A review by fox_at_the_circus
To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface by Olivia Laing

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

4.0

i love the atmosphere of this book. it is floating and dreamlike, in the sense that it feels pretty and tranquil on the surface, like lounging around in the grass on a hot lazy summer day, where you might go for a swim later, but you feel that there's something underneath, that might turn this into a nightmare at any moment. the way the author's current travels and the stories of the past flow into each other seamlessly adds to those vibes. and the writing style does, too. at times it reminded me of old sci-fi novels and with the modern dry humour it feels timeless. it lingers.
i like how the spaces between paragraphs is bigger than i am used to from other books, it gave me space and reminded me to think and digest after each paragraph.
i also was amazed by the opening sentences of each chapter, they just pulled me in and caught my attention right away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, and War