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A review by michellewatson
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
5.0
Fancy review here: https://bookdevotions.com/book-reviews-april-2022
Where did this book come from?! And why am I just finding it now? This novel hits on all my literary loves. Disclaimer: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Juliet Stevenson, who is flat-out amazing. I'm 100 percent sure that I liked this book better because of her performance. Having said that...
The setup: There's a tavern situated on the banks of the Thames in, oh, the late 1800s? One night, a half-drowned man stumbles into the pub with a dead 4-year-old girl in his arms. The girl inexplicably comes back to life. It's not long before three different parties claim her as their own. Who is this girl, and to whom does she belong?
This book is part mystery, part family drama, part fairy tale.
Mostly, it's about stories and how we use them. We use stories (true and false, factual and fictional) in many ways. We use them to entertain and connect. We use them to deceive and manipulate. We punish ourselves because of them and reward ourselves, too.
What makes a good story? What makes a true story? What's the difference between reality and a story? This book brings these questions to the table and offers answers in the form of—yep—stories.
The river is, obviously, a metaphor for "narrative," propelling the action forward, sometimes serenely, sometimes wildly, and always outside human control. The river is where all the book's critical action takes place. It's both a giver and destroyer of life, and it's ever-changing and mysterious.
Honestly, put this book in classrooms. Give it to book clubs. It deserves rereading.
Where did this book come from?! And why am I just finding it now? This novel hits on all my literary loves. Disclaimer: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Juliet Stevenson, who is flat-out amazing. I'm 100 percent sure that I liked this book better because of her performance. Having said that...
The setup: There's a tavern situated on the banks of the Thames in, oh, the late 1800s? One night, a half-drowned man stumbles into the pub with a dead 4-year-old girl in his arms. The girl inexplicably comes back to life. It's not long before three different parties claim her as their own. Who is this girl, and to whom does she belong?
This book is part mystery, part family drama, part fairy tale.
Mostly, it's about stories and how we use them. We use stories (true and false, factual and fictional) in many ways. We use them to entertain and connect. We use them to deceive and manipulate. We punish ourselves because of them and reward ourselves, too.
What makes a good story? What makes a true story? What's the difference between reality and a story? This book brings these questions to the table and offers answers in the form of—yep—stories.
The river is, obviously, a metaphor for "narrative," propelling the action forward, sometimes serenely, sometimes wildly, and always outside human control. The river is where all the book's critical action takes place. It's both a giver and destroyer of life, and it's ever-changing and mysterious.
Honestly, put this book in classrooms. Give it to book clubs. It deserves rereading.