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Swimming to Ithaca
As Dee Denham, once a beautiful and beloved wife, the toast of colonial Cyprus, lies dying, her former life seems unimaginably distant. And then out of the blue Dee speaks to her son Thomas, sitting at her she tells him that her illness is a punishment. Compelled by a grief he cannot articulate and a confused childhood memory of betrayal, as Thomas begins the process of dismantling his mother's life he finds himself searching for the meaning of her last words. Embarked on a dangerous liaison of his own, he searches through faded photographs and love letters, seeks out survivors and examines his own imperfect remembrance, and suddenly a whole vanished world comes to life. The restless, seductive island of Cyprus at the end of Empire, a place of oleander and carob trees, cocktails at the Harbour Club and adultery in shuttered bedrooms, peopled by ghostly admirers and conspirators, lovers and spies. With gathering momentum Dee's story unfolds, an intimate history of violence and tenderness for which Thomas finds himself quite unprepared, and in the background the distant, ominous roar of approaching disaster. A vivid, precise evocation of the past and a deft and sensitive examination of the dangerous power of memory, Swimming to Ithaca sets fragile human relationships against the heedless, unstoppable force of history and sheds new light on both.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Simon Mawer
39 books336 followersSimon Mawer was a British author who lived in Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 30, 2012
Swimming to Ithaca is a layered rumination on memory and time. Littered as it is with classical allusions and concerned with the modern expression of the age old animosity between Turk and Greek, the book attempts to bridge the gap between memory and imagination.
"The problem with time is that in order to measure it you need to stand outside it....a place outside time from which to observe and measure it's passage." SM states on p8 but by the time we get to p42, he admits "Time is a malleable dimension." How, then, does one measure a malleable substance, except for trying to contain it? How can one measure a life,except for the slender clues left behind after it is over?
The problem with the book, for me, is that we are never sure of the point of view, and of the clues we are given, we have only a handful of shaky memories to evaluate their significance.
The book begins with an ending. Thomas' mother is dying and he,though present,is curiously to himself especially, detached. What, he wonders as leaves his beside vigil for the last time, is the significance of a life in the greater scheme of things? "The fabric of time and space that had opened for a few years to allow her existence was now closing." p1
The narrative soon splits between two presents. The reader follows Thomas from the deathbed of his mother over the course of the next while as he carries out the obligatory, almost ritualistic tasks that confront all family survivors.A history proffessor, it can be no casual coincidence that he immediately becomes obsessed with one of his students,and that she is a single mom. He seems to delight in all of the (lower class) traits that mark her as someone of whom his mother would not approve. The reader does not form a good impression of his mother, nor Thomas for that matter.
Then we are plunged into Dee's world and the uneasy present of Cyprus circa the end of 1950's and the treacherous situation of British military trying to orchestrate some kind of lasting truce between opposing factions.But is this "the truth of the situation" recounted by the omniscient narrator standing just outside the frame, or merely Thomas reconstruction?
Thomas appears in Dee's story, a "rather solemn" little boy, already used to displacement as he moves between the world of his English boarding school and the exotic island where his family is encamped. Do his preoccuppied memories carry enough weight to pass for truth? What was his mothers secret sorrow? The surprising denouement to the contemporary thread seemed at first a clumsy and unnecessary complication, until of course, it put the whole story in a differnt light.
I would have given this intruiging and well written book 4 stars except for the sense of dissatisfaction that I was left with on reading the last page. It was finished before I was.
I was also disturbed by Thomas the historian burning his mothers most precious mementoes, the final clues linking her to her past. A historian would never do that! But perhaps it was a healthy thing. Perhaps he will be able to make a go of it with his new affiliations. But there was something faintly creepy in Thomas' pleasure in his lovers daughter as witness and testimony to his liason, parallelling his innocent position, so long ago, when he first swam out of his depth and cast a cold eye on the adult world.
"The problem with time is that in order to measure it you need to stand outside it....a place outside time from which to observe and measure it's passage." SM states on p8 but by the time we get to p42, he admits "Time is a malleable dimension." How, then, does one measure a malleable substance, except for trying to contain it? How can one measure a life,except for the slender clues left behind after it is over?
The problem with the book, for me, is that we are never sure of the point of view, and of the clues we are given, we have only a handful of shaky memories to evaluate their significance.
The book begins with an ending. Thomas' mother is dying and he,though present,is curiously to himself especially, detached. What, he wonders as leaves his beside vigil for the last time, is the significance of a life in the greater scheme of things? "The fabric of time and space that had opened for a few years to allow her existence was now closing." p1
The narrative soon splits between two presents. The reader follows Thomas from the deathbed of his mother over the course of the next while as he carries out the obligatory, almost ritualistic tasks that confront all family survivors.A history proffessor, it can be no casual coincidence that he immediately becomes obsessed with one of his students,and that she is a single mom. He seems to delight in all of the (lower class) traits that mark her as someone of whom his mother would not approve. The reader does not form a good impression of his mother, nor Thomas for that matter.
