The Taste of Salt

Beautiful writing, stunning descriptions, a transposition of your mind to where it is happening.

As a writer of "trash" I am in awe of the literary craft of this book and it's author, if only I could master such eloquence and descriptive prose.......... envious ...... hell yes!

Beautiful, delightful, emotional and a joy!

Thank you!

Henrik, if I'd picked this up in a bookshop, I would not have put it back on the shelf, I would have bought it plain and simple. Everything that I looked at and read, from the pitch until the end of Chapter Three, is absolutely first class. You write beautifully, tell a story with great voice and paint images with your words that are captivating and thought provoking. Shelved.
The only thing that puzzles me, is why this book isn't already in the top five. I'm sure that it will find it's way there.Great work Henrick. I'm definately reading on. Michael

I love this. I am so happy I found this on here. I will be shelving this immediately as soon as my current shelvies have done their requisite 24 hour stint.

The concept, a true gay romance novel is wonderful. I was trying to research this topic for the last year and there seems to be a feeling that all "gay" literature must be erotica. My novel also deals with the issue of homosexual identity but my character is younger. I also feel your pain about getting this thing in front of a publisher, I've collected my own pile of form rejections. You might want to check into the Amazon Breakthrough novel awards next year. Look it up. Your book would be a great fit.

As far as the 4 chapters I read, I the only constructive critique I could give is that you should probably tighten it up. You write beautifully, but the story needs to move a little faster at the beginning. Also in the first chapter, I didn't have a very strong sense of where I was. When the sailor was dying, there was never any hint of where we were. Just one line would do it. You do a magnificent job of characterization and most of your imagery is dedicated to feelings and people.

I'll be back to read more later.

This reminds me so much of my father's first hand accounts of his WW2 experiences. I found it easy to sympathise with your main character and liked the way you plunge the reader right away into the action.

Lorraine
Mannin Boy

an effective and original writting style, that relays your story well- l have backed...
SEASONS...

Here's the problem, write about what you know. Your knowledge of WW2 destroyers and naval life seems flimsy. You really can't call someone Jack in the RN, Jack being the collective name for all matelot. I personally never met a Jack in my time. Pretty much everybody in the mob has a nickname, even more so in the World Wars. Destroyers were relatively small, a ships Doc yes, Surgeon no. Surgery No, mess table for operations and the like, more likely. I would advise watching a film 'Cruel Sea' for your background .

Fairly well done, I found a couple of, what I suppose would be "nitts" with the first chapter.

1. You resort to a number of, what I would call hyperbolic images beginning in the second paragraph. For example, the "living wreck of a man" and "like a fish that had been hacked." Those are OK I guess, but if you wanted to write more like a real pro, I think you could eliminate those kinds of references.

In something so traumatic, often understatement is more effective that outdoing oneself in gory metaphors.
In this case, looking at a few photos of real WWII injuries and then writing your scene without metaphor. The problem is that metaphors in this case trivialize the wounds and turn them into a mere literary device, cheapening the story and even distracting from it. I doubt the author wants that and it is easy fo fix, by using a matter of fact explicit description of real wounds. The power of your opening will go up a couple of notches I think.

Wish you luck. If you let me know that you have read this I will try to remember to delete it, since I don't want to clutter up your site with anal comments, LOL.

F. Ellsworth Lockwood
"The Final Cruise"

It's a terrible crime what gay people have to go through to live normal lives filled with love. Your book explores this theme very well. Romantic yet political. Very well done. BACKED -Elizabeth Wolfe (Memories of Glory)

First sorry for the delay in commenting after my recent backing of your book, unfortunately there were a few pressing jobs that need seeing too…

Impressively written book!!!
Your character Jack engages the reader so well in what is for some reason an emotive basis of a plot.
You use word and structure them so well. At times this is emotional and introspective, a great skill for a writer. Great book – well delivered.

The strength of this is mind-blowing. You draw the reader in, regardless of their background or knowledge, so effortlessly. A truly rare gift. I found myself lost (in a good way) within your prose, absorbed and intent as the characters, who are very easy to identify with, took over.

Fabulous work and backed with pleasure.
Abi xxx

Henrik -

Salt is absolutely brilliant; I wish to Hell I'd written it.

I just write humorous and satiric looks at human behavior and our quirks as the only hominids licensed to drive a car.

You sir, pen real, honest-to-God literature. And I'm envious. Your work, to me, is like Melville, only readable. Hemingway, but not so cliched.

I did notice one little thing in the first chapter, when your MC cuts his hand slightly on one of the ship's rivets. My understanding is that rivets have a rounded top; if so, wouldn't that render them pretty safe to brush up against? Just wondering.

