A review by bu77trout
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very interesting love story mixed up with a psychological thriller of sorts. Following two narrators, the protagonist and her wife (you decide which is which I guess). One narrator, Leah, is stranded at the bottom of the ocean with a small crew in a research submarine. She tries to describe the experience of their descent into darkness, total isolation and madness. The other narrator, Miri, faces the aftermath of the mission, having to care for and cope with her love who has been changed beyond recognition by her experience which appears both traumatic and somehow spiritual. Both narrators delve into their memories of each other, their families and lives creating a rich background for the story. The chapters are named for and take the perspective of each narrator in turn in what becomes a very interesting duologue that crosses temporal boundaries. The book is also divided into sections mirroring the vertical zones of the ocean from sunlight zone to the hadal zone. There seems to be a synergy between these zones and the events on the ship as told by Leah but also the deterioration of the protagonist couple's relationship and well-being in Miri's narration. There is a sort of unexpected magic realism to the story as well. Quite enjoyable overall, an easy read and though mostly character driven, I kept wanting to know the next chapter. If I have one criticism it's that the tertiary characters are interesting and I would have liked to see more of them, but the story isn't ultimately about them, so I take that as an intentional choice.
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