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A review by bookishwendy
The North Water by Ian McGuire
3.0
This is not a humorous book *at all*, and yet I found myself laughing anyway, mostly in disbelief at just how far into *gritty* it is willing to go. If there is a way to fit some *visceral* description of bodily fluids into a scene, the author will find a way. If I, reading along, started to get "redshirt anxiety" about any character or animal...they were probably gonna get it with all the dignity of a slasher movie before the scene was over.
The North Water is a gripping book. The characters are all shades of terrible human beings, but don't let that stop you. The tone pushes past grim realism to something I had trouble taking seriously, but I supposed that's part of the charm. I even considered making a new Goodreads shelf for "manly masculine men" reads but honestly, I don't feel like drawing attention to that particular literary quirk.
Oh wait, this was a Booker Prize longlist nominee? (okay I'm laughing again)
The North Water is a gripping book. The characters are all shades of terrible human beings, but don't let that stop you. The tone pushes past grim realism to something I had trouble taking seriously, but I supposed that's part of the charm. I even considered making a new Goodreads shelf for "manly masculine men" reads but honestly, I don't feel like drawing attention to that particular literary quirk.
Oh wait, this was a Booker Prize longlist nominee? (okay I'm laughing again)