gabesteller's review against another edition
5.0
Advertised by Paddy as having as having an “Unclassifiable tone” a Nice young Lady and her son get sorta kidnapped by her boyfriend to come live on his island off the coast of Florida with his brother and friends and their many communally raised/increasingly feral children.
And woohoo! Checked all my boxes! , super funny, grotesque, unsettling, regular gross, with a sense of steadily deepening dread, scary growth/life stuff, and playing around with fairy tales/religion in general.
Especially liked all the blurrings, inversions and transfigurations, Child adult, human animal, high/low culture etc and how Williams likes to take archetypes and themes to such extremes that they begin to subvert themselves.
I feel a little bad handing out so may high ratings recently but I just been picking some good stuff for me recently. Ya know gotta Know thyself.
And woohoo! Checked all my boxes! , super funny, grotesque, unsettling, regular gross, with a sense of steadily deepening dread, scary growth/life stuff, and playing around with fairy tales/religion in general.
Especially liked all the blurrings, inversions and transfigurations, Child adult, human animal, high/low culture etc and how Williams likes to take archetypes and themes to such extremes that they begin to subvert themselves.
I feel a little bad handing out so may high ratings recently but I just been picking some good stuff for me recently. Ya know gotta Know thyself.
stilljennifer's review against another edition
1.0
I managed to make it halfway through this before I just had to admit that it was too terrible to finish. This was my first Joy Williams and it’ll likely be the last. It’s a shame really as she’s the sort of writer I feel I should like but it’s all too pretentious and nonsensical that I had to throw in the towel so I could move onto something that isn’t such a chore to read.
kristinana's review against another edition
4.0
You know how sometimes you wake up after an intense dream, and you want to tell someone about it, but as soon as you try to put it into words, you flatten it out by trying to impose some type of order or logic or even just description to it, because what you experienced is not easily put into words? Well, even though this book is obviously all words (!), it still feels the same way when I try to tell someone about it. I recently described it to someone, and what I said totally sounded like a novel with a linear plot that made sense--but even though what I explained DID take place in the novel, it was not told in that way. What I could say about it just diminished what the experience of reading the novel was like.
In a way, all novel-reading is like a dream. You're in a different world, you're imagining things, you are in a deeply experiential and interpretive state, there are a lot of symbols -- some that feel personal and others that feel like they're coming from something ancient and unknowable -- and you're kind of alone. But The Changeling enhances that feeling. And of course, since the closest genre it has is the fairy tale, you're in for a lot of weird sex, intense images, and unfair punishment.
I also thought about genre while reading it. I would say it's in the realm of fairy tale, but it's not just one character's story, so it's hard to leave it at that. I personally don't know that I would call it a novel -- sometimes I think books are called novels solely due to the length and the fact they're written in prose and not divided into different stories. Maybe you could call it a long prose poem? I'm not sure.
In any case, Joy Williams doesn't care about character arcs or narrative arcs or anything you're taught a novel should have. She cares about imagery and immersion and beauty and fear. Don't expect a plot. But if you're ok with reading many pages of strange and unexpected mini-stories and digressions and ideas, you might like it. I don't always like that kind of thing, but this book was fascinating and I will think about it often.
In a way, all novel-reading is like a dream. You're in a different world, you're imagining things, you are in a deeply experiential and interpretive state, there are a lot of symbols -- some that feel personal and others that feel like they're coming from something ancient and unknowable -- and you're kind of alone. But The Changeling enhances that feeling. And of course, since the closest genre it has is the fairy tale, you're in for a lot of weird sex, intense images, and unfair punishment.
I also thought about genre while reading it. I would say it's in the realm of fairy tale, but it's not just one character's story, so it's hard to leave it at that. I personally don't know that I would call it a novel -- sometimes I think books are called novels solely due to the length and the fact they're written in prose and not divided into different stories. Maybe you could call it a long prose poem? I'm not sure.
In any case, Joy Williams doesn't care about character arcs or narrative arcs or anything you're taught a novel should have. She cares about imagery and immersion and beauty and fear. Don't expect a plot. But if you're ok with reading many pages of strange and unexpected mini-stories and digressions and ideas, you might like it. I don't always like that kind of thing, but this book was fascinating and I will think about it often.
briesposito's review against another edition
5.0
Just incredible. I haven't read a book I enjoyed so much in a very long time.
ctrlaultdelete's review against another edition
3.0
Agreed with those who said they appreciated more than enjoyed this book which was if nothing else effectively unsettling.
danilanglie's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I might be the only person who's ever read this book who has no idea who Joy Williams is. This book is bizarre, and I get the sense from reading other reviews that maybe I'd understand it more if I had a better grasp of her career as a writer. But taking this book on its own merits, here's what I'll say: this woman is a masterful writer. The rhythm of the story is so compelling. It defies rationalization. You could try to answer questions: is Pearl just crazy? Are the children real? Are they all hers? Is she the old woman? Did Sam die in the plane crash? But to ask these questions would be pointless, because the text does not give you an answer, and if you try to answer for yourself, you're trying to fit the story in a box that it doesn't want to be in.
One thing I love about the way this is written is that just when the insanity and the surreal language starts to tip over the edge, something rational and plain will be revealed. Like that Thomas' prior children make it off the island and start normal lives. Or a trip to town, a picnicking couple on the island, a mention of pain medication for a headache or of making dinner in the kitchen. Something mundane and totally normal will break in on the creeping surrealism before it can drag you under. Until the end, of course.
I really did think this book was beautifully written, and it's obviously well-done. The three stars are a reflection of my personal enjoyment - this isn't really my kind of book. I like plotty and character-focused narratives. This was a beautiful use of the language, but this type of novel doesn't really do much for me most of the time.
One thing I love about the way this is written is that just when the insanity and the surreal language starts to tip over the edge, something rational and plain will be revealed. Like that Thomas' prior children make it off the island and start normal lives. Or a trip to town, a picnicking couple on the island, a mention of pain medication for a headache or of making dinner in the kitchen. Something mundane and totally normal will break in on the creeping surrealism before it can drag you under. Until the end, of course.
I really did think this book was beautifully written, and it's obviously well-done. The three stars are a reflection of my personal enjoyment - this isn't really my kind of book. I like plotty and character-focused narratives. This was a beautiful use of the language, but this type of novel doesn't really do much for me most of the time.
millssb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lizmart88's review against another edition
2.0
I don't even know where to start. This book is intense and bewildering.
Not sure I actually understand what happened. If you're going to read it, be ready to just enjoy the ride because the plot is pretty meandering and unfathomable.
The book is centered around Pearl, a young woman who abandons her husband of 6 days to go live with a man named Thomas whose family has inherited an island. This private island is a mysterious place. Children run free, playing and imagining whatever they can. And the adults are no less mysterious. Thomas' brother Walker lives there as well as his sister Shelley.
As the book progresses, the theme of Changeling becomes apparent but never fully clear. The author does an excellent job of creating a world where you're not sure what's real and what's imagined. As Pearl descends further into alcoholism, the world continues to shift.
Hints at past transgressions on the island are tantalizing but never fully explored, which I was disappointed about.
Not sure I actually understand what happened. If you're going to read it, be ready to just enjoy the ride because the plot is pretty meandering and unfathomable.
The book is centered around Pearl, a young woman who abandons her husband of 6 days to go live with a man named Thomas whose family has inherited an island. This private island is a mysterious place. Children run free, playing and imagining whatever they can. And the adults are no less mysterious. Thomas' brother Walker lives there as well as his sister Shelley.
As the book progresses, the theme of Changeling becomes apparent but never fully clear. The author does an excellent job of creating a world where you're not sure what's real and what's imagined. As Pearl descends further into alcoholism, the world continues to shift.
Hints at past transgressions on the island are tantalizing but never fully explored, which I was disappointed about.
opheliafrey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75