Karlsen knows how to spin a yarn, and he knows how to write dialogue ... [, including Norwegian-accented English.]  He was, and is, an astute observer of the world around him. He is a congenial guide, and readers who pick up this book will surely follow his journey to its end.

And within the ship, that confined but potent vessel of human relationships, Gary confronts the real worlds of human sociology and psychology, in all their diversity and mystery. He learns to navigate his way around the shipboard community and its fluid hierarchy, and to emerge with enduring friendships.

Read the full review by Eric Sager