Reviews with content warning for Violence - Elmet

Minor Spoilers ahead:

The first 80% of this book were just uninteresting. I was waiting for something to happen, but I was disappointed. I am not that kind of person that wants things to constantly happen, but if you have characters that are so stereotypical and not at all fleshed out, you need a convincing plot to keep me engaged. I am also quite puzzled by the fact that the future narration by Daniel lead to absolutely nothing. The ending came out of nowhere and basically felt like a sledgehammer. Like other reviewers have pointed out, it was similar to a Quentin Tarantino movie. I just couldn't take it seriously. There were other things that also bothered me: Who is Vivien exactly and why was her character even present in the story? It felt like she had a greater purpose, but nothing happened. What about Daniel's sexuality? Why was that even included and singled out (e.g. truck driver)? Another thing that made my blood boil was the unnessary violence against Cathy. STOP. USING. RAPE. AS. A. PLOT. DEVICE.

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jessgrace88's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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maricasement's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. Mozley's writing, especially, is astoundingly beautiful. Her descriptions make references to nature and pull you into the physical settings of the book effectively. The book is written in 1st person and our narrator is extremely connected to the natural world, so having the descriptions be like this is very believable.
I really enjoyed the relationships Daniel has with those around him: Daddy, Cathy and Vivian, mostly. I feel that he makes a good narrator as the one who observes everything that happens, without necessarily being the one who pushes the story further.
The relationship the family has with their land and the natural world is beautiful, too. The land is an extension of themselves; they take care of it and it does the same for them.
When I started reading this book (some time in 2020, after the pandemic had been going on for a while), these were the things that captivated me and made me enjoy the book so much. There was also the vague mystery of the chapters that occur in the future and what Mr. Price might do to Daddy.
But then it kept getting darker and darker and my anxiety (that already was sky high) just got worse. So I stopped reading it.
I left it to stew for more than a year and only continued it in December 2021. The ending was even more intense than I ever though it could be, but the book never stopped being beautiful.
This book also manages to discuss some interesting themes. Mainly, I think it's a book about relationships: our relationship with nature, the relationships between ourselves, our relationship with power and money and land and our relationship with our own body. Mozley is able to hint at and explicitly explore all these things through the narration.
My rating reflects the book's beauty, but also my conflicted feelings about it. Because of the writing and the narration, the book makes me feel calm and at peace, but the actual story and happenings are rather stressful and tense, creating a rather weird dichotomy (at least for me). In spite of this, I do highly recommend this book, but I do advise caution to anyone who might be sensitive to several topics (listed in my content warnings because of spoilers).

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abbie_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

It was pretty much guaranteed I’d enjoy Elmet and enjoy it I did! Set in Yorkshire, it follows a small, unconventional family as they push back against societal norms, gender roles, and private landlords - a very interesting mash up and one that really works! Even if I did think the ending was a little over-dramatic.

I loved the narrator of this, the youngest member of the family Daniel, who is 13-14. He lives with Daddy and his sister Cathy, a year older than him. Their father is a huge man, renowned in all of England and Ireland as the strongest bareknuckle fighter, taking home thousands in winnings when their family needs it. They live in a small copse on a piece of land they don’t own, but whose owner didn’t bother with it - until Daddy built their house there.

Honestly I just loved the whole atmosphere of Elmet. The contrast between Daniel’s gentle narration, his careful and fastidious manner and how little he cares for traditional gender roles, and the underground world of violence, beyond the law, that they inhabit. Fiona Mozley’s writing, especially when it comes to nature, is stunning, and I loved the inclusion of the Yorkshire lilt in the dialogue. I’m from further North but always appreciate any Northern setting and characters in books!

I think if you enjoyed Exit Management by Naomi Booth (similar themes of property ownership) and Lanny by Max Porter (not really similar but I got a familiar vibe) then you’ll enjoy this one too! And it’s another great queer British writer to add to your list ✨

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