Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really: A Novel

A deeply funny and achingly honest coming-of-age story surfacing from the pressures of Navy life and the weight of what comes after. “Murphy, a fiction writer of vibrant imagination, wit, and nuance, returns after a long hiatus with a bravura first-person performance in the voice of a kind and curious submarine radioman. . . a soulful and charismatic protagonist in an uncanny, transfixing, and revelatory bildungsroman.”—Booklist, starred review “Quite possibly the best novel about the peacetime Navy since Darryl Ponicsan’s The Last Detail.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review “The rollicking, sometimes frightening, in-the-end surprisingly moving evolution of a submariner into a mensch.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review A nuclear submarine exists due to the laws of physics and for the laws of man. A submariner survives surrounded by high-yield steel, humor, and heartbreak. Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really is about David, nicknamed “Dead Man,” and his shipmates. Stationed in Guam, they sail the depths of the oceans, swapping jokes and stories while strengthening bonds continually tested by the rigors of submarine life. But when one shipmate is revealed as a Chinese spy, and another takes his own life, Dead Man is burdened by guilt. Searching for a change, Dead Man leaves the Navy to start fresh as a college student, but his past refuses to let go. The ghosts of former shipmates—both dead and alive—continue to haunt him, and unwilling to stay mired in his memories, Dead Man searches for meaning in a life that feels increasingly foreign. Written with Yannick Murphy’s distinctive and darkly humorous style, Things That Are Funny on a Submarine But Not Really is a headlong, entertaining dive into what it means to find one’s way in a new world.  

About the Author :
Yannick Murphy is the author of the novels, The Call, Signed, Mata Hari, Here They Come, and The Sea of Trees. Her story collections include By the Time You Read This, Stories in Another Language, and In a Bear’s Eye. Her children’s books include The Cold Water Witch, Baby Polar, and Ahwoooooooo!. She is the recipient of various awards, including a Pushcart Prize, a Laurence L. and Thomas Winship/PEN New England Award, a Whiting Writer’s Award, a National Endowment for the Arts award, and a Chesterfield Screenwriting award. Her story “In a Bear’s Eye” was published in the 2007 O. Henry Prize Stories. She and her veterinarian husband live in Vermont.  

Review :
PRAISE FOR YANNICK MURPHY “Murphy has invented a language all her own.”—Kate Walbert, author His Favorites and A Short History of Women “Murphy’s cool, minimalist style is undeniably appealing.”—Publishers Weekly “Remarkable. . . . The truthful evocation of family is the real triumph of The Call. There is much love in this novel, and just as much truth about the pain and pleasure of family life. . . . [A] clever and beautiful book.”—Boston Globe “Wondrously dynamic. . . . A warm-hearted paean to family devotion.”—Wall Street Journal “Murphy pays close attention to the sensual and the macabre. . . . In the quotidian details of farm life, Murphy demonstrates how crucial it is to focus on the small, real tasks in the face of something too big and too dark to understand.”—Time Out New York “Murphy is a subtle, psychologically perceptive writer. . . . A marvelous book: sweet and poignant without ever succumbing to easy sentiment, formally inventive and dexterous without ever seeming showy. A triumph.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A gifted storyteller with an unusual, hypnotic voice. . . . The nuances of small-town life are superbly captured in prose reminiscent of Philip Roth, but it is menace that drives the story forward. Truly original, it casts a spell that lingers in your mind.”—Daily Mail (London) “She cuts quickly and deeply to the heart of what it means to be human and yet, even after that surgery, her characters remain whole and astonishingly alive.”—Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the World “A triumph of quiet humor and understated beauty. . . . Murphy’s subtle, wry wit and an appealing sense for the surreal leaven moments of anger and bleakness, and elevate moments of kindness, whimsy, and grace.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Yannick Murphy’s beautiful new novel is a stirring example of what a real writer can do with form and feeling."—Sam Lipsyte, author of The Ask