So I just took a trip into the Rey San Marcos cave here in Guatemala. We only went 200 meters in, but apparently a French spelunking team traveled 60 miles through it and never found the end. While ducking around stalactites, I couldn’t help but start thinking of stories about caves, and then start compiling a list of cave fiction.
- Mark Danielewski, House of Leaves. First book I thought of. Perfectly captures the cavernous feel, although it turns out to be much more than mere cave.
- Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer. I can never forget the part where they reveal that the outer reaches of the cave had never been mapped. (a haunting portrait of infinity). Then, also, at the end they discover the villain died inside the walled-up cave, eating candles until he starved. No candle eating in Guatemala, I’m happy to report.
- Benjamin Percy, Refresh Refresh. You didn’t think I could make a list without a short story collection, did you? His story “The Caves” details the exploits of a Oregonian couple mapping out the caves beneath their home as they struggle with a miscarriage. And by the way, I learned at BEA that he’s coming out with a story collection for the third year in a row, as well as a novel. Percy is a literary animal.
- Jim Crace, Quarantine. Jesus in a cave in the desert. But much more fun than that description implies. Also, the story is bigger than just the cave, but the cave is central.
- Jose Saramago, The Cave. Just because it’s the title.
- William Gass, The Tunnel. Yes, it’s a tunnel, not a cave, but really, caves are usually just long, big tunnels. So you get the point. And besides, this is a book that will not be forgotten.
3 comments
Thanks for the public thanks! I had so much fun. I love caves, and spelunking. Great idea to mine it literarily. Don’t forget PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster. The mysterious and potent Mirabar Caves…
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I HAVE SEARCHED FOR YEARS WITH NO LUCK.
THE BOOK IS FICTION, WRITTEN AT LEAST 20 YR’S AGO. AUTHOR UNKNOWN BUT CERTAINLY NOT A “NAME”. PROBABLY ONLY A PB, AND, NOT A JUVENILE STORY.
A SMALL GROUP IS TRAPPED JUST INSIDE THE ENTRANCE BY A CAVE IN. DIGGING OUT IS IMPOSSIBLE SO THEY GO FORWARD.
ONE IS KILLED BY GIANT BUGS !!!
THEY FACE MANY PERILS.
THEY COME TO A CHOICE OF TWO POSSIBLE WAYS OUT AND SPLIT UP.
ONE IS AN UNDERGROUND RIVER AND THE OTHER IS TO CLIMB TO THE ROOF OF A LARGE CAVE ROOM.
THE CLIMB IS THE CORRECT CHOICE.
I HAVE GOOGLED MANY WAYS ON CAVE-IN THEMES BUT KEEP SEEING ONLY THE USUAL SUSPECTS AMONG THOUSANDS OF OTHER HITS WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY USELESS.
THANKS FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST.
ART ALLARD – NASHUA,NH