Thar She Blows

By Susan Emshwiller,

Book cover of Thar She Blows

Book description

Caught in a redundant housewife existence, Ann never leaves her beige suburban home, her schlubby do-nothing son Brian is directionless after graduating high-school, and it looks like nothing will ever change. But when Brian is swallowed by a whale and Ann receives a garbled phone call from him, she is…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Thar She Blows as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Like many readers, my idea of a good time is to get lost in a book, but to get swallowed by a whale in a book? It never occurred to me to imagine trying to survive inside a whale, but it clearly did to Susan Emswhiller.

I couldn’t get over the fabulous combination of wackiness and practicality in Thar She Blows.

While I followed geeky, schlubby Brian as he began to discover that he did indeed have actual skills, I also traveled with his mother, Ann, in her quest to find the son no one believes has survived and her…

This is an excellent book that shows the life changes in two people: a woman who learns to trust her own knowledge and instincts, and her son, who learns how to both fend for himself and take on the responsibility for others.

The fact that they both learn these lessons when he is accidentally swallowed by a large whale (think Pinocchio rather than Ahab) adds a note of absurdity that is the icing on the well-written cake.

Want books like Thar She Blows?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Thar She Blows.

Browse books like Thar She Blows

Book cover of Monstrilio
Book cover of How It Feels to Float
Book cover of The Woman and the Witch

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,355

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in whales, surrealism, and magic-supernatural?

Whales 40 books
Surrealism 110 books
Magic-Supernatural 665 books