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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
The Witch Elm was such a great story. I know Tana French was a good writer because I enjoyed In the Woods, the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad and felt it was one of the more well written mystery books I’ve read. For some reason, I never continued the series and kind of lost track of how many books there were and the series thing stresses me out sometimes, but I always check her new releases to see if they are not part of that series because I really wanted to read another book of hers. It’s less stressful to pick up something else then to get involved in a whole series again, if that makes sense. Anyway, here we are. The Witch Elm is a standalone and I was so happy to dive in.
I’ll admit, the book is very very slow. The event mentioned in the synopsis (the finding of the skull) doesn’t happen until like 40 something percent through the book. At that point, I warned my book club since we were all reading it this month that it was slow and to just know that and be prepared. Not everyone can make it through slow books like this one where the biggest plot point takes forever to actually happen, but sometimes expectations make all the difference. (This is a problem often in the creepy/spooky/mystery/horror genre because, while I think that a character based slow book can be even better than an action oriented bump in the night horror because we get invested in the people involved, it can turn some people away who aren’t looking for all that extra work.)
Despite the slowness, I really loved the story. I loved getting to know the characters and understanding their lives because I think it made the last half of the book that much more enjoyable. I felt like I was immersed in the writing and every bit of the detail that I was given in the beginning mattered in the end, especially as the book was about Toby, who was for most of his life a very lucky guy. The memory loss added to the mystery because Toby was an unreliable narrator and I LOVE those.
“The thing is, I suppose,” he said, “that one gets into the habit of being oneself. It takes some great upheaval to crack that shell and force us to discover what else might be underneath.”
The Witch Elm was a book about people, identity, life, family, and secrets. It was extremely well written and captivating. I highly recommend it!
I’ll admit, the book is very very slow. The event mentioned in the synopsis (the finding of the skull) doesn’t happen until like 40 something percent through the book. At that point, I warned my book club since we were all reading it this month that it was slow and to just know that and be prepared. Not everyone can make it through slow books like this one where the biggest plot point takes forever to actually happen, but sometimes expectations make all the difference. (This is a problem often in the creepy/spooky/mystery/horror genre because, while I think that a character based slow book can be even better than an action oriented bump in the night horror because we get invested in the people involved, it can turn some people away who aren’t looking for all that extra work.)
Despite the slowness, I really loved the story. I loved getting to know the characters and understanding their lives because I think it made the last half of the book that much more enjoyable. I felt like I was immersed in the writing and every bit of the detail that I was given in the beginning mattered in the end, especially as the book was about Toby, who was for most of his life a very lucky guy. The memory loss added to the mystery because Toby was an unreliable narrator and I LOVE those.
“The thing is, I suppose,” he said, “that one gets into the habit of being oneself. It takes some great upheaval to crack that shell and force us to discover what else might be underneath.”
The Witch Elm was a book about people, identity, life, family, and secrets. It was extremely well written and captivating. I highly recommend it!
Significantly slower-paced than her other work.
** 1/2. Here are some of the criteria I use to judge whether a mystery/thriller is good: A) did the story keep me involved and absorb me in the characters and setting without unnecessary baggage? B) did the ultimate denouement make sense - both in terms of the motivations of the characters and realism and C) While making sense, did this ending actually surprise and yet satisfy me?
For The Witch Elm, the answer to A and B is "kind of." The answer to C is "no."
First though, I admire the ambition behind this book. In addition to its mystery plot, it meditates on luck, privilege, power, and identity, although sometimes to the point of heavy-handedness in describing the main character's descent from up-and-coming twenty-something with a great career and a wonderful girlfriend to a lonely former mental patient who has murdered a police detective. Although well-written, the plot moves very slowly. It takes a good third of the book to get to the actual witch elm, before which time the smell of jasmine (and other smells - sour milk, sterile hospital etc.) is recalled entirely too frequently. On the other hand, I did finish it in a couple days. But that was largely out of boredom and long commutes.
