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maiajanssen's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
sugarbear's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
thetaryntheory's review against another edition
4.0
You can see my full review on my blog here: tarynslibrary
O'Connor's debut novel is nothing short of stellar. It is lyrical yet simple. I really love the way it is written. The writing is atmospheric and so lovely. Whale Fall is a beautiful blend of coming-of-age and coming-to-terms (with grief).
The novel centers around 18 year old Manod who lives on a (fictional) Welsh island with her lobster fisherman father, peculiar younger sister, and their family dog. Her dreams surpass island life and she imagines a life on the mainland. O'Connor provides us with a smattering of Manod's inner emotions but the majority of her actions truly account for how she feels and exists in her world. The ritualistic mundane day-to-day of the island is interrupted by the arrival of a whale washed up on their shore. With it's arrival comes two English ethnographers, Joan and Edward, to document the island life and publish it into a book.
Proficient in English, the ethnographers select Manod to assist them with translation. What starts as a exciting means to leave the island slowly morphs into something more questionable. She finds herself enthralled with her employers - but finds that the bond sours and perhaps she was not as valued as she had first assumed to be.
Strewn into this excellent narrative are themes of grief, heartache, yearning, the desire to partake in something bigger than one's own self, and exploitation.
I listened to this as an audiobook. It is fairly short (about 4 hours-ish) but it hits every mark.
O'Connor's debut novel is nothing short of stellar. It is lyrical yet simple. I really love the way it is written. The writing is atmospheric and so lovely. Whale Fall is a beautiful blend of coming-of-age and coming-to-terms (with grief).
The novel centers around 18 year old Manod who lives on a (fictional) Welsh island with her lobster fisherman father, peculiar younger sister, and their family dog. Her dreams surpass island life and she imagines a life on the mainland. O'Connor provides us with a smattering of Manod's inner emotions but the majority of her actions truly account for how she feels and exists in her world. The ritualistic mundane day-to-day of the island is interrupted by the arrival of a whale washed up on their shore. With it's arrival comes two English ethnographers, Joan and Edward, to document the island life and publish it into a book.
Proficient in English, the ethnographers select Manod to assist them with translation. What starts as a exciting means to leave the island slowly morphs into something more questionable. She finds herself enthralled with her employers - but finds that the bond sours and perhaps she was not as valued as she had first assumed to be.
Strewn into this excellent narrative are themes of grief, heartache, yearning, the desire to partake in something bigger than one's own self, and exploitation.
I listened to this as an audiobook. It is fairly short (about 4 hours-ish) but it hits every mark.
beanqueen's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
juliaki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
grace_curtiss's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
justasillygirl04's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
maddischro's review against another edition
4.0
Whale Fall is a very impressive debut with beautiful prose and a quiet yet interesting story. It is told in small vignettes that transport the reader back in time. I can definitely see my rating going to five stars as I take some time and reflect on this novel. There isn't much action and the plot meanders but that is precisely what makes the atmosphere come alive. If you're craving an old-fashioned English isle vibe, this is the book for you. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who needs a break from modernity.
Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for this ARC!
Available: May 7th, 2024
Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for this ARC!
Available: May 7th, 2024
eyeowna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars, maybe a 5 if I think about it enough. I loved this novel! I read most of it in one day.
Whale Fall is a slow, quiet, vivid novel. In the late 1930s, on the cusp of another world war, the body of a whale washes up on the shore of a small Welsh island. We follow 18 year old Manod from the island’s small fishing community when, after the arrival of the whale, two English ethnographers turn up to write a book about the island.
I loved Manod as a narrator. She’s smart and observant. She’s very caring to her family but in a realistic way—heavy responsibility was put on her shoulders very early. She has her own desires. Sometimes she swallows her own wants to care for her younger sister. In other ways she will not budge. You can also see how her understanding of the world is limited because she doesn’t know much beyond the island. And yet when another character calls her naive, you feel that in many ways that other character is more naive than Manod.
The environmental beauty and culture on the island is tied together with the harsh realities of living in an isolated rural community. The throughline of the decomposing whale was just cool. The ethnographer characters are almost funny but also very much not in how they totally romanticize and misinterpret island life and the islanders. They made my teeth gnash together. Even so, I enjoyed the inclusion of some of their ethnographic notes into the novel, so maybe I’m just as bad re: the romanticization.
I plan to reread this novel later to pay more attention to the writing style. I think this would be a great book to study for craft.
Whale Fall is a slow, quiet, vivid novel. In the late 1930s, on the cusp of another world war, the body of a whale washes up on the shore of a small Welsh island. We follow 18 year old Manod from the island’s small fishing community when, after the arrival of the whale, two English ethnographers turn up to write a book about the island.
I loved Manod as a narrator. She’s smart and observant. She’s very caring to her family but in a realistic way—heavy responsibility was put on her shoulders very early. She has her own desires. Sometimes she swallows her own wants to care for her younger sister. In other ways she will not budge. You can also see how her understanding of the world is limited because she doesn’t know much beyond the island. And yet when another character calls her naive, you feel that in many ways that other character is more naive than Manod.
The environmental beauty and culture on the island is tied together with the harsh realities of living in an isolated rural community. The throughline of the decomposing whale was just cool. The ethnographer characters are almost funny but also very much not in how they totally romanticize and misinterpret island life and the islanders. They made my teeth gnash together. Even so, I enjoyed the inclusion of some of their ethnographic notes into the novel, so maybe I’m just as bad re: the romanticization.
I plan to reread this novel later to pay more attention to the writing style. I think this would be a great book to study for craft.