Wyl Menmuir

This book is set in an isolated Cornish village, where a young villager, Perran, dies under unusual circumstances. Ethan is one of four remaining local fishermen and catches have become rare. He knew and liked Perran. Timothy is an outsider who, ten years later, purchases Perran’s dilapidated house in the village and plans to renovate it. As Timothy tries to integrate into the community, he discovers that the villagers are still haunted by the death of Perran. The atmosphere in the village show more is tense, and the villagers are secretive, making Timothy's attempts at connection challenging. Timothy is curious. He wants to know more about Perran and keeps asking unwanted questions.

The novel delves into themes of memory, guilt, loss, and the impact of environmental degradation. The atmosphere is eerie, and the story unfolds with a sense of foreboding. It is tinged with elements of folk horror and the supernatural. There are some events near the end where the real blends with the surreal, and an unanticipated event clarifies and changes the reader’s understanding of the storyline. I tend not to like “twists” like this that change everything that came before it. I ultimately found it strange and unsettling. Having said that, I would read another book by this author. show less

The Draw of the Sea by Wyl Menmuir offers the reader glimpses into the lives of the people Menmuir has known as well as into what makes the sea (or any large body of water for that matter) so compelling.

The portraits that comprise so much of this book, along with Menmuir's personal experiences throughout, draw the reader into a world (or worlds) where nature, in this case the sea, is an integral part of each person's identity. It isn't just about living near the water or working on the show more water, it is how life, of the person, the sea, and the community, all come together into a whole.

Particularly compelling is the way the reader is led to relate things to their own lives. If you've lived near an ocean or a major bay (as I have) or near any other natural formation that dominates all around it, you will likely find some parallels with some of the stories in the book. In fact, you may find yourself gaining a new perspective on things in your own life.

While I would recommend this to most readers who enjoy creative nonfiction, I would highly recommend it to people who have spent any significant time living near the water. In fact, I think those of us who have spent a fair part of our lives near water but now find ourselves more landlocked are the ideal readers. We will feel a bit of nostalgia while we learn about these kindred spirits.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

The Short of It:

Mysterious. Deep. A lot to chew on.

The Rest of It:

"On the surface, his move to the isolated village on the coast makes perfect sense. But the experience is an increasingly unsettling one for Timothy Bucchanan. A dead man no one will discuss. Wasted fish hauled from a contaminated sea. The dream of faceless men. Questions that lead to further questions. What truth are the villagers withholding?" ~ the publisher

Grief, loss, societal and environmental collapse. It’s all here show more in this short book, but what a punch it packs. Tim is suffering a great loss. He heads to an isolated coastal village to begin fresh. The house he settles on, has been abandoned for years; once belonging to a man whom no one speaks of. Why is this man’s name taboo? Whenever Tim tries to find out, he’s shut down and sometimes in a violent way. Harm to his person as well as the house he just bought.

He wants very much to make a home for his wife, but he doesn’t feel comfortable bringing her there without completely understanding what he’s dealing with. He has nightmares. The fishing boat he finds work on detracts from the horrible visions in his head but once he’s back on land, he plummets once again into a very dark place.

This story that can be interpreted in many different ways. I’m sure Menmuir knew which direction he wanted to go with it, but I refrain from sharing what I believe as it could be a spoiler for anyone wanting to pick up this obscure novel.

Did I enjoy it? It’s not a book to enjoy. It took a little time to get a feel for the writing but it’s very atmospheric and welling with meaning. It was shortlisted for a Man Booker. You know the type of novels that make that list. This is that. I found it to be quietly disturbing and while reading it, it haunted my thoughts and still does.

My book club discusses it in March. It’s no longer in print, which makes it difficult to find a copy but I managed to snag the ebook from the library.

Recommend.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter. show less

This short novel is set in an isolated English coastal village whose fishing industry has been all but completely eradicated, as larger ships have left its waters contaminated with chemicals that leave its fish unrecognizably mutated and half dead at best. One day the residents see smoke emerging from the chimney of an abandoned home, and they soon learn that a well-to-do Londoner, Timothy Buchannan, has purchased it, with the intent to renovate it as a vacation home for himself and his new show more wife. What Timothy does not know is that the house, which has been left vacant and untouched for a decade, was the home of Perran, a young man beloved by the villagers who died under mysterious circumstances and continues to be mourned by his neighbors. One of those still haunted by Perran's death is Ethan, an irascible fisherman who continues to fruitlessly ply his trade, while his fellow anglers leave their boats on dry land.

Timothy is viewed as an unwelcome visitor by the villagers, and Ethan is deeply troubled by his presence in Perran's house, as he serves as a reminder of the loss of the young man and the bountiful harvests from the sea that went away after his untimely death. The two men eventually form a tenuous bond on Ethan's boat, but Timothy's insistence on finding out what happened to Perran leads Ethan and the other villagers to turn against him. He refuses to heed their warnings to mind his own business, but his curiosity cannot be quenched, which leads to a climactic confrontation.

The Many blends a real to life novel with elements of a folk tale and an untold ghost story, with hidden symbolism and promises of revelations about Perran, Ethan and the other villagers. I found it to be a compelling and mysterious read, but ultimately it was an unsatisfying one. This is an interesting choice for this year's Booker Prize longlist, but I would be surprised and disappointed if it was selected for the shortlist in September. show less