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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-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
Just the sort of Gothic themed book I love. The humour had me laughing out loud.
dark
sad
medium-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
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
dark
funny
reflective
sad
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For me, "O Caledonia" seems defined by its intentional incompleteness. From the outset, we know that the book ends with its protagonist's murder at 16; and yet, her death in the last half page feels so sudden--and somehow so unexpected--that, through it, Barker seems to be saying just as much as she does in the preceding 187 pages. What is the intent of such an abrupt ending? Is it to convey the brutal and immediate violence of men (and society writ large) as a force against non-conformity, to conveniently end the novel while symbolically demarcating the termination of one's youth, something else? It reminded me a lot of the end of "The Magic Mountain," by Thomas Mann--a (much longer) novel that also ends suddenly with the protagonist's death upon entering adulthood (and which, in doing so, comments on the futility of war).
The novel's abrupt ending is a double-edged sword--it works well (and I liked it), but it cuts the reader off from a book that feels like it's just starting to find its place. Barker is a good writer. Dark, a little weird, distinct. A slug found in a salad is squelched under a plate. 44. The perhaps inconsequential difference between forgetfulness and forgiveness is considered in passing. 106. The joy of discovering a new word-stillicidium--is immediately displaced by the absence of someone with whom to share that joy. 111. A jackdaw named Claws that, rather than saying, "Nevermore," says "Never mind." The book is skillfully understated--small scenes, small thoughts, that pack a lot.
In an Introduction to the most recent edition of the book, Maggie O'Farrell writes that "O Caledonia" is difficult to place in terms of genre--not bildungsroman, not YA, not gothic. I both disagree and agree. On the one hand, the novel seems to fit squarely into that group of non-conforming, misfit coming-of-age movies/books (e.g., Rushmore, Ladybird, Ham on Rye). But, on the other hand, its ending really puts it into its own genre--transforming it from a dark coming-of-age novel, to (arguably) a much darker commentary on how society can keep us from coming of age.
The novel's abrupt ending is a double-edged sword--it works well (and I liked it), but it cuts the reader off from a book that feels like it's just starting to find its place. Barker is a good writer. Dark, a little weird, distinct. A slug found in a salad is squelched under a plate. 44. The perhaps inconsequential difference between forgetfulness and forgiveness is considered in passing. 106. The joy of discovering a new word-stillicidium--is immediately displaced by the absence of someone with whom to share that joy. 111. A jackdaw named Claws that, rather than saying, "Nevermore," says "Never mind." The book is skillfully understated--small scenes, small thoughts, that pack a lot.
In an Introduction to the most recent edition of the book, Maggie O'Farrell writes that "O Caledonia" is difficult to place in terms of genre--not bildungsroman, not YA, not gothic. I both disagree and agree. On the one hand, the novel seems to fit squarely into that group of non-conforming, misfit coming-of-age movies/books (e.g., Rushmore, Ladybird, Ham on Rye). But, on the other hand, its ending really puts it into its own genre--transforming it from a dark coming-of-age novel, to (arguably) a much darker commentary on how society can keep us from coming of age.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Deliciously bleak and grim. Loved this! 🖤
“It seemed to her then that the nature of Caledonia was a pitiless nature and her own was no better.”
Confession: I love tragic stories. The more times a book gut punches me, the happier I am. And if the ending is terribly sad, I’m thrilled. Which means O Caledonia is the perfect book for someone whose bookish heart is as cold and cruel as mine.
The book opens on the corpse of a girl dressed in black lace. It is sixteen-year-old Janet, lying in a pool of blood after having been murdered.
If you’re wondering what happened to her, fear not, for you will know by the end. But first, Elspeth Barker takes us back in time to the day of Janet’s birth. She then escorts us through a coming-of-age story that spans the tumultuous years of Janet’s life leading up to the moment when she is murdered.
Barker has crafted a world that is dreary and foreboding, and my little black heart loved it! Think dead orchards and colorless skies, whipping winds and deepening shadows, rotting boards and decaying animal corpses. There is very little light to be found in Janet’s world, which makes her tragic coming-of-age story a suitable spooky season read.
Even though I felt the second half of this book slowed a little, I loved the first half and could not look away from the final pages. Cannot recommend this book highly enough if you love lyrically written tragic tales about forlorn children.
“It seemed to her then that the nature of Caledonia was a pitiless nature and her own was no better.”
Confession: I love tragic stories. The more times a book gut punches me, the happier I am. And if the ending is terribly sad, I’m thrilled. Which means O Caledonia is the perfect book for someone whose bookish heart is as cold and cruel as mine.
The book opens on the corpse of a girl dressed in black lace. It is sixteen-year-old Janet, lying in a pool of blood after having been murdered.
If you’re wondering what happened to her, fear not, for you will know by the end. But first, Elspeth Barker takes us back in time to the day of Janet’s birth. She then escorts us through a coming-of-age story that spans the tumultuous years of Janet’s life leading up to the moment when she is murdered.
Barker has crafted a world that is dreary and foreboding, and my little black heart loved it! Think dead orchards and colorless skies, whipping winds and deepening shadows, rotting boards and decaying animal corpses. There is very little light to be found in Janet’s world, which makes her tragic coming-of-age story a suitable spooky season read.
Even though I felt the second half of this book slowed a little, I loved the first half and could not look away from the final pages. Cannot recommend this book highly enough if you love lyrically written tragic tales about forlorn children.
challenging
reflective
medium-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
Poetic language and incredible writing