Sea State

In Sea State, Jon McGregor explores the lives of North Sea oil riggers, examining masculinity, loneliness, and female desire. Tabitha, a journalist, moves to Aberdeen to write a book about oil rigs and the men who work on them, wanting to see what men are like without women around. The book is a portrait of an overlooked industry and a fascinating subculture, as well as the story of a journalist's relationship with a married rig worker who spends three weeks on and three weeks off.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 240 pages
\n Publication date: 04 February 2021
\n Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
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A captivating and intriguing new voice emerges in the literary world with the publication of Jon McGregor's Sea State. This remarkable work, shortlisted for both the Gordon Burn Prize and the Portico Prize, delves into the lives of North Sea oil riggers, offering a candid and explosive portrayal of masculinity, loneliness, and female desire.

At the age of thirty-five and emerging from a tumultuous relationship, Tabitha embarks on a transformative journey. She quits her job at a women's magazine, leaves London behind, and invests her savings into a six-month lease on a flat in a questionable neighborhood in Aberdeen. Fueled by a long-held aspiration to write a book about oil rigs and the men who inhabit them, Tabitha sets out to explore the intricacies of this overlooked industry and the fascinating subculture that surrounds it.

Sea State serves as a multifaceted exploration, simultaneously portraying an overlooked industry and a captivating subculture in its own right. Offshore emerges as a way of life for generations of British workers, predominantly working-class men, serving as a potent metaphor for various societal issues that we might prefer to keep at arm's length. These include class disparities, masculinity, the North-South divide, the transactional nature of desire, and the treacherous nature of the ladder that offers the illusion of security but remains just out of reach.

Furthermore, Sea State weaves the story of a journalist whose connection to her subject becomes dangerously fragile. While conducting research in Aberdeen, Tabitha indulges in pills and relives her youthful experiences in Merseyside, reminiscing about the good times and the challenges she faced. Twenty years later, she encounters Caden, a married rig worker who spends three weeks on and three weeks off. Loneliness and precarity drive Caden into a deep relationship with Tabitha, which is characterized by recklessness and explosiveness, exposing both individuals to their raw vulnerabilities.

Through its vivid and compelling narrative, Sea State offers a profound examination of human relationships, societal pressures, and the complexities of identity. Jon McGregor's writing is characterized by a raw and authentic voice, immersing readers in the lives of his characters and eliciting a range of emotions. This captivating debut novel is a testament to McGregor's talent and promises to leave a lasting impact on the literary landscape.

\n Weight: 354g\n
Dimension: 144 x 226 x 26 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780008390938\n \n