to Iceland and Norway on the Viking Sky in June, 2019 after the terrifying March voyage. Completely restored, redecorated, and refurbished, no one who hadn't heard of the accident would know what transpired less than three monthe before. So, onward she sails, fulfilling the dreams of travelers who thirst for adventure, respite or enrichment as millions have done for centuries.
December 18, 2021
I was onboard the Viking Star several years before the near-disaster that Chaney Kwak eye-witnessed in 2019, and I've always been curious about exactly what happened. This book didn't help me much. In spite of his role as a travel writer, he interviewed practically nobody while the ship was wallowing in high seas; he made little attempt to investigate; he just did as he was told and hunkered down in the place he was assigned. He remarks that after nine or ten hours, it got quite boring. The present-tense writing left me cold, and I almost gave up when I came across: "...when the PA system comes on...the captain tells us the propulsion system is functioning, and one of the two anchors has finally caught. But if that were meant to cheer us up, it doesn't." Block that subjunctive. But, as gradually turns out, the near-disaster is reduced to a metaphor as Kwak spends more and more time on his own history. "Perhaps my real problem is that there's never been a catastrophic engine failure in my life. Instead, I've been drifting slowly and steadily off course, acting out a job that I no longer enjoy, blaming my shortcomings on the editors, and staying in a relationship that my partner and I have both outgrown." The book turned out to be different from and somewhat better than what I expected. And in the end, after it was all over, he DID interview a few of the heroic rescuers, and he reported on the conclusions of an official investigation.
July 18, 2021
The author had a freelance assignment to write about cruises. His first was a luxury cruise. His second was a cruise to see the aurora borealis on a Viking Sky cruise that sailed along the coast of Norway and could easily have been fatal to all aboard.
All four engines conked out, the waves were 60 feet high, and the ship drifted ever closer to the rocky shoreline. For 27 hours, Kwak, the other passengers, and the crew watched water pour into the ship, glassware crash to the floor, and furniture overturned. The ship's captain and crew and the crews of a rescue helicopter, tugboat and another boat wrestled with the sea to save those aboard and, for 27 hours, passengers texted and talked with loved ones, pondering whether or not they would survive.
Things I liked:
--The author interviewed not just the (mostly well-off) passengers, but also the crew (mostly not so well off), and those dedicated to rescuing them in the face of great personal risk.
--Kwak did extensive research both into the situation of the Viking Sky and into historical sea emergencies and tragedies.
Things I didn't like:
--The soft-core ridicule of the senior passengers--"grannies" and "PBS watchers." Of course, then I have to take a step back and consider whether I'm similarly critical of writing that stereotypes millennials and "tech bros."
All four engines conked out, the waves were 60 feet high, and the ship drifted ever closer to the rocky shoreline. For 27 hours, Kwak, the other passengers, and the crew watched water pour into the ship, glassware crash to the floor, and furniture overturned. The ship's captain and crew and the crews of a rescue helicopter, tugboat and another boat wrestled with the sea to save those aboard and, for 27 hours, passengers texted and talked with loved ones, pondering whether or not they would survive.
Things I liked:
--The author interviewed not just the (mostly well-off) passengers, but also the crew (mostly not so well off), and those dedicated to rescuing them in the face of great personal risk.
--Kwak did extensive research both into the situation of the Viking Sky and into historical sea emergencies and tragedies.
Things I didn't like:
--The soft-core ridicule of the senior passengers--"grannies" and "PBS watchers." Of course, then I have to take a step back and consider whether I'm similarly critical of writing that stereotypes millennials and "tech bros."
May 25, 2021
So first, full disclosure, the author is my friend and he sent me his ARC because I asked him to. But even if he weren’t my friend, I’d still give a glowing review to this book: harrowing and hilarious, snarky, smart, vulnerable and tender—I was engaged from beginning to end, taken in and impressed with the book’s weaving of various temporalities, relationships, landscapes, and perspectives throughout. It’s a short, but rich read.
