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hoboken's review against another edition
1.0
Found buccmaster so unpleasant I stopped reading. I'm sure it was all very accurate, and life was absolutely horrible, esp the importance of material and social status, but since the author made up the language and said the protagonist's name wasn't realistic, I didn't really trust him not to be sensationalizing. The history of Saxon resistance to the Normans is a fascinating topic about which I know virtually nothing, but I think I'll try to learn it as history.
horanjack77's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time giving this book 3 stars because there are things I genuinely loved about it, but having now read it twice, I find that I enjoyed it less the second time reading it.
For context this book is set during the period of the Norman Conquest, and is written in a style meant to evoke the spirit of Old English if not it's exact study. This was incredibly done, and I found it to be far and away the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
However, Kingsnorth makes heavy effort to make this book realistically historical, which I can applaud. But the reality is that this is still a book meant for modern audiences, with modern values. So the actions of the main character Buckmaster can be troubling. Now I understand that to certain extent this is the point, but all the same, I found parts of the book genuinely difficult to read because of much of the main character's actions.
I fully recognize that this may be more of a personal preference, considering that I prefer more sympathetic protagonists, and I believe Kingsnorth to be an extremely talented author. However, despite the beautiful language I thought some of the events of the book at times made it less enjoyable.
For context this book is set during the period of the Norman Conquest, and is written in a style meant to evoke the spirit of Old English if not it's exact study. This was incredibly done, and I found it to be far and away the part of the book I enjoyed the most.
However, Kingsnorth makes heavy effort to make this book realistically historical, which I can applaud. But the reality is that this is still a book meant for modern audiences, with modern values. So the actions of the main character Buckmaster can be troubling. Now I understand that to certain extent this is the point, but all the same, I found parts of the book genuinely difficult to read because of much of the main character's actions.
I fully recognize that this may be more of a personal preference, considering that I prefer more sympathetic protagonists, and I believe Kingsnorth to be an extremely talented author. However, despite the beautiful language I thought some of the events of the book at times made it less enjoyable.
mariesreads's review against another edition
4.0
Original and compelling! The shadow tongue lends a lot to the sense of time and place, and Buccmaster is such a flawed and interesting character.
bookherd's review against another edition
4.0
The Wake is the story of one man's experience of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and its aftermath. Unfortunately, that one man is Buccmaster of Holland, a rageful bully, obsessed with his own status as an independent landowner in the Lincolnshire fens and with the pre-Christian gods of England. I say "unfortunately" because the major barrier to reading the book, for me, was intense dislike of this character. However, it was clear that Buccmaster's unlikeability was deliberate, so I kept reading.
Buccmaster and a ragtag band of survivors of the war set out to drive the French out of England. They hear rumors of other, similar groups of "green men" fighting the French, and they tell themselves that soon the whole country will rise up together and drive the French out. Buccmaster, as the leader of his little war band, is driven by visions of the old gods of England. One of the central tensions of the book, for me, was the beauty of Buccmaster's visions, the sympathy I could feel for those visions, contrasted with the brutality and ugliness of Buccmaster himself.
I expected to find the language of The Wake a bigger barrier than it was. The author, Paul Kingsnorth, created a not-quite Old English, with a pre-Norman vocabulary and spellings that would enable the reader to enter more fully into that past world. There is a helpful glossary for words that are likely to be completely unfamiliar, and, after a few repetitions, some words' meanings become obvious. Many other words look unfamiliar at first because of their spelling, but saying them aloud makes it clear what they are. After about 5 pages I understood the spelling conventions, recognized the most frequently used words and could find the glossary quickly when I needed it.
At the end of the book I didn't like Buccmaster any better, but I had a better understanding of him--and a conviction that this story was worth pondering. I'd love to discuss this book with someone, so if you read it, let me know.
Buccmaster and a ragtag band of survivors of the war set out to drive the French out of England. They hear rumors of other, similar groups of "green men" fighting the French, and they tell themselves that soon the whole country will rise up together and drive the French out. Buccmaster, as the leader of his little war band, is driven by visions of the old gods of England. One of the central tensions of the book, for me, was the beauty of Buccmaster's visions, the sympathy I could feel for those visions, contrasted with the brutality and ugliness of Buccmaster himself.