I'm delighted to back The Taste of Salt. It's a masterful piece of writing and I wish you the best of luck with it.

I would also love your thoughts on my book.

Thanks. And thanks for sharing.

-Jeff Lee
THE LADIES TEMPERANCE CLUB'S FAREWELL TOUR

TASTE OF SALT
As the U.S. is still debating whether it should welcome gays into the military or maintain the “don’t ask; don’t tell” policy, I found this is a very timely story. You’ve created sensitive characters for it; your descriptions of what war is like are equally good. I read your bio that said you’re a little discouraged with agents. As gays in the military is a bigger issue in the U.S. than the U.K., I wonder if you should be writing to U.S. agents. Either way, this is a good read. I’m adding this to my shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Hi Henrik
This has captivated me from the opening paragraph. The death of Tranter and Jack's response, Culshaws intuition - unnoticed until much later in the book and the descriptions of pain, anger and death are intense. You have made use of every single word and made it impossible for a reader to put the book down.

You deal with the much documented agonies of war in your own style, painting brilliant images for the readers mind to interpret as the wish.

Jack feels like the unknown warrior - what will be facing him on his return home? Where will he fit in? All common fears of servicemen and women at the time.

"A war's only a bloody war after all. It's only life and death" - love this line!

The introduction of Matthew was hypnotic for me. You have portrayed such a vivid character who has astonishing accuracy for numbers, the agility of a graceful animal and a spirit to be envied. There are hints from quite early on as to what is coming, "Jack felt a strange sense of wholeness", but you manage this 'taboo' love (taboo for the time and place) with a sensitivity that feels sincere.

The analogy you make of Jack and Matthew serves as a vivid reminder (as if we need one) of their complex personalities - Jack as a glacier, Matthew as a river - brilliant!

You write about love with such compassion and the awakening of self identity for Jack - particularly his determination not to use the name Arthur and his mothers reasons for asking - has a profound effect on the reader.

I enjoyed the detail you shared about Jack's family, clever Celia and manipulative Maud! You gave valuable information but skillfully wove it into the fabric of Jack's character so we can see why he makes the decisions he does, why he is who he is - brilliant. The untimely death of his father (suicide) is hinted at "a thousand dots joined together, to paint a terrible picture" The details of his grandmother and Lt Deppenbackker all add to the building tale and again, the subtle messages leading us in to what is about to manifest - "There can be many kinds of love and friendship and friendship can even be sweeter and deeper than love" and Culshaw's "And marriage, after all, is not always possible"

The sudden recognition by Jack that he loves Matthew, the admission of his feelings, the first kiss - all emotionally captivating. Again, your skill as a writer is captured when you ensure that each defining moment is surrounded by trauma. (Jack admits his feelings whilst Matthew is in dire need of help, they share their first kiss after escaping death etc, etc)

I'm not much good at technical stuff, so will only point out that the first spelling of Matthews name is missing a 't' and you do not need a comma before the word 'and'.

Effortless dialogue, great pace, vivid descritions.

Absolutely brilliant and I expect it will be snapped up quite quickly. I would certainly buy it today.

Good luck and thank you for sharing.

Hatts

Henrik, your first chapter is a smooth read. Good work.

Happy to back this.

Joffrey (The Silver Spoon Efffect)

Great title and very nice book. BACKED! Good luck, Barry (Little Krisna and the Bihar Boys)

I've had a taste of salt on my shelf for a bit. Then it has languished on my watchlist because I can't let it go. I have nothing of any note to comment, to critique. I just think this is really, really good and it is going to sit on my watchlist a while longer so I don't lose it alongside my other favourites.

Henrik, Your writing fills the mind with breathtaking vistas. You have woven your story through a history of time with accuracy and raw emotion. You draw the reader into the room with you so that we can feel the fear, the hope and the deep human ache to be loved and accepted. For me, I've found that no love can be as freeing and as pure as the embrace of God Himself. In Him, I am satisfied.

A TASTE OF SALT

I like the pun in the title. I think the semi-colon in your first line should be a colon.

We start with a wrecked man and morphine. And the aftermath as Jack reels. You deal with it all well. The tipping of the corpse.

And poor old Tranter’s face is forgotten, replaced by a prettier one.

You write well.

Nick
“Mirror In The Sky”

Backed.

Jesse - Savant

http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=14062

I backed the Taste of Salt a day or so ago, but didn't leave a comment because of an unexpected visitor.

So, quickly, I just say i enjoyed what i read and found it to be solidly written. Evocative. Left an impression, enough for me to remember to return and leave a comment.