October 21, 2021
Kwak is a travel writer on a Norwegian cruise, enjoying the lifestyle and taking notes, when the engines fail in a storm, sending the ship drifting towards the shore. In this book he recounts those hours stuck aboard the ship and the things he thought of in that dangerous time.
While I enjoyed the style of writing and the way the author danced across swathes of history, I never really felt the urgency of the disaster, and that was a let-down for me.
While I enjoyed the style of writing and the way the author danced across swathes of history, I never really felt the urgency of the disaster, and that was a let-down for me.
January 26, 2022
The author calls this a memoir at one point and I’m not really sure that’s justified. It’s a straightforward, sparse, surprisingly uninteresting description of what happens when a cruise ship is in distress (seriously, how do you make that boring?), interspersed with what seem like hastily scribbled personal journal entries. I was excited to read this but found it forgettable and disappointing.
June 22, 2021
Haiku review:
On a sinking ship
Contemplating life and love
Courage to choose change
On a sinking ship
Contemplating life and love
Courage to choose change
May 10, 2021
There’s a travel industry adage that cruises are for ‘the overfeds, the newlyweds, and the nearly deads.�
This was the kind of line I was looking for and expecting from this type of narrative. I fully expected a funny and memorable recounting of the time the author nearly died in a near disaster. Instead, I ended up getting so much more. Equal parts down-to-earth, deeply candid, and funny - to a point that it evoked a range from darkly dry chortle to sudden outbursts that scared my pets - this ‘travel writer’s� book digs deep into personal family memoir, as well as historical exploration.
Take it from a travel writer who caters to readers several income brackets above his: Hell has no fury like a First World traveler slightly inconvenienced.
For the first third of the book, we read plenty of witty and cutting lines about cruise goers, and the type of first world passengers with the right colored passport that enjoy such a journey. There’s a definite Me vs Them feeling at first, and a sense of not belonging that pervades the first half, but then as the chaos and fear of a failing cruise ship and impending doom grips the author, suddenly readers experience a shift toward community and togetherness through acts of kindness seen onboard and a series of memories and thoughts about his own life and desires.
‘The book’s about being stuck,� I hear myself say. ‘Actually, it’s more about trying to change course when things go south.�
An unexpected and unflinching honesty is shared through personal reflections about romantic relationships, family, heritage, migration, and race. Readers essentially watch Kwak go through a terrifying ordeal, and we live through his thought process as he reevaluates what is important, and makes serious decisions about his future. And all while sharing insights about maritime disasters through history, and slowly detailing his failing relationship.
Despite being a quick read at only 160 pages, this book has a lot to enjoy, and a lot to think about. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing, sharp wit, and a personal journey about what matters most in life. I would probably not recommend it to anyone looking forward to a cruise.
*I received this ARC from Edelweiss and publisher David R. Godine in exchange for an honest review.
This was the kind of line I was looking for and expecting from this type of narrative. I fully expected a funny and memorable recounting of the time the author nearly died in a near disaster. Instead, I ended up getting so much more. Equal parts down-to-earth, deeply candid, and funny - to a point that it evoked a range from darkly dry chortle to sudden outbursts that scared my pets - this ‘travel writer’s� book digs deep into personal family memoir, as well as historical exploration.
Take it from a travel writer who caters to readers several income brackets above his: Hell has no fury like a First World traveler slightly inconvenienced.
For the first third of the book, we read plenty of witty and cutting lines about cruise goers, and the type of first world passengers with the right colored passport that enjoy such a journey. There’s a definite Me vs Them feeling at first, and a sense of not belonging that pervades the first half, but then as the chaos and fear of a failing cruise ship and impending doom grips the author, suddenly readers experience a shift toward community and togetherness through acts of kindness seen onboard and a series of memories and thoughts about his own life and desires.
‘The book’s about being stuck,� I hear myself say. ‘Actually, it’s more about trying to change course when things go south.�
An unexpected and unflinching honesty is shared through personal reflections about romantic relationships, family, heritage, migration, and race. Readers essentially watch Kwak go through a terrifying ordeal, and we live through his thought process as he reevaluates what is important, and makes serious decisions about his future. And all while sharing insights about maritime disasters through history, and slowly detailing his failing relationship.
