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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This tale of a 57-year-0ld man, who is essentially a hermit living in a decrepit family home. His only companion is a one-eyed dog. The scarred, tailless dog is the only creature our nameless character interacts with. This is a sad tale told in beautiful prose.
I had both the e-book and the audio. I found the narration of the audiobook totally wrong for this story. The narrator is the same man who narrates the cozy Irish Country Doctor series. All I could think of when listening to this narration was the character Kinky Kinkead from the Country Doctor books. He read it as a sort of "happy clappy" story when it was a very literary and sad tale. I know there are forums here on GR that discuss favorite narrators. There aren't many male narrators who do Irish books. I will remind myself to always listen to a sample of the narration before buying an audiobook.
I had both the e-book and the audio. I found the narration of the audiobook totally wrong for this story. The narrator is the same man who narrates the cozy Irish Country Doctor series. All I could think of when listening to this narration was the character Kinky Kinkead from the Country Doctor books. He read it as a sort of "happy clappy" story when it was a very literary and sad tale. I know there are forums here on GR that discuss favorite narrators. There aren't many male narrators who do Irish books. I will remind myself to always listen to a sample of the narration before buying an audiobook.
4 stars for the beauty of the prose. 1 or 2 stars for the actual storyline. I nearly didn't finish this book, because it was so plodding, so painful to read for someone who prefers books full of interactions. However, the prose was so achingly gorgeous, the character so hauntingly broken, I persevered. (And, because I read it via audio, I could speed it up and read it in half the time).
It is worth a read to enjoy the prose, and the book did get better in the last chapter, but I much preferred the character study of a broken, curmudgeonly man that came via A Man Called Ove to this.
It is worth a read to enjoy the prose, and the book did get better in the last chapter, but I much preferred the character study of a broken, curmudgeonly man that came via A Man Called Ove to this.
I picked it up... got distracted by the season(s) and other books that had dates on the calendar. Even with the gaps in time, I never forgot about it or lost the thread.
Is it perfect? No. However, the “odd” point of view/conversation is part of what eventually makes it so special. The prose... lyrical/poetic.
BIG WARNING!!! if you need this to be a sweet man/dog story, back away and move along. If you are ok with a “smooshed together” Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time & Marley & Me... it will be worth the investment... awesome debut... can’t wait for more.
Is it perfect? No. However, the “odd” point of view/conversation is part of what eventually makes it so special. The prose... lyrical/poetic.
BIG WARNING!!! if you need this to be a sweet man/dog story, back away and move along. If you are ok with a “smooshed together” Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time & Marley & Me... it will be worth the investment... awesome debut... can’t wait for more.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From the very first page, I knew this book would not be a "happy" read, and, unsurprisingly it wasn't. I was, however, surprised by just how difficult it was to slog through.
There is much to recommend Spill Simmer Falter Wither--the writing is lovely. It is simple, effective prose that you can turn over in your head, savoring the bittersweet meaning, connecting to your own experiences. There is feeling here that is universal and beautiful; the sadness, loneliness and yearning are almost there for you to touch.
But of course, it is also this very realness that makes this book so difficult to dive into. Even though it is not a long book, I could only handle 30-40 pages every day and, most of the time, had to force myself to pick it back up. The plot is quite simple, the possible outcomes very sparse, so this is not a book that is read for action or adventure. It is a reflection, a glance beneath the well-made bed to the unwanted "mess" underneath. It is a story of a man who has spent his entire life alone, unloved, forgotten; it's a story of a friendship borne out of necessity and the spark of hope that it inspires.
In the end, nothing spectacularly new or earth-shattering is revealed; this book does not offer lessons, only another perspective.
There is much to recommend Spill Simmer Falter Wither--the writing is lovely. It is simple, effective prose that you can turn over in your head, savoring the bittersweet meaning, connecting to your own experiences. There is feeling here that is universal and beautiful; the sadness, loneliness and yearning are almost there for you to touch.