BACKED

"There was, for him, no divine beginning or end; only the mysteries washed and painted by the sea and stars."

There is an almost hypnotic quality to your words that compel the reader to continue reading, if only just to find the next clever turn of poetic phrase, or the next deep insight into the human heart. I must return to read more chapters, but, for now, this is shelved.

BACKED

Hi Hendrik, you've been away and now you returned, so I thought I repeat the last sentence of my first entry seventy six days ago as a kind of mnemonic arch to 2010.
The Taste of Salt.
A true grit and proper love story. I only read two chapters and a little further towards the back. I find it impossible to resist such brilliant and insightful writing. It would take me wherever it goes. Timelessly true.
Best success.

Pia (Course of Mirrors)

Thank you Henrik for this wonderful, romantic story of love and the sea...from the first meeting between Jack and Matthew, to the lighthouse, to the trials they have to face in England of the 50's, the book unfolds through personal and collective history like one of those unforgettable sagas. It is a truly poetic story, smooth and mythical at times...I am shelving it....

Henrik, there's a deep and compassionate feeling to this, which seems stronger than the anger. Since the former is infinitely more difficult to convey, it's a rarity. You're a writer of talent and integrity. I hope this book is published before long.Shelved. Lynn

Dear Hendrik,

Trying to find a worthwhile read tonight, I followed NKPulley's path.

His face ...
... Just a brief opening up, like the shutters of a camera, seeming to say:
'We are strangers here, sharing this moment, possibly, probably the only one. Take this snapshop of my soul and make of it what you will.'

A true grit and proper love story. I only read two chapters and a little further towards the back. I find it impossible to resist such brilliant and insightful writing. It would take me wherever it goes.

Pia (Course of MIrrors)

Absolutely fantastic- I've just read up to chapter 20. I especially love Matthew's numerical synesthesia; I know somebody who has it for music, and your description is absolutely bang on. I thought all the poetry hints were funny too- Jack reading Hopkins aloud was a dead giveaway long before he noticed he had any more than platonic feelings.

The writing is lovely too, though there are absolutely masses of typos. You've got a habit of putting a capital letter after a colon, and punctuating speech as '...whatever,'. Said Whoever, rather than '...whatever,' said Whoever. A twenty minute edit will sort it. I also think that in a couple of places, the high nature of the prose hides what is essentially a cliche- the passage linking sex and nuclear fusion is the one that springs to mind, especially since it seemed very at odds with everything Jack likes about Matthew, ie, his earthiness and his pragmatism.

I wish you wouldn't be so wretchedly compelling. I've just spent two hours staring at a computer screen and now my eyes hurt.

Backed, obviously.
NK Pulley (Angelisterre)

Henrik, I love this book, the opening is really superb as it makes you want to read on. You have an excellent writing style. Hope it goes well for you. The cover and the title are also very eye-catching.

Your first line is perfect.
This is engrossing and beautifully drawn.
Your description is so vivid that it was as though i could see it all, you left nothing out.
Gorgeous. And backed!!
T.L Tyson-Seeking Eleanor

The Taste of Salt opens with a stirring scene that conveys context and character extremely well. This is powerful writing with a distinctive clear style, and from the pitch looks set to combine action and emotion as the story unfolds. This will do very nicely - backed.

Henrik,
This is pro writing and an unusual love story against the bloody violence of war. You show so much feeling in the young medic faced with his first decision and his first patient lost. The narrative paints beautiful pictures and the dialogue is crisp and natural. As an editor, I see nothing to edit. Well done. Some great similes Like:
Culshaw's word brushed over his brain like a cloth that was half silk, half sandpaper.
This is a great read. Good luck with it.
Steve Ward
Test Pilot's Daughter: Revenge

Hi Henrik.

I came here expecting one thing - the story of the life of a sailor, one who finds love later than he'd like - but met another; the deeply intriguing, philosophical, lyrical and thought-provoking persona that is Jack.

Even his musings over poor Tranter were, I think, more than they seemed. The dead man's face then eclipsed by the face of another led me to wonder whether there had been some spark between them. Jack's conversations with Culshaw and his subsequent meeting with Matthew served to deepen the air of struggle surrounding him.

Well and thoughtfully written, it simply sucks the reader in.

I did make a few notes as I read:
Pitch: near certain death...isn't that a bit of a contradiction?
ch 1: looking on at...cut *on*.
blood that trickled...blood trickling? Avoids too many 'that's.
Impertinently...Incongruously? Inappropriately?
hapless midshipman, now murmuring...*who was* now murmuring?
lost no time to stamp...*in stamping*.
land-bound rump...rump?
ch 2: Culshaw's word brushed...words?
fat and smug and orotund...rotund.