Despite being a quick read at only 160 pages, this book has a lot to enjoy, and a lot to think about. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing, sharp wit, and a personal journey about what matters most in life. I would probably not recommend it to anyone looking forward to a cruise.
*I received this ARC from Edelweiss and publisher David R. Godine in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2021
Chaney Kwak is a travel writer and world traveler who finds himself leaving one cruise and directly embarking onto another, The Viking Sky, to write about the experience of hopefully seeing the northern lights in the Arctic Sea. The lure and love of writing has waned at this point in his career, along with a faltering relationship left at home.
A terrible storm hits and the ship loses power in 60 foot swells and near hurricane force winds. The beautiful facade of the cruise ship and all that goes along with it suddenly crumbled and they are tossed about like a toy in a bathtub and we start to see the underside of a cruise ship in trouble.
Throughout this life threatening ordeal, as Kwak sees it being reported on Twitter in real time (reading all the armchair opinions around the world), his whole life starts to bubble up and come into sharp focus. There is a personal dead reckoning that occurs within him as this life shaking experience peels away the layers of his life and he sees all that hasn’t been addressed, all he didn’t want to deal with previously coming into clear perspective.
We also see how hard a crew works on a cruise ship that is all about spoiling, pampering, catering to the elite who can afford expensive cruises and make demands of crews who live in tight spaces below deck, are on call 24 hours a day and have to deal with relentless demands of people even through a crisis. We get to know the amazing captain of the ship and what he went through with this heavy responsibility of peoples lives in his hands. Even in the worst of this experience, with beautiful lobbies now covered in trash and upside down furniture, the crew does their best for the passengers. At one point they are allowed back into their rooms where they find everything has been polished, cleaned and set up again. Oh how we live on the backs of so many hard working people.
This was an interesting story of a true life event from this one man’s perspective and how it changed the trajectory of his life. Very insightful and well done.
A terrible storm hits and the ship loses power in 60 foot swells and near hurricane force winds. The beautiful facade of the cruise ship and all that goes along with it suddenly crumbled and they are tossed about like a toy in a bathtub and we start to see the underside of a cruise ship in trouble.
Throughout this life threatening ordeal, as Kwak sees it being reported on Twitter in real time (reading all the armchair opinions around the world), his whole life starts to bubble up and come into sharp focus. There is a personal dead reckoning that occurs within him as this life shaking experience peels away the layers of his life and he sees all that hasn’t been addressed, all he didn’t want to deal with previously coming into clear perspective.
We also see how hard a crew works on a cruise ship that is all about spoiling, pampering, catering to the elite who can afford expensive cruises and make demands of crews who live in tight spaces below deck, are on call 24 hours a day and have to deal with relentless demands of people even through a crisis. We get to know the amazing captain of the ship and what he went through with this heavy responsibility of peoples lives in his hands. Even in the worst of this experience, with beautiful lobbies now covered in trash and upside down furniture, the crew does their best for the passengers. At one point they are allowed back into their rooms where they find everything has been polished, cleaned and set up again. Oh how we live on the backs of so many hard working people.
This was an interesting story of a true life event from this one man’s perspective and how it changed the trajectory of his life. Very insightful and well done.
December 10, 2021
Still fairly new to the travel industry I had not heard of the Viking Sky ocean cruise ship that lost all propulsion in bad weather off the coast of Norway. The travel writer author shares his experience onboard.
If the CEO offered you another trip for free would you go? For me I definitely would as cruising is the safest transportation method by passenger-miles and the most relaxing.
I was onboard Azamara Pursuit when they had a fire in the laundry room. Coming from the Navy I observed as they handled the situation professionally
If the CEO offered you another trip for free would you go? For me I definitely would as cruising is the safest transportation method by passenger-miles and the most relaxing.
