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A review by deedireads
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
I found The Sweetness of Water to be easy to sink into, a compelling story. I’m not sure I would have put it on the Booker longlist, myself, but I did like it. (PSA: It’s not a queer story, as the cover blurb suggests.)
For you if: You like historical fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
I read The Sweetness of Water because it was longlisted for last year’s Booker Prize. It was one I was most eager to read, particularly because the cover blurb positioned it as a partially queer novel set during American reconstruction. Unfortunately, this is a significant mischaracterization. Fortunately, I was warned beforehand and was able to go into the reading experience without that errant expectation.
The story is about two brothers, recently freed from the institution of slavery, who find themselves in the woods of George and Isabel Walker, who are white. (Minor spoiler ahead.) When their son, against all odds, returns from the Civil War, it sets off a violent chain reaction that leaves our characters’ lives overturned, and exposes just how far their town still has to go.
I read this book in just a few sittings — I sank into it easily and found myself swept up in first the characters, then the story (as the first and second halves of the book seem to focus on those things one at a time, respectively). The prose, too, is beautifully written. I think it had some interesting things to say about masculinity and deciding to speak up for what you feel to be right even when you know it’s the self-destructive thing to do. That said, as many of my fellow book club members expressed, the reader is left uncertain what Harris’s thesis is — because if it’s the obvious one, we remained a bit unconvinced.
All in all, a solid read if you need something compelling, although I’m note sure I’d have put it on the Booker list myself.
TL;DR REVIEW:
I found The Sweetness of Water to be easy to sink into, a compelling story. I’m not sure I would have put it on the Booker longlist, myself, but I did like it. (PSA: It’s not a queer story, as the cover blurb suggests.)
For you if: You like historical fiction.
FULL REVIEW:
I read The Sweetness of Water because it was longlisted for last year’s Booker Prize. It was one I was most eager to read, particularly because the cover blurb positioned it as a partially queer novel set during American reconstruction. Unfortunately, this is a significant mischaracterization. Fortunately, I was warned beforehand and was able to go into the reading experience without that errant expectation.
The story is about two brothers, recently freed from the institution of slavery, who find themselves in the woods of George and Isabel Walker, who are white. (Minor spoiler ahead.) When their son, against all odds, returns from the Civil War, it sets off a violent chain reaction that leaves our characters’ lives overturned, and exposes just how far their town still has to go.
I read this book in just a few sittings — I sank into it easily and found myself swept up in first the characters, then the story (as the first and second halves of the book seem to focus on those things one at a time, respectively). The prose, too, is beautifully written. I think it had some interesting things to say about masculinity and deciding to speak up for what you feel to be right even when you know it’s the self-destructive thing to do. That said, as many of my fellow book club members expressed, the reader is left uncertain what Harris’s thesis is — because if it’s the obvious one, we remained a bit unconvinced.
All in all, a solid read if you need something compelling, although I’m note sure I’d have put it on the Booker list myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Grief
Minor: War, Homophobia, and Death