Then we are plunged into Dee's world and the uneasy present of Cyprus circa the end of 1950's and the treacherous situation of British military trying to orchestrate some kind of lasting truce between opposing factions.But is this "the truth of the situation" recounted by the omniscient narrator standing just outside the frame, or merely Thomas reconstruction?
Thomas appears in Dee's story, a "rather solemn" little boy, already used to displacement as he moves between the world of his English boarding school and the exotic island where his family is encamped. Do his preoccuppied memories carry enough weight to pass for truth? What was his mothers secret sorrow? The surprising denouement to the contemporary thread seemed at first a clumsy and unnecessary complication, until of course, it put the whole story in a differnt light.
I would have given this intruiging and well written book 4 stars except for the sense of dissatisfaction that I was left with on reading the last page. It was finished before I was.
I was also disturbed by Thomas the historian burning his mothers most precious mementoes, the final clues linking her to her past. A historian would never do that! But perhaps it was a healthy thing. Perhaps he will be able to make a go of it with his new affiliations. But there was something faintly creepy in Thomas' pleasure in his lovers daughter as witness and testimony to his liason, parallelling his innocent position, so long ago, when he first swam out of his depth and cast a cold eye on the adult world.
October 21, 2012
This is my least favourite Simon Mawer so far. The main characters are not easy to empathise with, or even like in Thomas' case. The parallels between his mother's relationship and his own are trite although the complexities of social divisions in British society, though worse in the 1950s than now, are still recognisable. It was interesting to learn more about the situation in Cyprus in the late 1950s but I wondered sometimes if Mawer's memories of growing up there and in Malta were a little confused. He mentions the killing of migratory birds but, to my knowledge, that is a Maltese and not a Cypriot crime. He is obsessed with sweat, particularly the way in which women sweat, and it becomes more repetitive and annoying towards the end of the book. Having said all this, I quite enjoyed it on some level but if it had been my first Simon Mawer, I wouldn't have been planning to read any more. For me, it's not in the same league as The Glass Room or The Fall.
January 26, 2023
It's a two era story; one in current day London as a history lecturer deals with his mother's death and one in the 1950s in Cyprus about the same woman living there with husband in RAF. The twin stories progresses and secrets are revealed. I suppose it is evocative of 1950s Cyprus and the British trying to keep the peace between warring Greeks versus the Turkish population, but as I knew only a sketchy amount, I have trust that the author has done his research. The earlier story has plenty of detail and is a more satisfying story. The lecturer's own story is less believeable and naming a side character Kale made me think of the green curly vegetable e-v-e-r-y time. It's not the tidiest of endings and a bit unsatisfying, but to say more would be a bit of a spoiler. And the island of ITHACA is not featured at all.
July 15, 2023
When I am asked of my favourite writers i don't often profer Simon Mawer, but when asked of some of my favourite books, his books feature.
I appreciate how Mawer treats history, repsectfully but still challenging the reader. Swimming to Ithaca is this. Set during the Civil conflict in Cyprus this often forgeotten conflict is the setting for the story, and the enviroment contributes to the story and how it is woven and what pressure points both personally and in conflict zones produces. The people who populate Mawer's books, the settings and even the climate are so well crafted, little details providing a deep understanding of how characters and circumstance contribute to a story.
The killer punch however comes in the last pages. What happens in lives that supress and keep hidden all the events and circumstances that shape us.
I fantastic read
I appreciate how Mawer treats history, repsectfully but still challenging the reader. Swimming to Ithaca is this. Set during the Civil conflict in Cyprus this often forgeotten conflict is the setting for the story, and the enviroment contributes to the story and how it is woven and what pressure points both personally and in conflict zones produces. The people who populate Mawer's books, the settings and even the climate are so well crafted, little details providing a deep understanding of how characters and circumstance contribute to a story.
The killer punch however comes in the last pages. What happens in lives that supress and keep hidden all the events and circumstances that shape us.
I fantastic read
April 12, 2019
The only quibble I have with this book is the same as I have with all Simon Mawer's lovely books: he just doesn't manage to make his women characters convincing enough. What sort of woman has a baby at eighteen with the love of her life, has it adopted and then whoosh, gets married the next year or so and never gives the child another thought it seems. Just not quite right. Otherwise the characters are interesting and well thought out, I like the way he describes the six-year-old and the thirteen-year-old, both convincing and not too detailed. The plot is intricate and held my attention to the end: and the quality of Mawer's writing is amazing as always. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
March 27, 2023
This has been sat on my bookcase for a while and shame on me! Very atmospheric, set in Cyprus at a time when the British Army were based there as alleged peacekeepers between Greeks and Turks . The story moves between time periods as the son and daughter unearth photos and secrets from that time. No spoilers but very engaging.
