Leaving the Sea: Stories

Leaving the Sea, a short story collection by Ben Marcus, is a book which leaves one guessing what will come next in the stories encountered. It is sometimes a strange ride full of surprises, twists, and turns. The book approaches being lyrical, but has metaphors that need to be explained and usually are. It is an interesting life he is writing about and many will recognize elements of it in their own life. They might, however, like Marcus, want a better and safer life.

The themes presented are usually playful, but at times they are also dark and forboding. Marcus explores dangerous subjects which are usually cast adrift in time and place. Marcus is a New York writer usually writing about journeying elsewhere. In the title story “Leaving the Sea” he is clearly trying to escape something: the sea which can mean many things. The sea being a metaphor for human relations and other things has been used before, but many including the author have “sailed” there. There are interesting stories here about family members with metaphorical liquids flowing. Some of the tales though are actually maritime. One learns to float along with Marcus in these sometimes dark seas.