A Mariner’s Guide to Self-Sabotage

Gaston (Juliet Was a Surprise), who received the Canadian Writers’ Trust Timothy Findley Award for his body of work in 2002, here collects 10 poignant and varied stories about characters who find reasons not to be happy. Each protagonist is deeply flawed and turns a single bad decision into a train wreck of errors, but each is also suffering from the human condition, and is painfully recognizable. The longer stories, especially “Kiint,” a tale of ecoterrorism and two lonely men, and “Drilling a Hole in Your Boat” (from which the book’s title is taken), in which a man considers how to successfully orchestrate a secret suicide-euthanasia without invalidating his life insurance, are more satisfying than the shorter ones, which can feel too abrupt. Gaston’s writing creates a strong sense of place, particularly with the stories set outdoors on Canada’s west coast. These are stories that work best in individual moments, when characters pause to notice their destructive behavior, wondering why they are compelled engage in bridge-burning and acts of cruelty or sheer pointless ego. This collection highlights Gaston’s talent for character observation and precise, evocative prose. Agent: Carolyn Forde, Westwood Creative Artists. (Mar.)