May 14, 2024
A 3.5 perhaps rather than 4/5. The sort of book that leaves you feeling slightly in need of a good scrub, this is a well-written tale of deceit, passion, familial mirages and a slight Oedipus complex. A page turner though.
October 24, 2024
It showed a lot of promise, but Mawer didn’t quite pull it off. The central characters were not engaging. Mawer’s sympathies were entirely with the British military officers, which gave the story a propagandist edge to it.
February 19, 2017
Interesting plot and historical Cyprus location but I felt a little bit short on the characterisation. Nontheless another good read from Simon Mawer.
June 19, 2013
[This review originally appeared on my blog at http://thetop100bookclub.wordpress.co...]
Simon Mawer is quickly climbing the ranks as one of my favourite authors. Everything I read of his sweeps me away and leaves me thinking long after the last page has been read. The writing is sublime, the stories are gripping. It is the ultimate reading experience. ‘Swimming to Ithaca’ is admittedly not my favourite novel of his thus far, but it is exceptional nonetheless.
The opening of the book introduces us to Thomas as his mother, Dee, dies. As he and his sister try to come to terms with grief, dealing with all of the material aspects that arise in the aftermath of death, he finds himself haunted by the memory of his mother. This is especially so in light of the fact that, in one of her final conversations with her son, she pronounced her illness and death to be a punishment.
The narrative weaves between Thomas as he packs up his mother’s home, allows himself to look into the hidden elements of her personal life, and engages in a relationship with one of his students; and their memories of their life in Cyprus after World War II. It is almost as if these questions have been lying dormant during the course of her life and, now she is gone, he has the courage to confront the truth. It is a story written on the real and the supposed for Thomas – memory mingles with conjecture over his mother’s life and affairs during their years in a ravaged Cyprus.
From her account, we learn that her greatest love affair was with Charteris – a man who left for war and never came home. She tries to hold on to anything that even vaguely resembles him and the role he played in her life which, in some respects, can account for how things transpired in Cyprus.
As the story unfolds, the reader gets a tangible sense of the divisions within Cyprus and how the British presence there often exacerbated the problem rather than allayed it. It was an atmosphere of secrecy and division – a world that Dee and her family don’t really fit into comfortably, yet one that will have an effect on their lives. As the truth begins to reveal itself to the reader, we are made aware of the intensity of feelings Thomas felt towards his mother, sense the damage, and yearn for the truth to unfold. His actions seem an act of catharsis – although we do not get a clear picture of what he is looking to purge until the end.
Thomas is almost trapped in this past of secrets, so much so that his pursuit of a relationship with his student Kale is an act of rebellion against his mother, although she would never be able to see it. Like his mother, however, he is assuaged by the fear of loss. His love for his mother is a powerful thing, affected by its context from when he was growing up and what has been repressed. Moreover, this book documents how love can shift and mutate into something consuming and destructive, assuming an identity where resentment and distrust can flourish.
‘Swimming to Ithaca’ examines how simple acts are not immune from the universal applicability of ‘cause and effect’ – making what may seem to be incidental and fleeting the catalyst of a chain of events that can alter the lives of those around us. It is an exposé on the fragility of human relationships, guilt, betrayal, and the power of history to affect the future.
Simon Mawer is quickly climbing the ranks as one of my favourite authors. Everything I read of his sweeps me away and leaves me thinking long after the last page has been read. The writing is sublime, the stories are gripping. It is the ultimate reading experience. ‘Swimming to Ithaca’ is admittedly not my favourite novel of his thus far, but it is exceptional nonetheless.
The opening of the book introduces us to Thomas as his mother, Dee, dies. As he and his sister try to come to terms with grief, dealing with all of the material aspects that arise in the aftermath of death, he finds himself haunted by the memory of his mother. This is especially so in light of the fact that, in one of her final conversations with her son, she pronounced her illness and death to be a punishment.
The narrative weaves between Thomas as he packs up his mother’s home, allows himself to look into the hidden elements of her personal life, and engages in a relationship with one of his students; and their memories of their life in Cyprus after World War II. It is almost as if these questions have been lying dormant during the course of her life and, now she is gone, he has the courage to confront the truth. It is a story written on the real and the supposed for Thomas – memory mingles with conjecture over his mother’s life and affairs during their years in a ravaged Cyprus.
From her account, we learn that her greatest love affair was with Charteris – a man who left for war and never came home. She tries to hold on to anything that even vaguely resembles him and the role he played in her life which, in some respects, can account for how things transpired in Cyprus.
