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cro777 's review for:
O Caledonia
by Elspeth Barker
4.5 stars.
What a strange and funny and sad story. It starts with a murdered 16-year old Janet dressed in her mother's black lace dress (this isn't a spoiler, it's literally the first few sentences of the book). The story takes us through Janet's upbringing in a cold Scottish castle and the coming of age of a strange and intelligent girl that loves animals and the subjunctive, who doesn't fit into her world in any sense. I've never read a book where you start with the murder of a young person and then as you read the story of the before, never lose hope for the character even though you know she is dead.
Janet is really the only character in this book that I liked. She is the epitome of misunderstood, misanthropic, and someone born in the wrong time/place. There is a lot about Janet that is easy to connect with and I think this is what makes this book as powerful as it is. Don't get me wrong, this is a hidden gem that you never hear about but the people that have read it and liked it, was because of Janet. This book has a TON to say about society and cultural ideals/values of the time and you could easily break it down chapter by chapter but for now I'm just basking in the afterglow of a good story (albeit sad) and the creation of a character that is so darn likable and melancholy. RIP Janet, your jackdaw isn't the only creature missing you today.
What a strange and funny and sad story. It starts with a murdered 16-year old Janet dressed in her mother's black lace dress (this isn't a spoiler, it's literally the first few sentences of the book). The story takes us through Janet's upbringing in a cold Scottish castle and the coming of age of a strange and intelligent girl that loves animals and the subjunctive, who doesn't fit into her world in any sense. I've never read a book where you start with the murder of a young person and then as you read the story of the before, never lose hope for the character even though you know she is dead.
Janet is really the only character in this book that I liked. She is the epitome of misunderstood, misanthropic, and someone born in the wrong time/place. There is a lot about Janet that is easy to connect with and I think this is what makes this book as powerful as it is. Don't get me wrong, this is a hidden gem that you never hear about but the people that have read it and liked it, was because of Janet. This book has a TON to say about society and cultural ideals/values of the time and you could easily break it down chapter by chapter but for now I'm just basking in the afterglow of a good story (albeit sad) and the creation of a character that is so darn likable and melancholy. RIP Janet, your jackdaw isn't the only creature missing you today.