I was onboard Azamara Pursuit when they had a fire in the laundry room. Coming from the Navy I observed as they handled the situation professionally
December 11, 2022
2.5 stars
Since I'm getting ready to get on a Viking cruise ship, this seemed like a perfect read! While interesting, as someone who has experienced weather-related disaster/trauma, I was struck with the similarities in aftermath descriptions and the reactions of the victims. There is a commonality to trauma that I don't know I will ever be comfortable with. Other than that, there were some too-brief delves into equality and environmentalism that I would have liked more of.
Since I'm getting ready to get on a Viking cruise ship, this seemed like a perfect read! While interesting, as someone who has experienced weather-related disaster/trauma, I was struck with the similarities in aftermath descriptions and the reactions of the victims. There is a commonality to trauma that I don't know I will ever be comfortable with. Other than that, there were some too-brief delves into equality and environmentalism that I would have liked more of.
December 14, 2021
It took me about four hours to read this short (143 5"x8" pages) gem about a 39-year-old travel writer caught on a luxury cruise line when all four engines fail during a huge and long-lasting ocean storm. I remember reading about this ship when it happened, but the newspaper articles did not do the story justice. It's a worthwhile read. Recommend.
June 13, 2021
i enjoyed this book. it's well written and kept my interest to the end.. not just the story of the cruise ship in a storm, but there is a story underneath this. the author takes you in to his thinking about relationships. how could something like that NOT change you?
July 19, 2021
Kwak's gripping tale of 36 hours on a foundering cruise ship will make you want to fire up cruise ship disaster videos *and* rethink your life. The world around and the inner world all find a place in this existential travelogue. I can't wait to gobble up more work by this talented writer, and neither will you.
December 17, 2021
Excellent memoir about a near-disaster on a cruise liner. A fluid narrative that meshes the terrifying events with the author’s self discovery.
February 1, 2022
I wanted to like this but too scattered and overly memoir, snark dies out too soon
June 9, 2022
A long night spent anxiously awaiting the outcome of a near disaster in the form of engine failure in in perilous weather conditions befalling a cruise ship off the Norwegian coast forms the framework of this memoir, which also delves into the author's family history and examines the longterm relationship with his partner of 16 years has slowly but surely fallen apart. By turns humorous, suspenseful and harrowing, this was a short and engaging read.
June 13, 2022
Disappointed, a number of interesting topics to consider but they way it was presented seemed to me self involved and indulgent but also very detached . I found it hard to get engaged with the author or his challenges.
January 10, 2024
3.4 I'm glad I didn’t read this BEFORE my cruise! This gripping memoir is based around the Viking Sky incident when a cruise ship lost power in freakish bad weather, prompting a large scale rescue. The author - a Korean American travel writer on board at the time - has interviewed rescuers, crew and other passengers, but also uses the experience to examine aspects of his own life.
April 6, 2025
Funny and poignant reflections on the experience of being on a cruise ship in peril.
June 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this about the book, that despite describing events, in vivid detail, that could have taken his life in a heartbeat, Kwak keeps that same dry sense of humour which takes away any heaviness this memoir could have possessed, and instead makes it a more vibrant and adventurous read.
As well as relaying the events of his near-death experience, Chaney was also quite vulnerable in this memoir, touching on personal relationships with a partner and his family. I found that only added more depth and without it, the book might have been lacking.
All in all, this made for a great evening read. I felt as though I had the opportunity to indulge in Chaney Kwak’s writing for longer than usual, even though the book is short at just 160 pages, it’s much longer than his regular travel features.
As well as relaying the events of his near-death experience, Chaney was also quite vulnerable in this memoir, touching on personal relationships with a partner and his family. I found that only added more depth and without it, the book might have been lacking.
All in all, this made for a great evening read. I felt as though I had the opportunity to indulge in Chaney Kwak’s writing for longer than usual, even though the book is short at just 160 pages, it’s much longer than his regular travel features.
