I purchased this last year when The Many was long listed for the ManBooker Prize. So, I'm a little late here BUT that is one more book off my Kindle I can count as read.

In this short offering, Menmuir tells the atmospheric and almost spooky story of a man come to a strange fishing village to start over, to prepare a house for his wife who is perpetually about to join him throughout the story, to make sense of the village, of the inhabitants and of the memory of the man who used to live in the house he now looks to improve.

I think there was obvious talent here: as I mentioned it's very atmospheric. The book feels dreamy and lazy and invokes the mystery of the sea and of small towns. It is heavy with grief. Unfortunately, I found that it almost because too heavy and thick for what was a pretty simple plot, especially as Menmuir leads us along to what ultimately becomes the reveal (ish) for what's really going on. Up until the "twist" the whole plot really is "who is Perran?" and "wow, this village folk are weird." I didn't really care for a lot of it, and pulled myself through reading because it was short and I was making lots of progress during sittings.

Then comes the end. I feel like I had an idea that Timothy lost a son and then it kind of all felt like OF COURSE THIS IS IT as it became revealed. But also... it's all still so hazy and left to interpretation that I've thought about it for quite a while now, after finishing the book. I can't say for certain, obviously, where Timothy was, if anywhere at all, but I think it's clear that the village was more about his exploration of grief than any concrete place. I mean, we have the sea as a metaphor for that grief, oily and sick and producing only misformed creatures, and a boat with Timothy (and Timothy?) called The Great Hope floating along on it.

I wonder if 3 stars is too generous, but alas. I think there is something to be said for skill here. Even though I think there are places Menmuir's writing is clunky and obvious, I can admire what he created. Plus, this is a book that's left me thinking and wanting to talk to others about, which always gets points in my book.

So, maybe discussion video to come lol.