Immerse yourself in this one
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A book about drowning - both literally and metaphorically.
It is 1847 and Charles is given the job of overseeing the flooding of a valley in Yorkshire and the eviction of its remaining inhabitants.
Charles himself has taken the appointment to put off grieving for his dead fiancee and immerses himself in his work instead. It soon becomes clear to him that the company's motives in appointing him are to deflect the locals from realising the scale of the consequences of the project. He finds a kindred spirit in one of this neighbours, but she is also drowning in guilt over her mad sister. There is little so finite as sinking or swimming for Charles who is torn every which way as the flooding gathers apace.
A fine novel with a strong undercurrent about man's destruction of the environment. Highly recommended indeed.
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Another Tour-de-Force by master craftman
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A simple, sparse tale, written in prose that can take your breath away with the precision and beauty of it's language. Every word is carefully chosen and weighted; not one is out of place. This is a stunning exhibition by a wordsmith at the height of his powers (with the exception of what appears to be a minor historical oversight concerning the portrait of Mary & Martha's parents - see if you agree with me). Despite, or because of, the fact that many of the strands are left unresolved (common with Edric, although not the case with his private detective trilogy, fortunately!), the reader is left with a feeling of tremendous satisfaction and completeness by the end.
So why only four and not five stars? This one's excellent, but he's done better, and will continue to amaze in the future; it's worth checking out the full back catalogue, as there's some terrific books to explore and delight.
In conclusion, a solid, assured, confident outing from a mature author at the top of his game, deserving of wider recognition.
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