June 1, 2021
I love to travel, but I detest cruises and have had several bad experiences on boats. So, this is not normally a book I would have chosen to read. I won it in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway. The writing is astounding and descriptions of scenery, the people, the cruise ship makes you see how Mr. Kwak was successful as a travel writer. There are many humorous lines to divert from the what must have been terrifying event. I love that he intertwines not just his past and present, but also his family’s. His memoir is not just about the historical near sinking of the ship, but of him coming to terms with who he is now and what he wants out of life now as he has changed over the years. Kind of a coming of middle age story.
May 10, 2021
There’s a travel industry adage that cruises are for ‘the overfeds, the newlyweds, and the nearly deads.�
This was the kind of line I was looking for and expecting from this type of narrative. I fully expected a funny and memorable recounting of the time the author nearly died in a near disaster. Instead, I ended up getting so much more. Equal parts down-to-earth, deeply candid, and funny - to a point that it evoked a range from darkly dry chortle to sudden outbursts that scared my pets - this ‘travel writer’s� book digs deep into personal family memoir, as well as historical exploration.
Take it from a travel writer who caters to readers several income brackets above his: Hell has no fury like a First World traveler slightly inconvenienced.
For the first third of the book, we read plenty of witty and cutting lines about cruise goers, and the type of first world passengers with the right colored passport that enjoy such a journey. There’s a definite Me vs Them feeling at first, and a sense of not belonging that pervades the first half, but then as the chaos and fear of a failing cruise ship and impending doom grips the author, suddenly readers experience a shift toward community and togetherness through acts of kindness seen onboard and a series of memories and thoughts about his own life and desires.
‘The book’s about being stuck,� I hear myself say. ‘Actually, it’s more about trying to change course when things go south.�
An unexpected and unflinching honesty is shared through personal reflections about romantic relationships, family, heritage, migration, and race. Readers essentially watch Kwak go through a terrifying ordeal, and we live through his thought process as he reevaluates what is important, and makes serious decisions about his future. And all while sharing insights about maritime disasters through history, and slowly detailing his failing relationship.
Despite being a quick read at only 160 pages, this book has a lot to enjoy, and a lot to think about. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing, sharp wit, and a personal journey about what matters most in life. I would probably not recommend it to anyone looking forward to a cruise.
*I received this ARC from Edelweiss and publisher David R. Godine in exchange for an honest review.
This was the kind of line I was looking for and expecting from this type of narrative. I fully expected a funny and memorable recounting of the time the author nearly died in a near disaster. Instead, I ended up getting so much more. Equal parts down-to-earth, deeply candid, and funny - to a point that it evoked a range from darkly dry chortle to sudden outbursts that scared my pets - this ‘travel writer’s� book digs deep into personal family memoir, as well as historical exploration.
Take it from a travel writer who caters to readers several income brackets above his: Hell has no fury like a First World traveler slightly inconvenienced.
For the first third of the book, we read plenty of witty and cutting lines about cruise goers, and the type of first world passengers with the right colored passport that enjoy such a journey. There’s a definite Me vs Them feeling at first, and a sense of not belonging that pervades the first half, but then as the chaos and fear of a failing cruise ship and impending doom grips the author, suddenly readers experience a shift toward community and togetherness through acts of kindness seen onboard and a series of memories and thoughts about his own life and desires.
‘The book’s about being stuck,� I hear myself say. ‘Actually, it’s more about trying to change course when things go south.�
An unexpected and unflinching honesty is shared through personal reflections about romantic relationships, family, heritage, migration, and race. Readers essentially watch Kwak go through a terrifying ordeal, and we live through his thought process as he reevaluates what is important, and makes serious decisions about his future. And all while sharing insights about maritime disasters through history, and slowly detailing his failing relationship.
Despite being a quick read at only 160 pages, this book has a lot to enjoy, and a lot to think about. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good writing, sharp wit, and a personal journey about what matters most in life. I would probably not recommend it to anyone looking forward to a cruise.
*I received this ARC from Edelweiss and publisher David R. Godine in exchange for an honest review.
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