A fabulous book by
Timothy Findley about the voyage of Noah's Ark, told mostly through the eyes of
Mottyl, a blind cat.
Findley explores the reasons
why evil persists in the world, even though the flood was to have
wiped out everyone except the most
good and pious.
In the book,
Noah is a
terrible man and
Lucifer, in the form of a woman, is a
good person who marries one of his sons.
I highly
recommend this book to anyone, especially those familiar with the historical tale. Be warned, however, that the novel is filled with
disturbing imagery and causes one to
question his faith (but
blind faith is bad.
Question everything!)
My copy published by
Penguin Books in 1985 (ISBN 0-14-000306-X).
From the back of the book:
Not Wanted on the Voyage is the story of a great flood and the first time the world ended. It is a brilliant, unforgettable drama filled with an extraordinary cast of characters: the tyrannical Noah and his indomitable wife, Mrs Noyes; the aging and irritable Yaweh; Lucy (the enigmatic, disturbing woman who is not what she seems); Mottyl (Mrs Noyes's endearing talking cat); a chorus of singing sheep and a unicorn destined for a horrible death. With pathos and pageantry, desperation and hope, magic and mythology,
Not Wanted on the Voyage weaves its unforgettable spell.