The Book Depository Folk by ZOE GILBERT
273 ratings
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Price: £8.99
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Folk : Paperback : BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING PLC : 9781408884317 : : 07 Feb 2019 : A captivating, magical and haunting debut novel of breathtaking imagination, from the winner of the 2014 Costa Short Story Award. The Book Depository Folk by ZOE GILBERT - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9781408884317
MPN: 9781408884317
GTIN: 9781408884317
Author: Mobius Engine
Rating: 5
Review: I bought this book after hearing it recommended on the Backlisted podcast. I was a bit dubious that it might turn out to be yet another re-telling of old tales with "a twist" or from another character's perspective. It isn't that at all. It's a little, perfectly realised, utterly magical universe unto itself, with some very subtle hints at fairy stories here and there. I was completely captivated by it from the first chapter. Each tale builds on the previous one in a kind of palimpsest until the last tale brings us neatly full-circle. When previous characters are referred to in a new tale, it makes you want to go back and re-read their story all over again, they are that good. It's like an album of amazing interconnected songs, where you turn the volume up in the fade out of each one to hear the very last notes. I can't quite explain why I loved it so much. It reminds me most of Nick Cave's Sickbag Song; even though the two books are completely different I got a similar magical feeling from it. I carry Sickbag Song around in my rucksack in case of reading emergencies, and Folk is going to join it there. I love it too much to put it away on the shelf.
Author: BookWorm
Rating: 3
Review: 'Folk' is the first novel by acclaimed short story writer Zoe Gilbert, and you can tell her pedigree in shorter form fiction. It reads more like a series of linked short stories than a cohesive novel with a clear plot. Some readers will like it for that very reason. For me, I'm less keen on short stories and prefer novels with a clear 'beginning, middle and end' to the plot (even if those are presented in a different order or muddled up!). It's one of those novels that never explains anything - you gradually glean that it is set on a place called Neverness, an island, with middle ages type technology and no obvious religion other than their own local beliefs. There are magic and supernatural elements throughout although no organised magic as such. The chapters/stories follow different characters living in Neverness, with some appearing in each other's tales which provides a kind of continuity. The writing itself is good; it's very readable, it's interesting, the turn of phrase is nice. The characters are decent and I suspect could become loveable but there's never enough time with any of them to develop a relationship. This is why I rarely enjoy short stories in the same way I do novels - you don't get the chance to 'get to know' the characters and go on a journey with them through the plot. You get snippets and snapshots, which are all good in themselves, but leave something lacking overall. I'd certainly read another book by the author, as her writing is not a problem. If you enjoy short stories, or don't mind novels without a strong central narrative drive, you may well very much enjoy this. I'm certain it would be a worthy five star novel for some readers whose personal taste is different from mine.
