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pipparature 's review for:
Elmet
by Fiona Mozley
I found this book quite challenging to read. It's beautifully written, especially in description, some of the passages were wonderful and I found myself lingering over them and trying to absorb every word. This makes for quite a slow moving narrative and I did struggle to decide when this book was taking place, which meant it took me a while to read it and to actually decide if I liked the book.
As the story unfolded I initially felt sure that the book was set in a dystopian future but, this gradually switched to a realisation that the family are living now but they are off-grid, part of a particular subculture which means they keep away from the wider population and towns and cities. This was quite surprising and changed the way I thought about the book, it actually made it more thought provoking and more interesting to me.,
14 year old Daniel is our narrator and we see the events of the book through his eyes. At times I found myself questioning the authenticity of his voice. He seems to bounce around between a bit young for his age (which can be explained by the lifestyle they lead), and occasionally almost adult in his views. I actually think his Sister Kathy was the more interesting character and I would have liked to have seen through her experiences more.
As a debut novel this is a very accomplished book which really deserved the inclusion on the Booker shortlist, it is lyrical and atmospheric and I would read more by her.
As the story unfolded I initially felt sure that the book was set in a dystopian future but, this gradually switched to a realisation that the family are living now but they are off-grid, part of a particular subculture which means they keep away from the wider population and towns and cities. This was quite surprising and changed the way I thought about the book, it actually made it more thought provoking and more interesting to me.,
14 year old Daniel is our narrator and we see the events of the book through his eyes. At times I found myself questioning the authenticity of his voice. He seems to bounce around between a bit young for his age (which can be explained by the lifestyle they lead), and occasionally almost adult in his views. I actually think his Sister Kathy was the more interesting character and I would have liked to have seen through her experiences more.
As a debut novel this is a very accomplished book which really deserved the inclusion on the Booker shortlist, it is lyrical and atmospheric and I would read more by her.