WinterwoodPatrick McCabe
Perhaps delayed reviewing is making me a more demanding reviewer, one not so easily pleased. Had I reviewed McCabe's Winterwood immediately after finishing it, I'd probably rate it more highly. Some time has passed, however, and I'm finding myself pretty disappointed by the book.
Winterwood is narrated (unreliably, as soon becomes clear) by Redmond Hatch, who returns to his Irish village seeking to uncover local legends and traditions. There he finds "Auld Pappie Ned," just the man to help Redmond remember all that he seeks to find -- and all that he'd rather keep hidden, as well.
The novel moves both forward and backward in time, and as the novel progresses we simultaneously anticipate Ned's final revelation as well as our narrator's own little surprise.
Unfortunately, it was pretty clear from the beginning where the book was headed, and although a few elements were truly surprising, the heart of the novel was too easily anticipated, leaving me feeling more than a little unsatisfied. The inside jacket describes this book as a "rare hybrid of literary fiction and the most terrifying thriller; not since Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian has there been a story of such horror combined with writing of such beauty."
Hm.
Literary fiction? Absolutely.
Terrifying thriller? Welll...thriller, yes. Terrifying, no.
But as beautiful and horrible as Blood Meridian!?!?
Good day, sir. I said GOOD DAY.
Winterwood is narrated (unreliably, as soon becomes clear) by Redmond Hatch, who returns to his Irish village seeking to uncover local legends and traditions. There he finds "Auld Pappie Ned," just the man to help Redmond remember all that he seeks to find -- and all that he'd rather keep hidden, as well.
The novel moves both forward and backward in time, and as the novel progresses we simultaneously anticipate Ned's final revelation as well as our narrator's own little surprise.
Unfortunately, it was pretty clear from the beginning where the book was headed, and although a few elements were truly surprising, the heart of the novel was too easily anticipated, leaving me feeling more than a little unsatisfied. The inside jacket describes this book as a "rare hybrid of literary fiction and the most terrifying thriller; not since Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian has there been a story of such horror combined with writing of such beauty."Hm.
Literary fiction? Absolutely.
Terrifying thriller? Welll...thriller, yes. Terrifying, no.
But as beautiful and horrible as Blood Meridian!?!?
Good day, sir. I said GOOD DAY.
this ugly whatchacallit clearly agrees
In a nutshell: Disturbing, yes, but ultimately disappointing.
Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars
Bibliolatry Scale: 3 out of 6 stars
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