The Thorn and the Blossom

A bit ho-hum. A less than compelling tale (a variant of the Gawain legends) of lovers thwarted by sorcery, psychiatry and their own maladroit hearts. The writing, while pleasant, lacks the grace and wit of her shorter stories, particularly the lovely The Rapid Advance of Sorrow, Sleeping with Bears, and The Singing of Mount Abora. Much has been said (generally favourable) about the design of this book: it’s a concertina, or accordion, book, and tells two versions of the story, from each character’s POV. When you finish reading one version, you simply flip it around and begin again. Beautiful, yes, but distractingly impractical.

I do like my Kindle, and after having owned it for ten months and using it extensively I would not want to miss it. And while it is extremely convenient and very much to be preferred over most physical books which these days are more often than not badly designed, badly bound and badly printed in a miniature font that gives you a headache after ten minutes of reading, there still are (and likely will remain) some things that simply cannot be done with an e-book.

The Blossom and the Thorn has a leporello binding, meaning that it is a book that does not have a spine but whose pages fold out like an accordion. I seem to remember having read in an interview with the author that it was her publisher who came up with the idea of producing a show more book in that style and suggested it to Theodora Goss who apparently liked the idea. The Blossom and the Thorn, a novella of approximately 2×40 pages, is the result and its central subject matter of star-crossed lovers fits the physical form of the book perfectly, presenting each lover’s story on one side of of the fold-out, their stories so close to each other as to almost touch, but still forever separated by the tiniest margin with the thickness of a single piece of paper.

There have been two-sided stories like this before, the most famous one being probably E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Lebensansichten des Katers Murr, or more recently Mark Z. Danielewski’s Only Revolutions, which also illustrates the double-sidedness of its narrative by means of the book’s physical form, although in the much more common version of a tête-bêche binding.

Presenting the story in a leporello binding is as far as I know unique, and Theodora Goss’ ingenuity transforms what could have been a cheap gimmick into something strikingly significant, the sensual representation of an abstract concept. And it is not just the lovers, there is a host of similar close-but-separate pairings to be found spread throughout the text – past/present, scholarship/poetry, United Kingdom/United States, the two different versions of the Gawain and the Green Knight, to name just a few – they form a leporello of their own, strung together and arranged in a fold-out by the novella. As simple as the story in itself is, it is marvelously structured, and the writing possesses the unostentatious lyricism one finds in folk tales and legends. Because of the density of its form and imagery, The Blossom and the Thorn did not feel short to me at all, despite of it being not many pages long and despite its immense readability which had me quickly turn (flip? fold?) the pages. But there is so much happening on so many levels that there are more wonderful things to discover on a single page here than in many a doorstopper Epic Fantasy novel.

This is not just a cerebral writing exercise, though, but the stories of Evelyn and Brendan are tender and touching, are very human even with all their mythopoetic resonances. The ending is not quite a Happy Ever After, but it is not bleak either, ending on a guardedly hopeful note for both characters. There is an emotional honesty about the novella that blends into the way it tightly interweaves its few fantastic elements with its firm realistic grounding – this is no wish-fulfillment fantasy, but shows that the mythic enhancement of everyday life does come at a cost, and leaves it quite open whether it is worth paying that price or not. show less

The Thorn and the Blossom uses an accordion binding so that there is no "spine" to the book. The front cover is the back cover and when you get to the end of one side, you can flip the page and be right back at the beginning of the next part (where the last page is actually part of the cover). There's no real reason that the book requires an accordion binding - it could have been done in many other ways, as used with dual-language books or two-in-one bookclub affairs where you turn the book upside down and back to front for the second story - but Quirk Books's choice gives the whole thing a special air of something I can't quite put my finger on, but which works very well with the story inside.

The story itself is brief, totaling just show more about 80 pages altogether, but it doesn't really feel short. It is exactly as long as it needs to be to tell of the bittersweet romance between Brendan and Evelyn. Both characters are medieval scholars and interested in the tale of Gawain and the Green Knight and the Cornish variation that Brendan grew up knowing. This poem plays a large part in the story, which suggests that maybe it isn't an invention but perhaps playing out through the modern lovers. Both of them do have visions which could be straight out of the poem, after all.

I loved that haunting element, the wondering whether these visions and the poem's influence are real. Either way, the curse within it does seem to echo into Evelyn and Brendan's reality, keeping them apart even when they continue to drift back together. There is no conclusive ending or happy ever after, but with the shadow of the curse and Gawan poem, it is perhaps all the better that way.

I may have included some plot spoilers in my comments about the book, in which case I apologise if I've ruined anything! I daresay that knowing these plot bits won't destroy the enjoyment of reading the story, though. I'd known more than a few details and found that it hardly mattered, as no spoilers could mess with the deft way that Goss wove the tale or destroy the shimmery magic feeling of the reading.

The Thorn and the Blossom is a beautiful book and well-done in every way. Even the woodcut-style illustrations on either side of the hard cover pages add to the delight in the book, though "delightful" might not be the best word for something so bittersweet. show less

This was a lovely modern fairy tale, a love story that manages to evoke Anglo-Celtic myth -- it draws directly from Arthurian legend -- and create a sweet, lyrical atmosphere, while at the same time immersing itself in contemporary culture, or at least contemporary academic culture.

In a way, this is a fairy tale that is tailor made for the twenty-first century English professor. It is a swift read, taking barely more than an hour, which seems a balm to attention spans that have suffered under too much reading at either extreme. It offers up two bookish, academic characters who fall into love parallel to a myth and over a book (literally as well as figuratively), with the requisite complications and separations. It pulls together show more settings of Oxford, Cornwall, and a small southern liberal arts college, all of which are powerful tropes within the literary tribe.

