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A review by bookmaddie
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Beautifully told with somewhat spare, yet poetic prose.
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What a book! And the beginning of my whale historical fiction reading (currently reading WILD AND DISTANT SEAS, maybe I’ll do WHALEBONE THEATRE next??).
This is a contemplative, poetic novel about a young woman in an isolated island community learning about how she wants to live. Does she leave the world she’s known her entire life for the promise of something new, or stay in a place that feels familiar and safe? With spare yet absolutely stunning language, O’Connor wonders at the strength it takes to make a new future, and about the traditions and stories you might leave behind.
Two scholars come to the island trying to capture the traditions of the community, adding a necessary tension to the story. Their introduction into the community brought the question of exploitation and glamorizing a story and people for their own benefit to the forefront of my mind.
This is just a stunning, masterfully written and composed story. O’Connor’s writing feels honest, yet magical, with every word falling where it should. This is the sort of character-driven novel I adore, and I only hope that O’Connor has more for us in the coming years.
-
What a book! And the beginning of my whale historical fiction reading (currently reading WILD AND DISTANT SEAS, maybe I’ll do WHALEBONE THEATRE next??).
This is a contemplative, poetic novel about a young woman in an isolated island community learning about how she wants to live. Does she leave the world she’s known her entire life for the promise of something new, or stay in a place that feels familiar and safe? With spare yet absolutely stunning language, O’Connor wonders at the strength it takes to make a new future, and about the traditions and stories you might leave behind.
Two scholars come to the island trying to capture the traditions of the community, adding a necessary tension to the story. Their introduction into the community brought the question of exploitation and glamorizing a story and people for their own benefit to the forefront of my mind.
This is just a stunning, masterfully written and composed story. O’Connor’s writing feels honest, yet magical, with every word falling where it should. This is the sort of character-driven novel I adore, and I only hope that O’Connor has more for us in the coming years.