Henrik, I found this fascinating and so it's going on my shelf.
Cas.
KING'S ENVOY

This was recommended to me in the forum so came over for a read. You strike an immediate chord with me as my late father was in the navy in WWII. I'll be honest, I found the first chapter a little tough going. The incident with the injection was shocking and a great scene setter but there seemed to be an awful lot of introspection going on and a lot of telling. But once i got to Chapter Two, I felt you relaxed and your writing was really able to shine: there was a lovely balance of dialogue, description and action.
I think first chapters are really tough - there is a yearning to write 'beautifully' and also an eagerness to tell the reader sooo much, to make him or her fall in love with your characters...but often (and particularly here on Authonomy) I'm almost relieved when I've got the first chapter out of the way and can relax with the author... (my book is no exception - I much prefer chapters three and onwards!).
I have no nitpicks on grammar or POV - nothing snagged there for me at all. You can write up a storm and this is shaping up to be an excellent book.
The recommendation was a good 'un and I'm happy to spin this on my shelf.
Jane

The Taste of Salt is a fine story beautifully told, Henrik. I was hooked in first by your pitch and then your writing as the story opened up with Jack and Matthew. I think you give an excellent portrayal of how difficult life was for gay men in 1950s Britain. Backed with pleasure and wishing you luck with publication, which I'm sure will happen soon. Phil Rowan (Weimar Vibes)

I note that many below me have limited themselves to brief comments, not - it becomes clear - through indifference, but out of a gaping sense of wonderment at the writing. I feel the same. My pencil was in my hand throughout, but I didn’t use it once. I just kept on reading.

So. No nit-picks, and just one remembered line: ‘… changing from the allure of an ape into that of an antelope…’ Nice.

What to say then? Setting, narrative, characterisation, all portrayed with strength, confidence and professionalism. Backstory woven in seamlessly at just the right points (I hate you!). And an intriguing storyline. The first tender shoots of forbidden love on one of HM’s fighting ships in a war, the subject treated with just the right balance of directness and reserve.

This is calling out for publication and nigh-on ready for print. Shelved.

I was wondering at the start was this yet another WW2 story. But drama is conflict and what can be more of a conflict than war. This however is not a war story - it is an unusual love story. It is beautifully, almost faultlessly written - as vivid as a film. I would definitely like to back it.
BADD

Hi, Henrik

The beginning to your book is a really visceral experience, followed by an awful feeling of being trapped, by war and the dilemas that war brings.

I felt pulled in straight away. You do an excellent job of evoking a sense of the time and place. I can't see much point in trying to offer you suggestions on how to improve it because you've done a better job with the subject matter than I could.

I wonder what you would think of "wayward" pools of blood, rather than "ungainly" pools of blood?

That's as much crit as you'll get from me. :)

All the best

You're a professional writer. This book is too good for authonomy. Your characters are flesh and blood. Your descriptions are powerful and vivid. Your setting is perfect. Your prose is free of errors (from what I can see) and flows smoothly.

Henrik,

This is a sweeping, multi-layered epic story with excellent characterisation and real emotional depth. Some times I find great writing but somehow it lacks soul. This has both. I don't know why this is not published. It should be and would not disgrace any bookshelf. I have only glanced at your comments, but I am sure someone must have mentioned Conrad. That is the feel I get from this work.

Amongst all the genres on authonomy, this is a standout book.

I wish you the very best with it.

Regards

Mike

Hi Henrik!

I'm here because of a recommendation from Cass - you made her list of "lovely reads" and, so far I've agreed with her on every single one, yours included. I really wish I had something helpful to say, but all I can do is to add to the voices below that I also wish to some day see this in print. Shelved, for that very reason.

~Traci

Dear Henrik, This is highly original, very well written, and extremely compelling. I admire how you evoke almost immediately and quite vividly the setting and your protagonist’s place in it: a ship, particularly a destroyer in the North Atlantic during World War II is an isolated place, and Jack’s intelligence and sensitivity isolate him from his fellow seamen.

When he drew his own blood, I re-interpreted the title: not just the sea but human blood: unpredictable and uncontrollable forces within and without. Shortly thereafter, he meets Matthew, and so begins the relationship on which your story focuses. The economy is marvelous: both the how quickly you bring Jack and Matthew together and how minimally you have them interact—yet there’s a sense of inevitability about their meeting.

