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deea_bks's review
5.0
4.5*
What an excellent read! Every single word counts in this novella endorsed by one of my favourite writers, Jon McGregor.
*****
"He'd had to go through so many possessions, things that exploded smally with memories over the last few weeks; but it was the opposite with the ashes. He was trying to hold away the fact that they knew nothing of what they were."
*
"The kayak jumps a little over the brief waves bouncing around the point, the sea seeming to goose-bump for a moment, as if cold air goes across it."
*
"The smell of the sweater triggers something, but it is like a piano key hitting strings that are gone.
What an excellent read! Every single word counts in this novella endorsed by one of my favourite writers, Jon McGregor.
*****
"He'd had to go through so many possessions, things that exploded smally with memories over the last few weeks; but it was the opposite with the ashes. He was trying to hold away the fact that they knew nothing of what they were."
*
"The kayak jumps a little over the brief waves bouncing around the point, the sea seeming to goose-bump for a moment, as if cold air goes across it."
*
"The smell of the sweater triggers something, but it is like a piano key hitting strings that are gone.
harryach's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
shoba's review against another edition
3.0
He thought of the land, the rock. He was gone now beyond any
sense of danger to a blank expectant place…. He knew he was going then. He knew.
A toffee of blood, a whip of kelp used to slap the waves, slipping off the world, watching the hairs on the arm move back and forth under water like seaweed….
The language is vivid and the observations deceptively simple. The plot is hazy, but I didn’t care. I just followed the man in the kayak, out further into the water.
sense of danger to a blank expectant place…. He knew he was going then. He knew.
A toffee of blood, a whip of kelp used to slap the waves, slipping off the world, watching the hairs on the arm move back and forth under water like seaweed….
The language is vivid and the observations deceptively simple. The plot is hazy, but I didn’t care. I just followed the man in the kayak, out further into the water.
anblott's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
bjr2022's review against another edition
5.0
This is a tiny masterpiece (92 pages with plenty of empty space in them) and possibly the most immediately visceral book I’ve ever read. How on earth did Cynan Jones write this without firsthand experience of being hit by lightning and adrift in the ocean? I cannot imagine how anybody could write this, yet it inspires me as a writer to discover my own depths in a new way.
I am so glad that an audio book of this does not exist, and it never should. This is a story and voice that you need to hear reverberating inside your own head. You need to experience the blank spaces in the text of this book and reread sentences and sections, letting them go down slowly. All of it contributes to the remarkable feeling of being subsumed by Nature in a journey into the loss of everything.
7/24/18 Update
I purchased a copy of this after reading the library book, and I just reread it. It is even more powerful the second time--when you know the story and can make more sense of the out-of-chronological-time events. I'm astounded. This is a book I'll return to whenever I need a certain kind of fix: good, pure, pithy perfection.
I am so glad that an audio book of this does not exist, and it never should. This is a story and voice that you need to hear reverberating inside your own head. You need to experience the blank spaces in the text of this book and reread sentences and sections, letting them go down slowly. All of it contributes to the remarkable feeling of being subsumed by Nature in a journey into the loss of everything.
7/24/18 Update
I purchased a copy of this after reading the library book, and I just reread it. It is even more powerful the second time--when you know the story and can make more sense of the out-of-chronological-time events. I'm astounded. This is a book I'll return to whenever I need a certain kind of fix: good, pure, pithy perfection.
funaek's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely not for me. This was a little too sparse for my taste.
vcmc's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written, sparse tale. Simple language, yet with a poetic voice. The meaning is elusive and comes and goes with the man’s consciousness. A wonderful book.
bibliokyra's review against another edition
4.0
Cove is the hauntingly beautiful story of a man who travels out to sea in a kayak to scatter the ashes of his father. A lightning storm approaches and the kayaker is struck by lightning. Suddenly, he wakes up with the realization that he lost his memory, he is partially paralyzed and in unknown waters.
The readers are granted an intimate glimpse inside the mind of the unnamed protagonist, his battle of survival and clash with the power of nature. The writing in this story is phenomenal, poetic and entrancing. Filled with symbolism and purpose, this lyrical novella will not easily be forgotten.
Thanks so much to Catapult Books for providing me with a copy of Cove for the Little Free Library!
The readers are granted an intimate glimpse inside the mind of the unnamed protagonist, his battle of survival and clash with the power of nature. The writing in this story is phenomenal, poetic and entrancing. Filled with symbolism and purpose, this lyrical novella will not easily be forgotten.
Thanks so much to Catapult Books for providing me with a copy of Cove for the Little Free Library!