I expected to find the language of The Wake a bigger barrier than it was. The author, Paul Kingsnorth, created a not-quite Old English, with a pre-Norman vocabulary and spellings that would enable the reader to enter more fully into that past world. There is a helpful glossary for words that are likely to be completely unfamiliar, and, after a few repetitions, some words' meanings become obvious. Many other words look unfamiliar at first because of their spelling, but saying them aloud makes it clear what they are. After about 5 pages I understood the spelling conventions, recognized the most frequently used words and could find the glossary quickly when I needed it.
At the end of the book I didn't like Buccmaster any better, but I had a better understanding of him--and a conviction that this story was worth pondering. I'd love to discuss this book with someone, so if you read it, let me know.
ashsalt's review against another edition
3.0
My reactions to this book progressed from "That sounds rather odd, but let's try it anyway" through "Wow this is pretty good" and on to "That's it? Seriously?" The plot arc is more of a flat line. Time of death: about two-thirds in. The narrator's unreliability is intriguing at first but ultimately annoying because it leads to nothing meaningful, only a stale sort-of secret from his past. The "shadow language" meant to render Old English comprehensible for the average reader is compelling at first but later on just a slog, something slowing me down when I wanted to be done with the novel already.
That sounds pretty harsh for a three-star review, I suppose. There is a lot to like here. At its best moments, THE WAKE is an intriguing mix of familiar things. Equal parts Braveheart and [b:The Mists of Avalon|402045|The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)|Marion Zimmer Bradley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388857089s/402045.jpg|806813] with a generous amount of [b:Beowulf|52357|Beowulf|Unknown|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327878125s/52357.jpg|189503], a sprinkling of the video game Skyrim, and a fascinating reading experience that rivals [b:A Clockwork Orange|227463|A Clockwork Orange|Anthony Burgess|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348339306s/227463.jpg|23596]. It's a heady mixture for a while, but then it fizzles. Three stars though for the good parts even if I was disappointed in the end.
That sounds pretty harsh for a three-star review, I suppose. There is a lot to like here. At its best moments, THE WAKE is an intriguing mix of familiar things. Equal parts Braveheart and [b:The Mists of Avalon|402045|The Mists of Avalon (Avalon, #1)|Marion Zimmer Bradley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388857089s/402045.jpg|806813] with a generous amount of [b:Beowulf|52357|Beowulf|Unknown|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327878125s/52357.jpg|189503], a sprinkling of the video game Skyrim, and a fascinating reading experience that rivals [b:A Clockwork Orange|227463|A Clockwork Orange|Anthony Burgess|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348339306s/227463.jpg|23596]. It's a heady mixture for a while, but then it fizzles. Three stars though for the good parts even if I was disappointed in the end.
kteddycurr's review against another edition
5.0
I completely fell in love with this book. The pseudo-language is beautifully done, and after laboring through for about 40 pages, it becomes second nature.
The main character is so complex. And the ending...
Yeah. This was brilliant.
The main character is so complex. And the ending...
Yeah. This was brilliant.
lnthurman's review against another edition
4.0
The debut novel of British writer Paul Kingsnorth and a work of unique linguistic ambition, The Wake (2014) is a story that picks its way through the ashes and wreckage of England after the Norman invasions of 1066. When Buccmaster of Holland, a surly and domineering landowner from the English fens, finds his home and family destroyed by French “ingengas,” he sets out to claim his revenge. In Robin Hood fashion, Buccmaster picks up a small gang of guerilla fighters who adopt the English forests as both home and weapon, committing small acts of resistance wherever they can. But Buccmaster’s dispossession and troubled mind lead his band not to storied victory, but rather to unrest and infighting, and soon even their bravest and most reckless acts are rendered totally insignificant in the medieval post-apocalypse of Norman reign...
Read entire review here: https://lnthurman.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/the-wake-paul-kingsnorth/
Read entire review here: https://lnthurman.wordpress.com/2016/04/03/the-wake-paul-kingsnorth/
tigerproofrock's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A strange, fascinating book. Told in a hybrid of Old English and Contemporary English, with a very constrained vocabulary. Captures the sense of a primitive, distant England.
juno202's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
zmftimelord's review against another edition
4.0
What a cool read! If you love linguistics and a “rough and tumble” story, this is a challenging and rewarding read!