The geographical delimitation of the northern realm is a well known and vexing problem, and, as is immediately shown by its title, this book does not intend to clear the point. This uncertainty or debate is somewhat indicative of the predominant role of imagination in our feelings about the north. Strangely enough, everybody has a plain opinion towards this matter regardless of whether they have been north or not.
Except for those of us who have active experience of them, the high northern polar regions, whatever the criteria used for their delimitation, are currently a matter of fear or even revulsion for those living anywhere outside (that is further south). In the conscious of most of us, cold, ice, harsh weather, poor vegetation, remoteness, and other supposedly limiting characteristics generate a definitely negative feeling of cold, solitude, mystery, dangerous adventures, hostility, technical challenge and so on. Accordingly, those visiting these regions are the beneficiaries of much admiration and respect for their supposed heroism in facing such a world of death and deprival. As a result, the involvement of men in northern exploration has always been a touchstone of national superiority.
This attitude that I would call the ‘southern or foreign attitude’ towards the north(s) is well illustrated by the legendary sagas of the 12th–13th centuries. As pointed out by A.R. Magnusdottir, the importance given to giants and bloody and horrible massacres in those texts is consistent with the idea that unknown regions were commonly thought to be the home of monsters and barbarous practices. This is reminding us of the fear of marine monsters in the early Arctic whaling activities in Arctic waters. Please note also that the so called patagonian giants of the more recent centuries can be considered the southern counterpart of this phantasy of northern giants. But we must we point out that the northern quest for paradise by Saint Brandan during the 6th century stands as a remarkable exception.
As emphasised by L.J. Dorais, the attitude of the inhabitants of the north, that we would name the ‘autochtonous attitude’, is definitely opposite to this. The north is the natural word of living, inuit nunangat, of Inuit. They love it and do not wish to live elsewhere. The perfect harmonic relation that Inuit have evolved with their reputedly unhospitable mother country is particularly well demonstrated by the two following facts; Inuit use the dominant winds and not the cardinal points when travelling, and Aaju Pita, a Greenland artist, declared: ‘[h]ere there are no trees, it is possible to see far and to travel far. It is ideal.’
Among the twenty one very good signed chapters of the book, eight are developing and analysing some aspects and consequences of either negative or positive attitudes towards the north.
Three of these chapters deserve particular notice. The north(s), when considered as deserts (R. Bouvet) appears distinctive from the other deserts in the world by many aspects other than their coldness. An excellent study of M. Roussat deals with the ‘quest for the sublime’ (evocing that of Saint Brandan for paradise) by the German Arctic painter Julius Payer (1841–1915). The ever growing touristic activity in northern regions is considered by A.A. Grenier as indicative of a a moving of minds towards fascination for their supposed pristine environments. But we wonder if under current climatic change and inceasing pollution, this ecological phantasm to continue to thrive.
The other thirteen chapters present thorough analysis and comments of more or less famous novels of various countries all of which have in common the emphasis on the northern realm. These chapters are of course of peculiar interest for those readers acquainted with the book concerned, but those unacquainted will find in these reviews many statements or remarks of great general interest.
This book which contains this and much more suggests very interesting comparisons with the ways of thinking the about the Antarctic. It is fully in French, carefully edited and well printed, except at the top of page 140 where some lines are obviously missing. Unfortunately the printing of the photographs is so dark and dull and they use the space of the page so inefficiently that they can be considered useless.
However, these poor illustrations should not at all discourage the purchase of the book. It is of a remarkable richness and will remain an essential advance in the fascinating analysis of our unavoidable and compulsory reconstruction of the north(s).
