Review 634: Whale Fall

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Taking place in 1938 on a small island 5 miles off the coast of Wales, a whale washes up on the shore. The villagers try to get it back to the sea, but it does not work. The story is told from Manod’s point of view. She is 18 this summer and expected to get married, but there are only one or two boys. Manod says she needs to take care of her sister, who is 7 years younger, they are motherless, but really Manod is not sure she wants to be a wife.

Two researchers come to the island to record their way of life. They take photographs, write down the stories and record their songs on a phonograph. Manod is hired as an assistant since her English is good and can help translate from Welsh. She wants to go back with them when they leave, they even lead her to believe they will take her.

The book highlights the diminishing population of the small islands around the British Isles. The younger ones may not want to continue the traditional way of life, mostly fishing. Then the researchers who portray this life don’t get it quite right either, sometimes purposefully. It’s a short book, could be read in just a few hours.

Review 455: Clear

Clear by Carys Davies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Initial short review:
A fairly short book, but powerful.
More thoughts on this one soon.

Fuller review:

An introspective novel set in the 1840s during the time of the clearances in Scotland. John, a minister who is part of the newly split Scottish Church, establishing the Scottish Free Church. Since this new church is poor John cannot provide for his wife Mary and takes on extra work, such as this job he agreed on, to remove the last tenant from a remote island, as it could pay well.

Shortly after arriving on the island John falls off a cliff. Ivar, the tenant finds him unconscious and brings him back to his home, helping to restore him back to health. Once awake it took some time for the two to understand each other, not only did John need to continue to heal, but they spoke different languages.

It’s a short novel and contains mostly thoughts of one or the other. We also get Mary, John’s wife, although she is not the main focus. I quite enjoyed her character and wished for more of her.

The book, the language is beautiful despite all of the hardship and upheaval. My initial thoughts were this was a powerful book and perhaps due to it being short, but after finishing it, I did want it to go on.

Review 97: Creatures

Creatures: A Novel by Crissy Van Meter
My rating:  3.5of 5 stars

This is a story about a woman who had utterly horrible parenting. Her dad is an alcoholic and drug user, actually makes his living my growing and selling a sought after strain of marijuana. Her mother has left, appears spontaneously but doesn’t stay long, nor often is in her daughter’s life. Yet somehow the two bonded. Another mother figure appears but even she doesn’t have the capacity to remain, but does something to help for a while. It’s surprising this woman, Evie, made something of her life. And it isn’t surprising she chooses a fisherman who is out at sea for weeks, or months, at a time to be her husband.

There feels like an undercurrent much stronger than the surface, but a rereading on my part would need to tease it fully out, and well, I didn’t enjoy the book that much. Certainly whales are at the center, and perhaps something about living on an island.

This book is a little bit odd, and not helped by the style. There is a constant shifting in time. You never quite know where in the timeline the story is from one paragraph to the other. Often it works, but sometimes not and it throws the reader, trying to place when, what is going on. If this is a book going to audio format I doubt it would work there, as you have less clues about the time shift.

If you’re someone who can enjoy pain in family dynamics and poor choices by parents, perhaps this will be a good book for you. The sentences can be beautiful at times, and that may be enough to carry you along.

Book rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.