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cmlawson93's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
shanaqui's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Fourth Island is a fascinating book which is clearly frustrating for a lot of people who want a story that goes from A to B to C, and comes to a solid conclusion. For me, it read like the author started with the idea of the Aran sweater whose pattern nobody recognised, and then explored from there -- how could such a thing come to be? And what does that mean?
In the end, if you want a solid answer -- this thing happened for that reason -- then it's somewhat unsatisfying. It's not clear how each character who ends up on the Fourth Island gets there, why they're chosen and not others. In part it reads like it's questioning that: why are some people saved and not others? That is how our world works, and we always crave to know why and see a higher purpose in it, but here Tolmie makes it small: why would people be chosen to come to this tiny island when lost? And does that have a weight on the world, a cost?
It's not a traditional fantasy story, for sure; I guess you could say it's magic realism. There's some beautiful writing in it, and I was totally absorbed in the mystery of it, without needing it to also give me the answers.
In the end, if you want a solid answer -- this thing happened for that reason -- then it's somewhat unsatisfying. It's not clear how each character who ends up on the Fourth Island gets there, why they're chosen and not others. In part it reads like it's questioning that: why are some people saved and not others? That is how our world works, and we always crave to know why and see a higher purpose in it, but here Tolmie makes it small: why would people be chosen to come to this tiny island when lost? And does that have a weight on the world, a cost?
It's not a traditional fantasy story, for sure; I guess you could say it's magic realism. There's some beautiful writing in it, and I was totally absorbed in the mystery of it, without needing it to also give me the answers.
nalunas's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3 1/2. Five stars to the entire Nellie story.
lewis_fishman's review against another edition
4.0
This book is something different. The prose carries you under, like the deep tides under the surface, and doesn't let you go until you finish the book. This is a gorgeous exploration of personhood and despair.
erinbrenner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A lovely, quiet mystery involving a hidden island and an Aran sweater, this novella looks at the lost and what despair can do to us.
verkisto's review
4.0
I love the language and the atmosphere of this story, and I love how succinctly Tolmie writes. She uses few words, but evokes everything she wants you to experience with those few words. She's a poet, though, so she's probably used to performing this trick.
The thing is, since she's a poet, she's also using the story as an allegory for something. I wish I could put my finger on what it is. I liked the setting and the imagery, and the idea of an island that collects the lost tickles my fancy, but by the end of the book, I wasn't sure what she was trying to tell me. I can see this being a good book for a book club, as it would raise a lot of discussion in that regard.
This is probably more like a 3.5-star book for me, but I've rounded up because the good was very good, and outweighed the obtuseness of the ending.
The thing is, since she's a poet, she's also using the story as an allegory for something. I wish I could put my finger on what it is. I liked the setting and the imagery, and the idea of an island that collects the lost tickles my fancy, but by the end of the book, I wasn't sure what she was trying to tell me. I can see this being a good book for a book club, as it would raise a lot of discussion in that regard.
This is probably more like a 3.5-star book for me, but I've rounded up because the good was very good, and outweighed the obtuseness of the ending.
blackmetalblackheart's review against another edition
3.0
The Fourth Island is not the kind of book where there is a set character focus or story being told. It winds in and out of various lives to tell the tale of the island as a whole, and how it relates to the inhabitants and their connections off the island. Tolmie does an excellent job of creating a lively narrative that gracefully flows from point to point. I love the concept, but I will be the first to admit that I struggle with works that do not feel like they have a beginning, middle, and end. That should not detract others from enjoying this novella. There is a lot here to like.
detailsandtales's review against another edition
4.0
In this quiet, beautiful story, I feel like the islands are the main characters: both Innis Mor and the fictional fourth Aran Island, Innis Caillte. I've visited one of the Aran Islands on a day trip as a tourist, so I had some sense in my mind of what the setting looks like in real life, which only added to my experience of this story which is at once quiet, sad and beautiful. I also appreciated the different characters' perspectives, and how they made new lives for themselves together. I was intrigued by the experience of one character in particular, who is deaf on Innis Mor, but then gains hearing when she appears on Innis Caillte. I appreciate that this is disruptive to her, and that she has to make a huge adjustment, and even misses her deafness. And I like the new relationship with language that she develops.