And, lastly but perhaps most importantly, Goss' book is itself a representation of how remarkable a physical book can be. Its dual-sided, accordion-fold binding allows the reader to observe the story from two distinct perspectives: read Evelyn's story by starting at one end, then flip the book over to read Brendan's, or vice versa. The feel of the book in one's hand -- light, but sturdy -- and the temptation to draw up the covers and observe the folds of the pages make this a reading experience rooted in physicality. Even drawing the book out of its charming slipcover, and then placing it back in at the close, is a satisfying act.

With its old-fashioned tone and literary consciousness, as well as with its tangible design, this book reminds the reader of what a real book ought to be. For that alone, I think it is worth picking up. For me, however, since it represents all the dreams of my professional tribe in one slim volume, it is worth much more. Recommended, especially for people who are a lot like me. :) show less

One cannot discuss The Thorn and the Blossom and not discuss the book’s format. Reading it takes some adjustments, as without a traditional spine, it is all too easy to let the book open up completely, exposing all of its accordion pages. Once a reader gets the hang of holding the book and reading it, the format itself disappears, allowing the reader to focus on the story itself.

Reading such a two-sided novel is especially appealing to readers who always wondered what other characters were thinking or feeling. Ms. Goss takes that guesswork away from readers but does so in such a way that readers will not be disappointed. Certain scenes from Evelyn’s perspective suddenly make more sense when seen through Brendan’s eyes and vice show more versa. This is especially important given how short each story is. Only so much can be stated within 41 pages, so Evelyn’s and Brendan’s individual stories help fill the gaps that by necessity are left due to their story’s brevity.

That being said, one cannot help but wish that the individual stories were longer. Ms. Goss’ ability to draw pictures with words is marvelous, and her descriptions are absolutely luscious. There is so much potential within either character’s world that it seems an absolute tragedy to have the individual stories abbreviated to such an extent. The gaps in time and the lack of fully-fleshed characters do the story itself a disservice, although the fact that a reader feels this lack so keenly is a testament to just how effective the story is given its current constraints.

The Thorn and the Blossom is a creatively-presented story that packs quite a punch within its few pages. Evelyn and Brendan are extremely likable and sympathetic, and their struggles to find happiness touch a reader’s heart with surprising swiftness. The two stories balance each other perfectly and make it the type of novel that one can read and re-read in order to catch every nuance, hint, and explanation that rounds out the story in its entirety. While the story itself could certainly be told in a more traditional format, bouncing between perspectives, the accordion pages make The Thorn and the Blossom a fun and effective alternative.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to Eric Smith from Quirk Books for my review copy! show less

The first thing I noticed about this book was the unique physical structure of it. Rather than the traditional bound book, it was an accordion, with Evelyn's story on one side, and Brendan's on the other. It made for a bit unwieldy reading but it perfectly conveyed that the stories were two sides of the same piece.

The story is a simple and short one: boy meets girl. But there is an undertone of something fantastical which the reader is never quite sure is real or not - but does it really matter?

I started with Evelyn's story, and then continued on with Brendan, which introduced the fantastical earlier. I wish I could erase my memory and start again with Brendan and then Evelyn, because I think it might give just a different experience. show more Each story fills in gaps of the other and reveals some things that make the other perspective make sense.

The story ends before you find out if the two characters will ultimately end up together. The scene is ripe for them to do so, but it would be still a satisfying ending if they were not. show less

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written and hauntingly romantic read. It is a very short read, but the way the book is put together is interesting and unique.

Evelyn has been haunted by hallucinations of fairies and other fantastical things much of her life. Then she decides to spend a summer in a small English village and meets Brendan in a bookstore. The two get along famously until Evelyn starts to see things again and flees. Throughout the years Evelyn and Brendan are drawn together and torn apart; many parallels are drawn between their story and the story of Sir Gawain. When read from one side you get Evelyn's perspective on the story, when read from the other show more side you get Brendan's. I read Evelyn's side first.

This is a short but sweet novel. It is put together in a creative way. The book is bound in an accordion fashion. This way is you read it from one side you get Evelyn's story; if you flip it around and read it from the other side you get Brendan's story. The book comes in a nice box which is great since the book isn't the most stable with its accordion type of binding. The strange binding does make it a bit awkward to hold; but the book is short enough that it isn't that bad.

I am a big fan of Goss's novellas and short stories; her writing is always haunting and beautiful with touches of magic and many literary references. This book is similar to previous works I have read of hers. The writing is absolutely beautiful and creates wonderful imagery. The story is haunting and romantic. Evelyn is constantly fighting her visions and dreamy nature trying to make something of her life like her parents want her to. Evelyn is strong in some ways and a coward in others. Brendan is a similar character.

I love all of the literary references and love how their relationship echoes the ancient Gawain story. There is a bit of magic throughout and you can't help but wonder if possibly Evelyn and Brendan are maybe these ancient lovers finally reborn.

There is some ambiguity in the story as well, things are left fairly open-ended. Again this is pretty typical of Goss. I enjoyed it and was left to wonder what the future could hold for this kind-of-a-couple. The story it beautiful, bittersweet, and haunting all at once.

Reading the same story twice but from different perspective was interesting. Goss did an excellent job of echoing some conversations but also including different experiences in each retelling. Basically something that Evelyn would gloss over in her account, Brendan would go into in detail. It showed how each character was impacted by their daily interactions with each other.

Overall I really loved this book. I loved the beautiful writing, the subtle magic, and the literary references. I loved the haunting romance and the star-crossed quality to their relationship. It was a quick read, but a very enjoyable one. I would recommend to readers who love a beautiful and haunting romance with a touch of magic. There is some ambiguity to the story as well. It all reminded me a bit of Catherynne Valente or Elizabeth Hand's early works. If you enjoy this book also check out Goss's short story collection In the Forest of Forgetting. show less