I see from your pitch that the relationship will be a complex and difficult one, that your novel is deftly plotted and multi-layered, and that you explore other historically and psychologically significant themes, yet your opening is not only stunning but somehow self-contained. It’s partly the backdrop and the characters—Jack and Matthew as well as the eccentric, but appealing Culshaw—but it’s mainly the startling, exhilarating shift from war and death to the beginning of love. A story unto itself.

On my shelf. Maria, The Pharaoh’s Cat

The Taste of Salt-
Henrik,
What is this still doing on this website? First - I'm known to have short attention span, thus some books can be hard for me to get into. I will admit I scanned over the first paragraph (truely thinking this would bore me to death) - But then....your elogant words wrapped around me pulling me in and capturing me.
This is wonderful writing. There were so many phrases that struck me - the imagery, the emotion, the tangibility of the prose. I agree with the many comments below - this needs to be in print and in my hands.

My only concern is the book cover... I don't think it represents this amazing book. You need something epic, beautiful - but thats just my opinion.
Of course I'm shelving this... RIGHT NOW.
~Krista Darrach
--Riley's Gift.

I am rather dumbstruck by this and struggling to find words that are worthy. This is exquisite, crafted, shocking writing. I read this very slowly, because it warrants it.

There are some achingly beautiful images. There are lines of this that will stay in my head for a long time.

I shall be coming back, because this warrants reading fully and re-reading.

This is perfect. It has to be published.

Lou

(A Rochdale floozy!)

Henrik,
I'm surprised this book hasn't been published, and I mean that sincerely. This is an exceptional story, which begins during one of history's epic wars. There is nothing contrived here. The relationship between Jack and Mathew Tyneham is brilliantly developed—as is the beautifully descriptive sense of place.
Your writing is solid, professional, and a pleasure to read. This is a book I wish I could buy.
Shelved.
Mark

Hi Henrik,

This is an intriguing story. Your prose is tight and easy to read.

“But(,) sir, he’s had the max- “ Always use a comma with direct address. Also the second quotation mark should be the other way around.

Good vivid descriptions and the pace was smooth.

Chap 2.
“You’d better have that seen to”, said Jack laconically. The comma should be inside the dialogue and before the quotation mark.

This is an engaging story. I really enjoyed it.

Shelved!

Shinzy :)

This should be published. Now.
David
Green Ore

Henrik,

I'd like to first apologize for not getting to this sooner. I've owed you a read for ages. But I've read your first six chapters now. Here are my thoughts. Take them or leave them as you like.

Your prose is, for the most part, beautiful. There were places, though, where run-on sentences became a bit of an issue that interfered with readability. You might consider splitting some of these up and varying your sentence length and structure a bit more in places. No one spot really stood out, though, so I don't think it's a huge problem.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the story. It's good, but I'm really not sure whether I, personally, like it. This is just personal opinion. It's got good bones and I think it might just be that I've been reading it very slowly, a few minutes here and there, and so haven't gotten a chance to get sucked into it. And WWII-era military anything isn't really something I've ever read, so that's probably another reason. But it did keep me reading for six chapters, which isn't something a lot of books here do.

In the end, I definitely do think this is a book that could be published and that would find a solid readership. Because of that, it's going on my shelf. Good luck!

Cameron

Henrik,
I apologise for the lateness of my return read. I’ve been taking some time off from Authonomy but had your book on the w/l.
You’ve taken on a tough subject – a young lad falling in love with another young lad on the high seas. Your opening with the almost out-of-body narration Jack gives us, showing his detachment as he ignores a severely injured man, and them od’s him on morphine really set the scene.
He kind of wrestles with his guilt with the dead man floating down below him.
Nice start to the book, on my shelf.
Lisa

Good, and will be great. Spin the story; others will check the commas. Shelved.
Ann English

Good characters, good dialogue and a good story Good luck with it.

PS
Shouldn’t it be: “...the added anger that Tranter must have felt?”


Kostas
Hariklika's Icons

Your story sir, is one that has the ability to reach in. I knew Jack, I felt his struggle and I cared what was going to happen to him. I think though that a few more scenes could make your story stronger. But as it stands it is a beautiful read. On my shelf. C.P

I'm climbing on the bandwagon here and shelving your book.

You hooked me with the mercy killing and kept me reading because of characterization. Then, your dialogue in c.2 and the overall rhythm of your sentences clinched the deal.

Only one suggestion: sometimes less is more...I was a bit confused in places and had to read the section twice. I'd just check your ms. one more time to be sure that everything is as clear as it should be. It's so common for us to have it clearly in our head, but the thought doesn't reach the page in quite the same way for the reader.

Bravo.

Cheers,
Sheryl (when you have time, please comment on mine...backing optional)