It is a snowy day here and I was thinking more about how I characterized Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman. I called it a "snow gothic" and it made think more about the characteristics of such a book. Is it just snow? Or is it more than that?
I recently read the second book in MJ McGrath's Edie Kiglatuk series. This one is set in Alaska where Edie has gone to cheer on and help her ex-husband during a dog race. But, first she finds the body of a child on the land of the Old Believers, a group that left Russia over a dispute over a matter of Russian Orthodox dogma and iconography. Snow is a big part of the novel and in fact, there is a dramatic scene when Edie, Sammy, her ex-husband and her policeman friend are trapped out in a blizzard in terrible cold.
This book is clearly not a snow gothic. Edie lives in the cold--she considers Alaska "warm" and this is a fascinating but pretty straightforward mystery. The fascinating part is learning the ways of people who grew up in the snow and cold and how they adapt to it.
On the other hand, Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster is clearly a snow gothic. It is set in the English moors in a very small town. The protagonist, Grace, has moved to the home town of her husband from London. He disappears one day, leaving their baby in a carriage at their front door and never returns. Grace lives in the town but is not of the town.
The townspeople share old myths and there may or may not be a ghost. And, Grace never is really sure who she can trust. But what really makes this a snow gothic is the palpable sense of unease that the snow signals. if you go out you may never return just like her missing husband. She is alone, surrounded by people who might be friendly and helpful, but she cannot really trust any of them. The dark sky brings snow and danger because it is quiet but it can trap you either inside or out.
Snow, then, is very important to creating atmosphere and the sense of danger and unease that drives the book and makes it so engrossing and enveloping.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman
Cover of Snow is the first novel published by Jenny Milchman. Nora Hamilton lives with her husband, a policeman, in Wedeskyull, a town in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. She wakes up one morning to find that the house feels empty and discovers the body of her dead husband. Their town is a small town, not particularly welcoming to newcomers but Nora feels the coldness even more now that her husband is dead. She does not understand why he is dead and begins to investigate it and this brings attention, most of it being the wrong sort, to her.
When I was thinking about this book, I decided it was an excellent example of "snow gothic." So, what is a snow gothic? It is not like the traditional meaning of gothic in which supernatural elements mix with disturbances among the characters but it is more like "Southern Gothic" in which there is a strong sense of place and unease brought on by secrets among the characters. The town is dark and silent because of the snow and truly because of the secrets. Snow gothics are characterized by secrets, silences and that overbearing sense of gloom that you can get before the storm really hits.
Snow is very present in this book. It is always either snowing or about to snow and when the book delves into the history of the characters--snow is present then.
Milchman does a great job creating a place, an atmosphere and characters that you will remember. A very good book and a great one to read on a snowy afternoon in New Jersey. I am already looking forward to Milchman's next book
When I was thinking about this book, I decided it was an excellent example of "snow gothic." So, what is a snow gothic? It is not like the traditional meaning of gothic in which supernatural elements mix with disturbances among the characters but it is more like "Southern Gothic" in which there is a strong sense of place and unease brought on by secrets among the characters. The town is dark and silent because of the snow and truly because of the secrets. Snow gothics are characterized by secrets, silences and that overbearing sense of gloom that you can get before the storm really hits.
Snow is very present in this book. It is always either snowing or about to snow and when the book delves into the history of the characters--snow is present then.
Milchman does a great job creating a place, an atmosphere and characters that you will remember. A very good book and a great one to read on a snowy afternoon in New Jersey. I am already looking forward to Milchman's next book
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Favorite Books of 2012
Most of the books on this list were new in 2012. However, this list is really to capture the books that I enjoyed reading the most last year.
The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler Many New Year's resolutions involve more healthy eating, using what we have instead of buying more and An Everlasting Meal shows you the way. What is different about this book from other food books promising to show you a better way, is that Adler makes cooking and eating exciting. While reading this book, I was excited at the richness of what she was preparing even though many of the lessons were simple, the bounty was evident.
Carry the One by Carole Anshaw A carful of people leave a wedding and accidently kill a young girl who has wandered out of the woods. Everyone is affected by the accident and Anshaw does a wonderful job of conveying the different ways the pain changes everyone.
Arcadia by Lauren Hoff This is set in a commune in New York state beginning in the 60s and ends in the same place in 2018. Bit is a child of two of the original members who eventually leave when the commune is overtaken by people who do not contribute and overtax their dwindling resources.
Beyond the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo I am hoping to start a non-fiction book discussion at my library and I think that this will be the first book that I choose. As nearly all reviewers (and readers) have noted, this is a book that reads like a novel. Its power is that Boo depicts the poverty and corruption in the daily lives of the people as it affects them not merely as statistics and footnotes. Of course, that the writing is masterful is another reason that this book was one of my favorites.
Wish You Were Here by Graham Swift Jack lives with his wife managing a summer caravan park. He is informed that his brother, Jack, was killed in Iraq and he must travel to Devon for the funeral. During the trip, he thinks about his relationship with his brother and the death of his father. Quiet and thoughtful.
The Black House by Peter May Location, location, location is a powerful draw for me in choosing my books. It is best if the location is isolated, unusual and dark. This book's setting in the Northern Hebrides and it also features an annual ritual that the men conduct on another island that is isolated and populated only by the birds that are an important part of the ritual. The policeman, now living in Glasgow is called home after many years to investigate a death that looks like one that happened when he was a youth. Moody and atmospheric with the promise of another book in the series.
Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple Set in Seattle, this book is told via emails, text messages and FBI documents. Bernadette has moved with her family (husband and daughter) and lives in an un-Seattle-like house (not a Craftsman) that is in a remarkable state of disrepair. Bernadette has "issues" she does not leave the house, she does not cook and has some amazing encounters with her neighbors and the other parents in her daughter's school. She gets lost (and then found) in this funny, barbed yet endearing book.
Broken Harbour by Tana French This is a novel in French's Dublin murder squad series. Set in a dying housing development outside of Dublin that is now largely empty because of the collapse of the Irish economy. The policeman knows the man and his family who are brutally killed in the murder that begins this book. But there is so much more in this book--the Irish economy, the expectations of marriage and family life and the need to keep up appearances not just for the sake of outsiders but for one's own identify and sanity. Brilliant.
Dare Me by Megan Abbott Abbott writes noirish books featuring women and girls. Her newest is set among cheerleaders and explores friendship, relationships with adults (especially their coach) and the rivalry between the girls. How far will someone go to be the favorite? Dark, engrossing and well done.
Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand This is a second book featuring Cassandra Neary, a photographer who mostly recently traveled to Maine to meet and interview one of her favorite photographers. This book starts almost immediate after the other as she gets a mysterious call to travel to Iceland for a job evaluating photographs. It is a weird and wonderful tale including Icelandic mythology and Iceland's current travails as well as this deeply flawed and arresting heroine.
When We Argued All Night by Alice Mattison Set mostly in New York over a period of decades, it follows two friends as they travel from the 30s to contemporary times. Harold and Artie are friends from the neighborhood who experience Communism, the blacklist, the importance of good work and their families.
The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler Many New Year's resolutions involve more healthy eating, using what we have instead of buying more and An Everlasting Meal shows you the way. What is different about this book from other food books promising to show you a better way, is that Adler makes cooking and eating exciting. While reading this book, I was excited at the richness of what she was preparing even though many of the lessons were simple, the bounty was evident.
Carry the One by Carole Anshaw A carful of people leave a wedding and accidently kill a young girl who has wandered out of the woods. Everyone is affected by the accident and Anshaw does a wonderful job of conveying the different ways the pain changes everyone.
Arcadia by Lauren Hoff This is set in a commune in New York state beginning in the 60s and ends in the same place in 2018. Bit is a child of two of the original members who eventually leave when the commune is overtaken by people who do not contribute and overtax their dwindling resources.
Beyond the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo I am hoping to start a non-fiction book discussion at my library and I think that this will be the first book that I choose. As nearly all reviewers (and readers) have noted, this is a book that reads like a novel. Its power is that Boo depicts the poverty and corruption in the daily lives of the people as it affects them not merely as statistics and footnotes. Of course, that the writing is masterful is another reason that this book was one of my favorites.
Wish You Were Here by Graham Swift Jack lives with his wife managing a summer caravan park. He is informed that his brother, Jack, was killed in Iraq and he must travel to Devon for the funeral. During the trip, he thinks about his relationship with his brother and the death of his father. Quiet and thoughtful.
The Black House by Peter May Location, location, location is a powerful draw for me in choosing my books. It is best if the location is isolated, unusual and dark. This book's setting in the Northern Hebrides and it also features an annual ritual that the men conduct on another island that is isolated and populated only by the birds that are an important part of the ritual. The policeman, now living in Glasgow is called home after many years to investigate a death that looks like one that happened when he was a youth. Moody and atmospheric with the promise of another book in the series.
Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple Set in Seattle, this book is told via emails, text messages and FBI documents. Bernadette has moved with her family (husband and daughter) and lives in an un-Seattle-like house (not a Craftsman) that is in a remarkable state of disrepair. Bernadette has "issues" she does not leave the house, she does not cook and has some amazing encounters with her neighbors and the other parents in her daughter's school. She gets lost (and then found) in this funny, barbed yet endearing book.
Broken Harbour by Tana French This is a novel in French's Dublin murder squad series. Set in a dying housing development outside of Dublin that is now largely empty because of the collapse of the Irish economy. The policeman knows the man and his family who are brutally killed in the murder that begins this book. But there is so much more in this book--the Irish economy, the expectations of marriage and family life and the need to keep up appearances not just for the sake of outsiders but for one's own identify and sanity. Brilliant.
Dare Me by Megan Abbott Abbott writes noirish books featuring women and girls. Her newest is set among cheerleaders and explores friendship, relationships with adults (especially their coach) and the rivalry between the girls. How far will someone go to be the favorite? Dark, engrossing and well done.
Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand This is a second book featuring Cassandra Neary, a photographer who mostly recently traveled to Maine to meet and interview one of her favorite photographers. This book starts almost immediate after the other as she gets a mysterious call to travel to Iceland for a job evaluating photographs. It is a weird and wonderful tale including Icelandic mythology and Iceland's current travails as well as this deeply flawed and arresting heroine.
When We Argued All Night by Alice Mattison Set mostly in New York over a period of decades, it follows two friends as they travel from the 30s to contemporary times. Harold and Artie are friends from the neighborhood who experience Communism, the blacklist, the importance of good work and their families.
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