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A review by eyeowna
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[March 24 2024] Going back and leaving a review for my favorite read of 2022 because I'm reading Armfield's collection salt slow and having big feelings about her writing.
On the surface level this is a horror novel about the deep sea. But really it’s about the horror and grief of watching someone you love waste away. And it’s gay as hell.
I've never had real coherent thoughts about this novel despite recommending it to anyone who can listen. All I can really say is that reading it gave me the cathartic sensation of crying without actually crying (too busy reading the beautiful prose). There's not much plot, but I love a book that is mostly just vibes if the prose, atmosphere, characters, and themes all ring true. And Armfield does those things so so well.
On the surface level this is a horror novel about the deep sea. But really it’s about the horror and grief of watching someone you love waste away. And it’s gay as hell.
I've never had real coherent thoughts about this novel despite recommending it to anyone who can listen. All I can really say is that reading it gave me the cathartic sensation of crying without actually crying (too busy reading the beautiful prose). There's not much plot, but I love a book that is mostly just vibes if the prose, atmosphere, characters, and themes all ring true. And Armfield does those things so so well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror