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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
The more books I read by Sarah Moss, the more I love her writing! I heard someone say recently that The Tidal Zone was about death. I don't think it's about death, I think it's about life. It's about everything that has gone before and how we don't always follow in our ancestors' footsteps. The path isn't already marked out for us. Things happen, we have to adapt and we have our anxieties, but there is hope.
Reading vlog where I talk about my thoughts: https://youtu.be/-d137NWeLvQ
well this is one of the best books I have ever read
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can probably count on one hand the amount of books that I’ve reread in my life, and The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss is one of the few to have made that cut.
Our narrator, Adam, is a stay-at-home Dad struggling to piece together a sense of normality after an adverse event in his eldest daughter’s health. The uncertain, wary nature of the family’s adaptation to a “new normal” worked almost as a comfort blanket in the face of covid; Moss shows us that uncertainty has been the norm for centuries. Perhaps this resonated so highly with me because I, like Adam, take comfort in knowing that my struggle isn’t unique.
When I first read this, two years ago, I was just trying to get back into reading, and despite loving it I knew that I hadn’t truly appreciated all its beauty. Moss’ prose is some of the most skilful I’ve ever read, reading this felt like a masterclass in creative writing. I could sing this book’s praises all day and night, but if you’re looking for a novel that explores familial love, long term relationships, work-life balance, gender, politics, reconnecting with your roots, or even rants about the underfunding of the NHS, this has it all.
If you’re feeling in need of companionship in these trying times, consider picking up The Tidal Zone, I truly can’t recommend it highly enough.
Our narrator, Adam, is a stay-at-home Dad struggling to piece together a sense of normality after an adverse event in his eldest daughter’s health. The uncertain, wary nature of the family’s adaptation to a “new normal” worked almost as a comfort blanket in the face of covid; Moss shows us that uncertainty has been the norm for centuries. Perhaps this resonated so highly with me because I, like Adam, take comfort in knowing that my struggle isn’t unique.
When I first read this, two years ago, I was just trying to get back into reading, and despite loving it I knew that I hadn’t truly appreciated all its beauty. Moss’ prose is some of the most skilful I’ve ever read, reading this felt like a masterclass in creative writing. I could sing this book’s praises all day and night, but if you’re looking for a novel that explores familial love, long term relationships, work-life balance, gender, politics, reconnecting with your roots, or even rants about the underfunding of the NHS, this has it all.
If you’re feeling in need of companionship in these trying times, consider picking up The Tidal Zone, I truly can’t recommend it highly enough.
When you experience a personal tragedy it fills your whole world. You’re aware and empathize with the suffering other individuals have experienced in the past and continue to experience all over the world. But this knowledge is more likely to colour your daily existence rather than saturate it. How do you contextualize your personal loss without turning it into just another story like the many stories of heartache we read about every day in the news? Sarah Moss’ new novel “The Tidal Zone” has an astounding way of looking at a potential personal tragedy within one household and simultaneously shows how it is situated in the expansive tapestry of human experience. She does this writing in a way which is poetic, profound and filled with wry humour, but it’s also a story firmly grounded in the small details of real life.
Read my full review of The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss on LonesomeReader
I DETESTED the ghost wall by Sarah Moss, so I wasn't expecting anything much from this book to be honest.
It was a pleasant surprise then to actually kind of like this book. The helplessness of a family trying to find answers in a sprawling institution like the NHS spoke to some of my own experiences, and the characters anger their actions felt a lot more believable than in ghost wall.
It was a pleasant surprise then to actually kind of like this book. The helplessness of a family trying to find answers in a sprawling institution like the NHS spoke to some of my own experiences, and the characters anger their actions felt a lot more believable than in ghost wall.
Adam and Emma's 15 year-old daughter, Miriam, collapses at school and then spends weeks in hospital having tests to try to determine why. This novel was excellent on the impact of Miriam's illness on her parents' marriage, and on her sister Rose. We are privy to Adam's thoughts on how life will never be the same and on how much of the world lives with a far more immediate awareness of death.
There are also chapters on the bombing of Coventry Cathedral during WWII and on its subsequent rebuilding after 1950, since Adam is writing the text for an audioguide to the cathedral. I found these surprisingly interesting. The chapters about Adam's father's life in the US were perhaps less compelling.
Overall very thought-provoking and real.
There are also chapters on the bombing of Coventry Cathedral during WWII and on its subsequent rebuilding after 1950, since Adam is writing the text for an audioguide to the cathedral. I found these surprisingly interesting. The chapters about Adam's father's life in the US were perhaps less compelling.
Overall very thought-provoking and real.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good with a very interesting premise, but oh so achingly, cloyingly middle class. I can feel the chip on my shoulder itching even now.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars is more realistic.
This book was depressing and mundane, but also extremely real and (despite being a bit of a slog at times) captivating. Will definitely check out more of Sarah Moss' work.
This book was depressing and mundane, but also extremely real and (despite being a bit of a slog at times) captivating. Will definitely check out more of Sarah Moss' work.