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Spill Simmer Falter Wither 9780992817060 Books

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Spill Simmer Falter Wither 9780992817060 Books

This novel defies genre, and if you read it, I defy you to ever forget it. Thank you to Net Galley and to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the DRC. I received an advance copy free in exchange for a fair review, and I can tell you, this one’s a keeper.

Our protagonist, who tells the whole story start to finish without any other significant characters apart from his memory of them, is “…not the kind of person who is able to do things.” He lives independently in a coastal village in England, subsisting on government aid, the rent paid by the tenants in the building his father left him, and the money he has tucked away, bit by bit, over the course of his fifty-seven years. There is black mold in his house, and plenty of grit and grime, but he is left alone and can fend for himself, eating from cans and frying sausages. His greatest fear is of children, because he was bullied as a child and is certain—correctly, perhaps—that if children were to see him now, they’d do the same. His loneliness is so intense that he has purchased picture frames and kept the inset photos of the models used to sell the frames. There they are in his living room, these strangers under glass. Faces to look at.

On one of his quiet trips to the neighborhood thrift store, he sees a sign offering a free dog; it’s to go to a home without small children or other pets. He thinks to himself that a terrier might help with his rat problem. As soon as he arrives, he hears the disparaging way the shelter employee refers to this dog, which would be put to sleep the following day if not adopted; the employee seems to think this might not be a bad plan, since the “little bugger” had nipped him. Our lonely man peeks in at the matted fur, the “maggot nose”, the missing eye, and he realizes he has found a kindred spirit.

The language with which the story is told reminds me of James Joyce in its luminous quality and word play, but is more accessible than Joyce, and friendlier toward its reader. Animal stories, which this partly is, are often overly sentimental, but the violins don’t wail at us here. It’s the story of One Eye, but it is also the story of our lonely man, whose history gradually unfolds as the story is told.

I cannot help but think that were this protagonist real, and were he in the USA instead of the UK, he would likely either be in prison or homeless.

I read a great deal, and the truth is, now that I am the same age as our protagonist, I forget more of the DRC’s I read than I remember. A few months after I’ve read them, most are a bit foggy. A year later, I may have to check my records to be sure I have even read this book or that one. But perhaps a dozen or so each year stand out in bold relief, stories that will make me tell friends and family, “Ohhh, you have to read that one!”

This is one of those.

I would qualify my recommendation to say that because of some of the terrible things that happen in our protagonist’s history, I would not offer this title to your precocious young reader without first reading it yourself. Also, of course, this might not prove a good choice to those that for personal or religious reasons, simply detest dogs.

Apart from these narrow confines, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to one and all. It’s absolutely matchless.


Tags : Spill Simmer Falter Wither on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <DIV><B>A debut novel already praised as "unbearably poignant and beautifully told" (Eimear McBride) this captivating story follows — over the course of four seasons — a misfit man who adopts a misfit dog.</B><BR /><BR /> It is springtime,Spill Simmer Falter Wither,Tramp Press,0992817064

Spill Simmer Falter Wither 9780992817060 Books Reviews

Not only is "Spill Simmer Falter Wither" an outstanding book, but probably the most well-written book of this decade. At a time when we have learned to accept bad grammar and typos from CNN and Huffington on-line, plus many books here on , this return to superb prose is sheer bliss. The simple plot of a man and his dog is turned inside out, and every sentence must be savored slowly. I tend to read quickly, but found myself going back again and again to re-listen to a page. Not a single word is wasted, and the story begs to be savored slowly. Give it the time it deserves. Like OneEye, I can only see well out of one eye, so I often indulge in the Audio Books. John Keating's gorgeous Irish voice, full of nuance, subtle emotion and surprising insights into the unnamed protagonist's unquiet mind is astounding in its range. And where does the man end, and the dog begin? Many sentences are in litanies of three; each section of the story begins with one "We are driving, driving, driving." I would strongly urge you to read this book the regular way, then float off on the uneasy dream of Keating's telling of the story. I would also recommend doing the same with Whitley Strieber's lesser-known but equally excellent "The Journey to Dog Heaven." What impresses me the most, and not to sound sexist, is that Sara Baume, a female, writes the male voice so believably well. This is her first book, and one prays it marks the beginning of a storied and beloved career. Job well, well done!
I bought this book after reading a review by Jill I. Shtulman. Then I began traveling and forgot why I bought it and put off reading it for many months while I read other books. Recently I decided I should read it since I paid for it. I am glad I did.

