A review by callum_mclaughlin
Moss by Klaus Modick, David Herman

2.0

An ageing botanist returns to his family’s countryside home to reflect on his life and career. Though the novel promises to explore our bond with the natural world, for me it lacked direction, never managing to transcend psychobabble to find any emotional core, thematic resonance, or narrative intrigue. Presented as though our narrator’s diary, the book reads largely like scientific nonfiction, and sadly this didn’t help with the already dry tone. There is also a frankly bizarre scene involving child molestation towards the end that felt completely unearned and unnecessary.

On a more positive note, I did like the notion that language will never do justice to the beauty of nature, and that pursuing exhaustive understanding of something can lessen our appreciation for its simple wonder. There are a few nicely written passages peppered throughout, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect to this in any meaningful way.

Thank you to the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.