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slewis_16 's review for:
Reservoir 13
by Jon McGregor
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I’m surprised by how much this book has stayed with me after I finished it. The story starts with people coming together to search for a missing girl, but the book is really about the village in the subsequent 13 years after the event. Each chapter is a year in the life of the village and surrounding countryside. The missing is mentioned occasionally but the majority of the narrative is brief sketches of people and relationships. These vignettes are immersed in the rhythms of the natural world across the seasons, from bird migrations to bats entering and leaving hibernation, foxes mating and growing up and butterflies spawning in the fields. It reminded me of the nature chapters in Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, which I know are divisive. If you found those frustrating then this book isn’t for you. It also made me think of Lanny by Max Porter with its plot around a missing child, the impact of the village and the folk tale style of storytelling.
Although I found the book frustrating at times, I did find myself relating to the characters and the impact of the passage of time on relationships. It’s caught me at a particular time in my life when some relationships are fading while others are starting fresh. By the end, I found it moving. The effect is subtle, and I can’t say I loved this book, but I’m pleased I read it.
Although I found the book frustrating at times, I did find myself relating to the characters and the impact of the passage of time on relationships. It’s caught me at a particular time in my life when some relationships are fading while others are starting fresh. By the end, I found it moving. The effect is subtle, and I can’t say I loved this book, but I’m pleased I read it.