The beauty of the prose grabbed me immediately. It was rhythmic at times and made me feel as if I were reading poetry. The descriptions of the countryside, especially the plants, were lovely. However, I do understand that they were lengthy and some customers were bored by them even though I was not.

Ray was a 57-year-old man who adopted a rescue dog shortly before he was to be euthanized. He was named One Eye, because he had lost one of his eyes presumably in an attack by another animal. Ray took him, because he was likely to be a good at killing rats.

Beyond the writing, I was intrigued by Ray and his social interactions, particularly with his father who had died about two years before the beginning of the book. Although Ray appeared to be highly intelligent, a voracious reader who focused on details many people never notice, he was socially inept and knew it. He was also fearful, but as he grew up most of his fears abated except for the fear of social interaction. He would walk One Eye early in the morning to avoid people as much as possible.

Even though Ray was secretive and avoided talking to people as much as possible, he talked a lot to One Eye a lot. Gradually, through the course of the story, we learn about his upbringing and his relationship with his father. There were hints in the beginning of the book, but I didn't pick up on them until the "big reveals" much later in the book.

Possible spoilers in this paragraph only At times I thought Ray was abused by his father, but eventually I decided he probably had Asperger Syndrome. When I read about the symptoms on www.autismspeaks.org, I thought Ray had all of these. Still, I thought he may have been abused. Of course we only learned about Ray's past through his eyes. End of possible spoilers

WHO MAY LIKE THIS BOOK You may love this book if you like lyrical writing with detailed descriptions. You may like like it if you like reading about psychologically or socially dysfunctional people and families.

WHO MAY NOT LIKE THIS BOOK. You may really dislike this book if you don't like detailed descriptions, particularly of scenery and plants. You may dislike it if you don't like reading about dysfunctional people and families. There are two incidents involving some violence.
This novel defies genre, and if you read it, I defy you to ever forget it. Thank you to Net Galley and to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the DRC. I received an advance copy free in exchange for a fair review, and I can tell you, this one’s a keeper.

Our protagonist, who tells the whole story start to finish without any other significant characters apart from his memory of them, is “…not the kind of person who is able to do things.” He lives independently in a coastal village in England, subsisting on government aid, the rent paid by the tenants in the building his father left him, and the money he has tucked away, bit by bit, over the course of his fifty-seven years. There is black mold in his house, and plenty of grit and grime, but he is left alone and can fend for himself, eating from cans and frying sausages. His greatest fear is of children, because he was bullied as a child and is certain—correctly, perhaps—that if children were to see him now, they’d do the same. His loneliness is so intense that he has purchased picture frames and kept the inset photos of the models used to sell the frames. There they are in his living room, these strangers under glass. Faces to look at.

On one of his quiet trips to the neighborhood thrift store, he sees a sign offering a free dog; it’s to go to a home without small children or other pets. He thinks to himself that a terrier might help with his rat problem. As soon as he arrives, he hears the disparaging way the shelter employee refers to this dog, which would be put to sleep the following day if not adopted; the employee seems to think this might not be a bad plan, since the “little bugger” had nipped him. Our lonely man peeks in at the matted fur, the “maggot nose”, the missing eye, and he realizes he has found a kindred spirit.

The language with which the story is told reminds me of James Joyce in its luminous quality and word play, but is more accessible than Joyce, and friendlier toward its reader. Animal stories, which this partly is, are often overly sentimental, but the violins don’t wail at us here. It’s the story of One Eye, but it is also the story of our lonely man, whose history gradually unfolds as the story is told.

I cannot help but think that were this protagonist real, and were he in the USA instead of the UK, he would likely either be in prison or homeless.

I read a great deal, and the truth is, now that I am the same age as our protagonist, I forget more of the DRC’s I read than I remember. A few months after I’ve read them, most are a bit foggy. A year later, I may have to check my records to be sure I have even read this book or that one. But perhaps a dozen or so each year stand out in bold relief, stories that will make me tell friends and family, “Ohhh, you have to read that one!”

This is one of those.

I would qualify my recommendation to say that because of some of the terrible things that happen in our protagonist’s history, I would not offer this title to your precocious young reader without first reading it yourself. Also, of course, this might not prove a good choice to those that for personal or religious reasons, simply detest dogs.

Apart from these narrow confines, I recommend this book wholeheartedly to one and all. It’s absolutely matchless.