But of course, it is also this very realness that makes this book so difficult to dive into. Even though it is not a long book, I could only handle 30-40 pages every day and, most of the time, had to force myself to pick it back up. The plot is quite simple, the possible outcomes very sparse, so this is not a book that is read for action or adventure. It is a reflection, a glance beneath the well-made bed to the unwanted "mess" underneath. It is a story of a man who has spent his entire life alone, unloved, forgotten; it's a story of a friendship borne out of necessity and the spark of hope that it inspires.
In the end, nothing spectacularly new or earth-shattering is revealed; this book does not offer lessons, only another perspective.
Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume, published through Windmill Books, isn’t a type of book I would normally pick up. In fact, it was a surprise from my one-time order of a blind date with a book box. I put off reading it for a while because it’s a dog book. I never read dog books or watch dog movies because I know it’s going to be sad. Even if it’s a feel-good dog story, which this was most definitely not, you know something is coming. The dog dies, the human gets sick, the dog runs away, etc. And I just can’t handle it. But I’m trying to do a tbr challenge for October and the first prompt was a book with an animal so I decided to brave it.
It’s hard to describe the synopsis of Spill Simmer Falter Wither. The best I can do is say it’s about an isolated disabled previously-abused man adopting an isolated disabled previously-abused dog. The book is separated into the four seasons: Spill for spring, Simmer for summer, Falter for fall, and wither for winter. Throughout the book you get a glimpse into the man’s present and past and see his own twisted journey to how he loves this dog.
I’d give this book three stars. It probably deserves more, but I couldn’t deal with how sad this book was! It was a tear-jerker from page one. Plus, not much happens. It’s very character-driven, more about the thoughts and feelings of the disabled man, with the majority of book just stuck in observations of the world. Then, all of a sudden, a lot of twisted, bizarre, and borderline spooky things happen at the end. I think the pacing could have been better.
That being said, the descriptions and writing style in this book was beautiful. It really causes the reader to stop and reflect on their own lives and what they may have taken for granted. Descriptions of the environment and the way the seasons changed seemed reminiscent of the worlds of Thoreau and Rachel Carson. Everything was very visceral–from the gritty scenes to the beautiful ones.
One thing that bugged me throughout was that he kept giving his dog chocolate. Dogs can’t eat chocolate! And this dog never got sick from it! It’s a silly thing but it did annoy me.
If you’re someone that does like dog stories and needs a good sob right now, then I’d recommend this book. If you hate crying and abuse stories, steer clear of this book!
If you want to know more about the author, Sara Baume is an Irish novelist who has won many literary awards including the Davy Byrne’s Short Story award, the Kate O’Brien award, and the Hennessy New Irish Writing Award.
It’s hard to describe the synopsis of Spill Simmer Falter Wither. The best I can do is say it’s about an isolated disabled previously-abused man adopting an isolated disabled previously-abused dog. The book is separated into the four seasons: Spill for spring, Simmer for summer, Falter for fall, and wither for winter. Throughout the book you get a glimpse into the man’s present and past and see his own twisted journey to how he loves this dog.
I’d give this book three stars. It probably deserves more, but I couldn’t deal with how sad this book was! It was a tear-jerker from page one. Plus, not much happens. It’s very character-driven, more about the thoughts and feelings of the disabled man, with the majority of book just stuck in observations of the world. Then, all of a sudden, a lot of twisted, bizarre, and borderline spooky things happen at the end. I think the pacing could have been better.
That being said, the descriptions and writing style in this book was beautiful. It really causes the reader to stop and reflect on their own lives and what they may have taken for granted. Descriptions of the environment and the way the seasons changed seemed reminiscent of the worlds of Thoreau and Rachel Carson. Everything was very visceral–from the gritty scenes to the beautiful ones.
One thing that bugged me throughout was that he kept giving his dog chocolate. Dogs can’t eat chocolate! And this dog never got sick from it! It’s a silly thing but it did annoy me.
If you’re someone that does like dog stories and needs a good sob right now, then I’d recommend this book. If you hate crying and abuse stories, steer clear of this book!
If you want to know more about the author, Sara Baume is an Irish novelist who has won many literary awards including the Davy Byrne’s Short Story award, the Kate O’Brien award, and the Hennessy New Irish Writing Award.