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A review by ruthiella
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann
4.0
Definitely this was a “State of the Nation” novel for early 21st century America. The unnamed narrator catalogs her fears and anxieties: school shootings, movement to the political far-right, crumbling infrastructure, industrial pollution, factory farming, cruelty to animals, cruelty to people….along with the her more personal worries about her children, her husband, her now-deceased parents, etc. It is unfair, however, to categorize the book as a set of repetitive lists or uncontrolled thoughts. There is a story in it, the reader just has to be patient enough to wait for it. And I found the prose had an amazing rhythm to it, once I got going.
I admit, I did not like the dream re-tellings in the book. I understand that every word in this very long book is intentional but other people’s dreams are boring to read about – both in real life and in fiction. My other piece of criticism is the constant correction of the subject of a clause as shown below:
“the fact that Edward was brave, and smart, the fact that an adult mouse can have a friendship with a human child, the fact that maybe he was cold and hungry, or thirsty, the crazy mouse, not Edward”
This could just be me, of course, but I don’t make grammatical clarifications about the subject of a sentence in my internal monologues. I know what I am thinking about. But the book is replete with these clarifications and every time they happened irritated me. And it happens a lot.
But that aside, the book is a work of genius and would definitely become a richer experience upon re-reading. Not for everyone, but I personally found it worth reading and am glad I persevered.
I admit, I did not like the dream re-tellings in the book. I understand that every word in this very long book is intentional but other people’s dreams are boring to read about – both in real life and in fiction. My other piece of criticism is the constant correction of the subject of a clause as shown below:
“the fact that Edward was brave, and smart, the fact that an adult mouse can have a friendship with a human child, the fact that maybe he was cold and hungry, or thirsty, the crazy mouse, not Edward”
This could just be me, of course, but I don’t make grammatical clarifications about the subject of a sentence in my internal monologues. I know what I am thinking about. But the book is replete with these clarifications and every time they happened irritated me. And it happens a lot.
But that aside, the book is a work of genius and would definitely become a richer experience upon re-reading. Not for everyone, but I personally found it worth reading and am glad I persevered.