Star of the Sea
Encyclopedia
Star of the Sea is an historical novel by the Irish writer Joseph O'Connor
published in 2004. The novel is set in 1847 against the backdrop of the Irish famine.
The "Star of the Sea" of the title is a famine ship, making the journey from Ireland to New York. Aboard are hundreds of refugees, most of them with humble and desperate backgrounds. Key protagonists are David Merridith Lord Kingscourt, his wife Laura, their servant Mary, the ship's captain Josias Lockwood, a friendless Irishman named Pius Mulvey, and American journalist Grantley Dixon.
The narrative of the novel follows multiple threads interwoven by the journalist character Dixon from documents such as diaries and letters, or from conversations/interviews with some of the principal characters or their relatives/descendants. The narrative partly follows the chronological course of the voyage, and for the intermediate or interposed parts consists of the meshed-in background lives of some of the emigrants & their relatives before they left Ireland (or England, or even after they arrived in the US). The novel departs from the usual formula of a murder mystery in that readers are vaguely informed of the identity of the murderer and the victim early in the novel, but the murder does not take place until the closing pages of the novel, and murder does not carry the full idea or sense of the killing.
As the writer was clearly aware in choosing the name, the term "Star of the Sea" has deep roots in Catholic
tradition. Our Lady, Star of the Sea
- a translation of the Latin
Stella Maris - is the Blessed Virgin Mary in her aspect as a guide and protector to those who work or travel on the sea and under which title she is venerated in many Catholic seaside communities. Indeed, in Dutch
and other translations the book was given the title "Stella Maris".
In 2008, London band Silvery
released the song 'Star Of The Sea' on their debut album 'Thunderer & Excelsior' on Blow Up Records
, loosely following the narrative of the book.
Joseph O'Connor
Joseph Victor O'Connor is an Irish novelist. He is known for his 2002 historical novel Star of the Sea. Before success as an author he was a journalist with the Sunday Tribune newspaper and Esquire magazine...
published in 2004. The novel is set in 1847 against the backdrop of the Irish famine.
The "Star of the Sea" of the title is a famine ship, making the journey from Ireland to New York. Aboard are hundreds of refugees, most of them with humble and desperate backgrounds. Key protagonists are David Merridith Lord Kingscourt, his wife Laura, their servant Mary, the ship's captain Josias Lockwood, a friendless Irishman named Pius Mulvey, and American journalist Grantley Dixon.
The narrative of the novel follows multiple threads interwoven by the journalist character Dixon from documents such as diaries and letters, or from conversations/interviews with some of the principal characters or their relatives/descendants. The narrative partly follows the chronological course of the voyage, and for the intermediate or interposed parts consists of the meshed-in background lives of some of the emigrants & their relatives before they left Ireland (or England, or even after they arrived in the US). The novel departs from the usual formula of a murder mystery in that readers are vaguely informed of the identity of the murderer and the victim early in the novel, but the murder does not take place until the closing pages of the novel, and murder does not carry the full idea or sense of the killing.
As the writer was clearly aware in choosing the name, the term "Star of the Sea" has deep roots in Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
tradition. Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris, first reliably used with relation to the Virgin Mary in the ninth century...
- a translation of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Stella Maris - is the Blessed Virgin Mary in her aspect as a guide and protector to those who work or travel on the sea and under which title she is venerated in many Catholic seaside communities. Indeed, in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and other translations the book was given the title "Stella Maris".
In 2008, London band Silvery
Silvery
Silvery are a London-based 4-piece indie rock band, signed to Blow Up Records . Their sound was best described by Journalist David Quantick in The Word as “Splenetic, frenetic, kinetic” and in NME as “Girlie harmonies, sniggering, fairground piano.....
released the song 'Star Of The Sea' on their debut album 'Thunderer & Excelsior' on Blow Up Records
Blow Up Records
Blow Up Records is a British independent record label, that was established in London in 1994, by Blow Up club founder and DJ Paul Tunkin.Music genres of releases from the label include New Wave, Pop/Rock and Electronica...
, loosely following the narrative of the book.
A bestseller
"The Star of the Sea" became an International No.1 Bestseller, selling over 800,000 copies in a year.Awards
Star of the Sea has collected many awards and shortlistings:- A New York Times Notable Book of: 2004
- An Economist Book of the Year: 2004
- Voted as one of 15 Vintage Future Classics: 2005
- A Sunday Times No 1 bestseller in paperback
- May 2004: Nielsen Booktrack best-selling adult fiction paperback of the year: more than 850,000 copies in print
- Runner-up for the Nibbie Best Read Award at the British Book Awards: 2004
- Shortlisted for the Sunday Independent Irish Novel of the Year Award
- Winner of the Prix Madeleine Zepter Award for European Novel of the Year, France
- Nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award: 2003
- Winner of the Acerbi Foundation Award Prize, Italy: 2003
- One of Le Point's 15 Best Books of the Year: 2003
- Winner of the Prix Millepages Award: 2003
- Hennessy / Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award winner: 2003
- Winner of the 2004 Irish Post Award for Literature
- Voted one the annual 25 Books to Remember 2003 by the New York Public Library service
- 800,000 copies sold in the UK in one year alone
- Featured in May 2009 International Baccalaureate English HL A1 Exam