Given the amount of time I invested in Uncle Hugo's passion for genealogy and Toby's gallery mishaps and Melissa's irritatingly perfect smiles, I was really hoping the payoff would be worth it. I don't think it was. This brings me to the question: What is it with mysteries/psychology thrillers told from the standpoint of narrators whose alcoholism/mental collapses/accidents/brain damage etc leave them unreliable to the point of frustration? I feel this trick represents laziness on the part of the author. I'm sorry, but I have trouble believing that one would potentially have garroted a friend, stashed his body in a tree, and not remembered it ten years later even if one had been beaten up in the mean time. Yet Toby spends a good part of the book apparently believing he might have done just that. At least in Witch Elm the unreliable narrator in question is not a woman. SO MANY CRAZY FEMALE NARRATORS IN THESE BOOKS. To follow that, I have a hard time believing some 18-year-old girl, no matter how smart, could have planned this murder with the meticulous nature of Susan - who is introduced to us as smart but not like a child genius originally - nor that one's uncle would have watched a body being put into a tree presumably by one's beloved nieces and nephews, hidden in in YOUR backyard, and not said anything to them or anyone else. Like WTF type of family is this? The fact that we discover all this and still have several chapters to read - during which time Toby explodes and kills the lead detective - was a bit anti-climactic. And, yes, I realize that is because this book is supposed to be less about the witch elm itself and more a parable about luck a la the Greeks. BUT STILL. It was so discouraging to me to be like "okay, well, guess it was Susan. Kind of thought so" and then see how much I still had left to read.
To be fair, there are few thrillers that I think do a truly good job of being both surprising and interesting at the same time. But this just wasn't one of them.
For The Witch Elm, the answer to A and B is "kind of." The answer to C is "no."
First though, I admire the ambition behind this book. In addition to its mystery plot, it meditates on luck, privilege, power, and identity, although sometimes to the point of heavy-handedness in describing the main character's descent from up-and-coming twenty-something with a great career and a wonderful girlfriend to a lonely former mental patient who has murdered a police detective. Although well-written, the plot moves very slowly. It takes a good third of the book to get to the actual witch elm, before which time the smell of jasmine (and other smells - sour milk, sterile hospital etc.) is recalled entirely too frequently. On the other hand, I did finish it in a couple days. But that was largely out of boredom and long commutes.
Given the amount of time I invested in Uncle Hugo's passion for genealogy and Toby's gallery mishaps and Melissa's irritatingly perfect smiles, I was really hoping the payoff would be worth it. I don't think it was. This brings me to the question: What is it with mysteries/psychology thrillers told from the standpoint of narrators whose alcoholism/mental collapses/accidents/brain damage etc leave them unreliable to the point of frustration? I feel this trick represents laziness on the part of the author. I'm sorry, but I have trouble believing that one would potentially have garroted a friend, stashed his body in a tree, and not remembered it ten years later even if one had been beaten up in the mean time. Yet Toby spends a good part of the book apparently believing he might have done just that. At least in Witch Elm the unreliable narrator in question is not a woman. SO MANY CRAZY FEMALE NARRATORS IN THESE BOOKS. To follow that, I have a hard time believing some 18-year-old girl, no matter how smart, could have planned this murder with the meticulous nature of Susan - who is introduced to us as smart but not like a child genius originally - nor that one's uncle would have watched a body being put into a tree presumably by one's beloved nieces and nephews, hidden in in YOUR backyard, and not said anything to them or anyone else. Like WTF type of family is this? The fact that we discover all this and still have several chapters to read - during which time Toby explodes and kills the lead detective - was a bit anti-climactic. And, yes, I realize that is because this book is supposed to be less about the witch elm itself and more a parable about luck a la the Greeks. BUT STILL. It was so discouraging to me to be like "okay, well, guess it was Susan. Kind of thought so" and then see how much I still had left to read.
To be fair, there are few thrillers that I think do a truly good job of being both surprising and interesting at the same time. But this just wasn't one of them.
Couldn’t make it past the second chapter. I can’t tell if the author was writing for stupid people or she herself is dense. Either way, dumpster.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Couldn’t put down from start to finish. Even the things I thought seemed a bit cliche and predictable Tana French gave thought-provoking nuance to. A murder mystery where the murder may be the least important part of the whole plot.
Tana French’s mastery for making me care about sexist mediocre men is a true testament to her skill as a writer. I left the Witch Elm with so many questions, the most haunting of course, being: what makes us who we are, if anything? What do we value about ourselves?
Tana French’s mastery for making me care about sexist mediocre men is a true testament to her skill as a writer. I left the Witch Elm with so many questions, the most haunting of course, being: what makes us who we are, if anything? What do we value about ourselves?
I read it in one day but I think this is because I started it in the afternoon and then I found that I didn't exactly want to sleep without knowing the answer or if it was going to get spooky.
I’ve been trying to read this book for over a month and I just can’t keep trying. All of the characters are unlikeable. The plot is going nowhere. It’s so slow, boring and meandering that reading it is a self-inflicted purgatory. DNF
I know this got mixed reviews, but I'm never sad to be sucked into Tana French's world. Interesting to be on the other side of a detective novel this time, although I would have loved to read one of the twists at the end from the detective's point of view - definitely did not see that coming! Overall great read.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes