Scan barcode
A review by betweenbookends
Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates
4.0
Cardiff, by the Sea is a collection of 4 suspenseful, atmospheric, gothic novellas by Joyce Carol Oates, previously unpublished, and now put together in this new collection. The thematic link tying all four novellas are the protagonists, vulnerable young women, coerced or under the control of men, compromised in some way or the other and trying to defend themselves against threats known and unbeknownst to them. Oates style is quite sparse, spare and sharp, adding to the tenseness of the narrative. The narration is in the third person but you are often privy to the inner dialogue and thoughts of the central character, and you find yourself trapped in their heads, just as much as the character is trapped in an uncomfortable, threatening situation.
In the title novella, Cardiff by the Sea, a young woman is bequeathed a mysterious inheritance that gradually throws light on the very shadowy, violent and traumatic past of her family. In Miao Dao, a young girl struggling to fit in finds companionship with a wild feral cat that ultimately becomes her saviour and protector. In Phantomwise: 1972, a brilliant and studious university student has an unplanned pregnancy and takes comfort and refuge in the care of a much older male professor. In the closing story, The Surviving Child, a young woman marries an older widower with a young son, while the memories of the first enigmatic wife who took her own life, plague and haunt her. It reads like a rework of Rebecca with a fairytale twist but completely original and mysterious in its own right.
JCO is a truly prolific writer, having just recently learned that she has authored 70 works. 70 works! So she certainly has a huge catalogue to choose from. There might be other works that might be a better introduction to her work, but I started here and I really liked it. I would highly recommend it, particularly for later on in the year, if you want something atmospheric and gothic for dark autumn nights, this would be perfect.
In the title novella, Cardiff by the Sea, a young woman is bequeathed a mysterious inheritance that gradually throws light on the very shadowy, violent and traumatic past of her family. In Miao Dao, a young girl struggling to fit in finds companionship with a wild feral cat that ultimately becomes her saviour and protector. In Phantomwise: 1972, a brilliant and studious university student has an unplanned pregnancy and takes comfort and refuge in the care of a much older male professor. In the closing story, The Surviving Child, a young woman marries an older widower with a young son, while the memories of the first enigmatic wife who took her own life, plague and haunt her. It reads like a rework of Rebecca with a fairytale twist but completely original and mysterious in its own right.
JCO is a truly prolific writer, having just recently learned that she has authored 70 works. 70 works! So she certainly has a huge catalogue to choose from. There might be other works that might be a better introduction to her work, but I started here and I really liked it. I would highly recommend it, particularly for later on in the year, if you want something atmospheric and gothic for dark autumn nights, this would be perfect.