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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A post everything world, a man, if he exists, wanders broken through the wreck of a British upland. He follows or is followed by a cat, if it exists.
The writing is broken, like poetry, or someone talking in a fever.
The world is harsh, gives nothing, it's empty and unclear.
I had to read entire sections a number of times. The way the language flows without too much formal structure means you can lose your way, retrace your steps, find a different meaning. Exactly as the narrator does.
The writing is broken, like poetry, or someone talking in a fever.
The world is harsh, gives nothing, it's empty and unclear.
I had to read entire sections a number of times. The way the language flows without too much formal structure means you can lose your way, retrace your steps, find a different meaning. Exactly as the narrator does.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i can completely understand why some people don't like this book. that said, i really enjoyed it!
it did take me a month to read, and there were days i picked it up and didn't have the patience for the story or the main character, but ultimately i think it was... i suppose satisfying is the best word?
not really a spoiler, more just a vibe:one of the reviews on my copy from the library mentioned how it's a really good look at loneliness, and i really agree.
and, as a character study, this book excels, in my opinion.
edited to add: i did also think the stylistic choices used in this book worked well with the plot!
it did take me a month to read, and there were days i picked it up and didn't have the patience for the story or the main character, but ultimately i think it was... i suppose satisfying is the best word?
not really a spoiler, more just a vibe:
and, as a character study, this book excels, in my opinion.
edited to add: i did also think the stylistic choices used in this book worked well with the plot!
Im not sure what happened, but I guess this is what happens when an over-confident straight white man decides to be an author.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This felt like a story that Kingsnorth could have kept to himself because it feels pretty personal. Maybe one day I'll read it again and try to glean more meaning. Likely not.
This edition features a quote from a review that – had I not heard of Kingsnorth before – would have single-handedly convinced me to pick it up. It goes: "Like Robert Macfarlane rewritten by Cormac McCarthy." Dang.
This edition features a quote from a review that – had I not heard of Kingsnorth before – would have single-handedly convinced me to pick it up. It goes: "Like Robert Macfarlane rewritten by Cormac McCarthy." Dang.
The Wake is one of my all time favorite reading experiences, so I had high hopes for this. I think that was a disadvantage, because while this was a fascinating read, it wasn't in the same league as The Wake for me. The connection between the two books is pretty light - they're both about someone named Buccmaster, and they're both about a dude who loses his mind when he can't control his life or his immediate surroundings anymore? I admit, that's being deliberately flippant - there's more to it than that, but it's hard to pin down. I enjoyed this fever dream of a book, but I'm also glad it wasn't longer. I'll be reading book 3 of the trilogy soon, and I'm excited to see what it's like!
I would consider this an experimental novel. And like any experiment, some are not successful. I liked the author’s first book, The Wake, but that had a plot to it and creative use of language. Kingsnorth plays with punctuation and capitalization here, but to what end I don’t know. Perhaps he wanted to see what he could write while on acid. I really don’t know.