Reviews with content warning for Blood - Under the Pendulum Sun

This book was such a surprise! It’s fabulously atmospheric and has some profound insights underneath its layers.
People have called it slow, but I thought it was full of mystery and suspense; even when it stagnated a bit, it was always fascinating enough to draw me back to it. It’s gothic and dreamlike and heavily influenced by the Bronte sisters. Arcadia is breathtaking and Ng’s descriptions of the fae are wonderfully decadent.

The story was very clever, though I did sometimes feel that “clever” was a bit of a shallow tone for the plot to take in a book that is otherwise so unafraid of the inexplicable and the grotesque. It’s pretty much the only thing holding the book at 4 stars for me; somehow it struck me as both pat and unresolved. But we needed the tight plot as an anchor, I suppose, or we’d float around Arcadia until we rot, just like sea whales.

Under the Pendulum Sun is deeply entwined with Christianity, but it felt, to use Pam Grossman’s words, ‘reverently irreverent.’ To use Donna Haraway’s words, it is “more faithful as blasphemy is faithful, than as reverent worship and identification. Blasphemy has always seemed to require taking things very seriously.” As a non-Christian from a Catholic culture, I don’t exactly turn to scripture for guidance, but there are a few topics that Christian ideas have impacted for me forever—forgiveness among them. I always thought of forgiveness as something applied to the past: you are forgiven (or you forgive yourself) for “sins” over and done with. Yet as I realized recently in conversation with a friend, that doesn’t really leave room for imperfection. This book reminded me that it is more powerful to face the darkness as it is happening, as it is a part of me, and to be aware of it without expecting myself to evolve overnight. Forgiveness is ongoing.

As you may have worked out by now, some knowledge of Genesis and other major Bible passages will be helpful when reading, but I found the book engaging even as someone with only a cursory knowledge of the Bible.

Under the Pendulum Sun is not for everyone; it is unsettling. There are some pretty disturbing plot developments and the characters are not likeable a lot of the time. They face a darkness that is deep and for a lot of readers it will be ugly. This discomfort is deliberate. I thought it was absolutely worth it, but if you’re worried, maybe check out some spoiler reviews to make sure you’re ready.

I seriously contemplated putting this book on my favourites shelf. It will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to reading what Ng will put out next.

(Also, A+ cover!)

Content Warnings

mandkips's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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