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STARVE ACRE REVIEW

The Boy, The Hare, The Tree, and The Devil

When people ask me now, ‘what kind of books do you enjoy reading?’, my answer will be Starve Acre. An atmospheric and brooding folk horror, this is the kind of narrative that pulls you in and never fully satiates your desire to know more. And is all the stronger for it.

In combining a 1970s rural setting with Early Modern folklore, Starve Acre creates a landscape that is familiar and disconcerting, the ominous evil that lurks in the book never fully quantified but ever present.

The plot, which started life as a pseudo-historical short story, focuses around a young family who have recently lost their five year old son in abrupt and unprecedented circumstances. As his mother, Juliette, retreats inside herself with grief, his father, Richard, fixates on the folkloric ancient oak that once stood in the grounds of his family house. Their expressions of grief unite as they edge closer and closer to the occult.

This was a fantastic reading experience, one that gently lapped into horror in a way that felt quite natural against the realism of a grieving family. I found the characters, whilst simply written, able to draw me into their world, and the setting of their family home one I wanted to escape and remain in for chapter after chapter.

The book is divided into two narratives, their lives before Ewan’s death and their lives after, and the narrative watches as the two set on a collision course. I found the resurfacing of memories as Richard grieved a perfect way to introduce the complexity of their relationship with Ewan, who was struggling socially in the final months of his life. The descriptions of the landscape, the village, and its culture really built on the tension in the novel, adding a combination of beauty and anticipation as they move closer and closer to Ewan’s death.

I do really feel like the book needed one or two more chapters, as the ending felt a little rushed. That is not to say I didn’t enjoy it, but for me it spilt the rising tension a little early and could have benefitted from implementing the slow pace it had throughout the rest of the novel. I loved the near distance of the characters and their emotions, and would love to have seen more at the close of the story.

This is a book for people who like local history, folklore, English traditions, and understated horror. I am now going to be in a constant search for more books like this, so please recommend them!

Rating: 4/5

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Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Plague. Shakespeare. Cultural History of the Sixteenth Century.

As someone who has studied and specialised in these things throughout my UG/PG, I was very excited to hear that they were front and centre in Maggie O'Farrell's novel about the family of the Bard.

However, ultimately, I have mixed feelings about the book and the narrative inside. Mainly, I want to have a coffee with O'Farrell and talk to her about her research and her approach to such a famous life. I want to know about the decisions she made; Agnes and her herbalism and 'witchcraft', John and his relationship with his son, and the writer taking on the role of the King Hamlet.

Within the novel, I found the prose to be beautifully written. The use of tense helped with the playful approach to time and lack of linear narrative, and the handling of more 'magical' elements of the novel. However, I often felt a distance from the characters.

Being such a central part of the novel, and it's namesake, I thought Hamnet would play more of a role and be allowed more of a personality. That wasn't the case, and whilst I could suppose that his role of both realised and not could be reflective of the outcome of the novel, it was also sadly a trait that carried over to his sisters too. In fact, the only consistent character was that of Agnes, who was the main voice in the novel.

This didn't make her a well rounded character, however. She was an amalgamation of modern feminist approaches to life, in a way that made her feel false. Her exceptional presence in the community of the novel didn't make her an exceptional character, and I found her a little bit weary.

Whilst I would have like more development on the characters, I still enjoyed the setting of the novel. I struggle with historical novels normally, but this one felt real and like a place where people lived. It didn't feel like a space that was drawing heavily from tropes and the understanding that the past is a distant and untouchable place. The novel felt very much like you could step out of your front door and find this world, from 400 years ago, waiting outside.

I will definitely try and find more Maggie O'Farrell books to read, and I look forward to the upcoming adaptation.

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Cromford is a booklovers dream 📚

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Currently reading: Fen by Daisy Johnson #daisyjohnson #fen #darkacademia #fairytaleretelling #darkfiction #literaryfiction #igreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CjN0jq_oeIX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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the photos that have fully reignited my 13 year old emo phase again

Photo Credit: @kybercait

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@mkvx

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i love libraries

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Village book shares are just too good ☀️❤️ the volume of amazing books in our local phonebox book share makes me so happy https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch-RBDALgto/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Say hello to 🍂📚Study Sunday!📚🍂

With my Masters dissertation well underway, my Sundays are for Shakespeare, reading, making notes, and trying to write! Look at this gorgeous Complete Works that Bloomsbury have recently released, I am obsessed! It is so helpful for my studies right now, because every day I find a new play I need to read through. I am also absolutely obsesed with these leaf sticky notes. How cute are they?

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I'm loving reading indie presses at the moment and The Doloriad by Missouri Williams looks like the perfect summer read for me! I picked this up at Toppings Bath (@toppingsbath) and have been waiting until the end of my assessment period to read it. Dead Ink have really nailed that cover, I am genuinely so excited to start this!

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Had a lovely time in Manchester this weekend and popped into Queer Lit! It was such a beautiful shop and I got the most gorgeous book (pictures incoming) here's Maya having a browse (at Queer Lit)

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Currently Reading: The Secret History by Donna Tartt Currently wishing: I was in a dark and musty library surrounded by pretentious Greek students

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I had a lovely weekend in Margate and absolutely loved this amazing bookshop 💕 it was so beautiful and full of sun ☀️ What are your favourite indie bookshops in the country? https://www.instagram.com/p/CfSCHYzLIoq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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The Love That Dares is the most beautiful collection of LGBT love letters 💞 thank you Octopus books for sending these over to me, I loved every second of reading this book!