As the story unfolds, the reader gets a tangible sense of the divisions within Cyprus and how the British presence there often exacerbated the problem rather than allayed it. It was an atmosphere of secrecy and division – a world that Dee and her family don’t really fit into comfortably, yet one that will have an effect on their lives. As the truth begins to reveal itself to the reader, we are made aware of the intensity of feelings Thomas felt towards his mother, sense the damage, and yearn for the truth to unfold. His actions seem an act of catharsis – although we do not get a clear picture of what he is looking to purge until the end.
Thomas is almost trapped in this past of secrets, so much so that his pursuit of a relationship with his student Kale is an act of rebellion against his mother, although she would never be able to see it. Like his mother, however, he is assuaged by the fear of loss. His love for his mother is a powerful thing, affected by its context from when he was growing up and what has been repressed. Moreover, this book documents how love can shift and mutate into something consuming and destructive, assuming an identity where resentment and distrust can flourish.
‘Swimming to Ithaca’ examines how simple acts are not immune from the universal applicability of ‘cause and effect’ – making what may seem to be incidental and fleeting the catalyst of a chain of events that can alter the lives of those around us. It is an exposé on the fragility of human relationships, guilt, betrayal, and the power of history to affect the future.
April 30, 2021
What a treat to read a book so accurately set in a time and place. Swimming to Ithaca took me back to Cyprus in the 1950s, to the world of expats still so familiar to me. I could taste it, I could smell it, I could feel it. My thanks to Simon Mawer (who also spent part of his childhood in Cyprus) for taking me back with such accuracy and storytelling panache.
April 23, 2015
Set in Cyprus against the backdrop of the struggle between the British colonial authority and EOKA, the Cypriot independence movement, Swimming To Ithaca is the story of Deirdre (Dee) Denham, the wife of a British officer, as pieced together after her death from fragments of evidence and disjointed memories by her son, Thomas, a history lecturer in a modern university.
Never entirely at home in her role as officer's wife, Dee is seduced by the hidden life of Cyprus and begins an affair with a young Cypriot taxi-driver who also turns out to be involved in the resistance movement. It's a situation that can only end badly, and it does.
Thomas is never sure of the whole story and he follows the trail of his mother's former acquaintances, asking questions and getting half-answers. At the same time, he is conducting an equally doomed and unprofessional relationship with one of his students.
The evocation of Cyprus in the nineteen fifties is well-done and the plot unravels cleverly, with a nice twist saved for the end. However, I did not find any of the characters easy to empathize with and Thomas, in particular, irritated me. Moreover, as with Mawer's The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, I found the treatment of sex a bit obsessive and uncomfortable. Mawer is an interesting and skilful writer but I never quite warm to him.
Never entirely at home in her role as officer's wife, Dee is seduced by the hidden life of Cyprus and begins an affair with a young Cypriot taxi-driver who also turns out to be involved in the resistance movement. It's a situation that can only end badly, and it does.
Thomas is never sure of the whole story and he follows the trail of his mother's former acquaintances, asking questions and getting half-answers. At the same time, he is conducting an equally doomed and unprofessional relationship with one of his students.
The evocation of Cyprus in the nineteen fifties is well-done and the plot unravels cleverly, with a nice twist saved for the end. However, I did not find any of the characters easy to empathize with and Thomas, in particular, irritated me. Moreover, as with Mawer's The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, I found the treatment of sex a bit obsessive and uncomfortable. Mawer is an interesting and skilful writer but I never quite warm to him.
September 10, 2015
Reading this, I appreciated the author's skilful writing which is vividly descriptive and observant of scenery, atmosphere and character. However the story is told in two quite separate strands and it is only after completing the book, that I see that the separation between the two stories was the very point of the novel. An interesting, complex concept.
November 24, 2016
Mixed feelings
I read and enjoyed the book up to a point. Inconclusive ending sums it up for me. What was the book supposed to be about? Unlikely relationship between lecturer and student and colonial wife with taxi driver. Who would only have a hazy recollection of catching his mom 'in flagrante'?
I read and enjoyed the book up to a point. Inconclusive ending sums it up for me. What was the book supposed to be about? Unlikely relationship between lecturer and student and colonial wife with taxi driver. Who would only have a hazy recollection of catching his mom 'in flagrante'?
September 28, 2016
There were parts of this I loved and parts that I didn't. The main character was not at all likeable, in fact I don't think I actually liked any of them! I enjoyed the view of Cyprus in the 1950's but overall the book was too slow to be great.
January 23, 2013
Somewhat predictable, but otherwise nice descriptions if Cyprus in the 50ies. Didn´t like the character of Cale.
July 11, 2019
Just beautiful writing - everything else is secondary (but pretty good, anyway). I need to go to Cyprus now, damn you Mawer🙄😄
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews