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lucyrider's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up before a train journey 4 years ago because I live near Sherburn in Elmet and "Elmet" is set in this area. The prose was quite beautiful at points and very descriptive and evocative - including the best description of a fried breakfast I think I've ever read. The plot was a bit hard to track, there was conflict and resolution, but I am not sure I was entirely satisfied by the ending. I would certainly read a follow up book if there was one to be written.
wm95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what to make of Elmet. It's an odd book, set in the rural English countryside, and told from the point of view of a boy growing up, who has an older sister and a father who is living off the grid. They've built a house in a quiet copse and are living close to nature, poaching a bit, trading for other things. Daniel's father is a large man who earned money for a time beating up men, some in illegal prize fights, others for wealthy men willing to pay. It's not long before their quiet life is threatened.
There's an overwhelming sense of peril shadowing this novel. Fiona Mozley does a brilliant job of both describing the natural world and of hinting at the danger to come. This isn't a book that obeys the usual patterns and if you need to have all your questions answered by the end of a novel, you may want to skip this one. But if you enjoy well-written novels that do things differently, you'll like Elmet.
rojulian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bccoulter's review against another edition
4.0
Very difficult for me to read. A story about inevitable tragedy. Clearly the innocent will be punished. Hard to push my way through this sad tale.
Still, well written and beautifully captures the sound and feel of life in this place.
Still, well written and beautifully captures the sound and feel of life in this place.
emmalthompson85's review against another edition
5.0
Elmet is an amazingly evocative novel about nostalgia, community, gender and expectation. It's a novel with a stunning sense of place and an almost otherworldly feel, like a time out of time, which by its existence acts as a critique agains that kind of time and if it ever having existed. The writing s incredibly good and the characters are rich and likeable with strong voices.
goodbye_alex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
ellen_forkin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced