A review by cooloolat
The Octopus and I by Erin Hortle
5.0
Thank you very much Allen and Unwin for sending me an uncorrected proof of this book to review. Erin Hortle I want to thank you for writing The Octopus and I, it is a remarkable debut, wonderful to see the emergence of another talented Australian writer.
There is skillful descriptive writing in this book; the beauty of the landscape that surrounds Eaglehawk Neck and Pirates Bay falls off the pages as Erin describes the coast, the surf and the fauna and flora. This area of Tasmania is stunning; the writing certainly does it justice.
There are multiple narrators throughout the story, not all are human which makes the experience of reading this incredibly unique. Each narration intertwines with the others in shifting time frames. The story is at times very dark, there is comment here on the treatment of non-humans by humans, of cruelty and the consciousness of other species.
I found great humour in the story, the Australian colloquialisms and psyche; readers who are not familiar with the Australian vernacular may need to research some words. There’s an incident with a cow and a surfer that made me chuckle loudly, its pure slapstick. I’m sad for the cow, I really like cows. The characters are mostly likeable, I could identify with Lucy, the leading protagonist through her empowerment from positive self-worth and self-image. Several male characters are toxic, appalling, and not likeable at all.
I enjoyed the change in writing style to reflect the mood or the substance taken. Clever writing with great Octopus research, the next time I encounter an Octopus when I’m diving, I’ll take the time to say g’day. I’ll definitely read any further novels by Erin and absolutely recommend this one.
There is skillful descriptive writing in this book; the beauty of the landscape that surrounds Eaglehawk Neck and Pirates Bay falls off the pages as Erin describes the coast, the surf and the fauna and flora. This area of Tasmania is stunning; the writing certainly does it justice.
There are multiple narrators throughout the story, not all are human which makes the experience of reading this incredibly unique. Each narration intertwines with the others in shifting time frames. The story is at times very dark, there is comment here on the treatment of non-humans by humans, of cruelty and the consciousness of other species.
I found great humour in the story, the Australian colloquialisms and psyche; readers who are not familiar with the Australian vernacular may need to research some words. There’s an incident with a cow and a surfer that made me chuckle loudly, its pure slapstick. I’m sad for the cow, I really like cows. The characters are mostly likeable, I could identify with Lucy, the leading protagonist through her empowerment from positive self-worth and self-image. Several male characters are toxic, appalling, and not likeable at all.
I enjoyed the change in writing style to reflect the mood or the substance taken. Clever writing with great Octopus research, the next time I encounter an Octopus when I’m diving, I’ll take the time to say g’day. I’ll definitely read any further novels by Erin and absolutely recommend this one.