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wychwoodnz's review
4.0
This book immediately gave me vibes of [b:Remarkable Creatures|6457081|Remarkable Creatures|Tracy Chevalier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327161912l/6457081._SY75_.jpg|6647405] (Tracy Chevalier), with its fascination with the inhabitants of the British shoreline, tinged with the melancholia and confusion of [b:On Chesil Beach|815309|On Chesil Beach|Ian McEwan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436962381l/815309._SY75_.jpg|1698999] by Ian McEwan.
The Woodcock is set in the fictional coastal village of Gravely in northern England. The characters are well-drawn, with many little quirks giving you insight into who each person is. “Local limpet-botherer” Jon has to wait until his tea is just the right temperature before drinking it (ok, anyone that doesn’t is clearly a monster, I’m with Jon on this one). Wife Harriet goes through the motions of interwar housewifery while both Harriet and Jon, who thinks of them as “wife and husband”, know she can, in fact, do anything she sets her mind to. The dual narration demonstrates their insight into themselves and each other, although the story is heavily weighted in favour of Jon’s narrative – it’s definitely a masculine story rather than a feminine one.
The book is set after the Great War so everyone is slightly unsettled – everything has changed but they can’t quite work out yet how they should change, or could change, and how they all fit together after everything they’ve been through. Even Maurice Shakes, an American agent of change within the village, is himself feeling the effects of his new location on him, rather than the other way round.
The Woodcock simultaneously evokes the wide open spaces of the coast while telling an intensely personal story. It’s a thoughtful portrait of the place, the time, and the relationships, and if you love natural history this is a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the ARC.
The Woodcock is set in the fictional coastal village of Gravely in northern England. The characters are well-drawn, with many little quirks giving you insight into who each person is. “Local limpet-botherer” Jon has to wait until his tea is just the right temperature before drinking it (ok, anyone that doesn’t is clearly a monster, I’m with Jon on this one). Wife Harriet goes through the motions of interwar housewifery while both Harriet and Jon, who thinks of them as “wife and husband”, know she can, in fact, do anything she sets her mind to. The dual narration demonstrates their insight into themselves and each other, although the story is heavily weighted in favour of Jon’s narrative – it’s definitely a masculine story rather than a feminine one.
The book is set after the Great War so everyone is slightly unsettled – everything has changed but they can’t quite work out yet how they should change, or could change, and how they all fit together after everything they’ve been through. Even Maurice Shakes, an American agent of change within the village, is himself feeling the effects of his new location on him, rather than the other way round.
The Woodcock simultaneously evokes the wide open spaces of the coast while telling an intensely personal story. It’s a thoughtful portrait of the place, the time, and the relationships, and if you love natural history this is a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the ARC.
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