Scan barcode
A review by lilyrooke
Timberdark by Darren Charlton
3.0
Never having fitted in out in the wilderness, Peter's dream looks set to become reality as, after leaving Wranglestone, their isolated community prepare to re-enter society by trialling out modern life in town. But Peter's dream is his boyfriend Cooper's nightmare, and with Cooper's newfound connection to the Dead, Peter is faced with the prospect of gaining everything he ever wanted at the cost of losing the love of his life.
I'm so conflicted. Darren Charlton's writing is beautifully sparce; he is the master of leaving so much unsaid, which creates an incredible atmosphere of yearning almosts and is somehow quietly majestic, much like the expansive environment he renders with such acute precision in the early stages of this novel and throughout its predecessor, Wranglestone. Cooper and Peter are one of my favourite couples, and Cooper in particular transcends the page, despite his limited page-time and dialogue. I am disappointed the book moved in this direction, because it meant less time with Cooper and Peter together, and less focus on Cooper, which for me were some of the major strengths of Wranglestone. Leaving the natural setting, which allowed the author's prose to shine, was necessary for the events of the book, but for me limited my reading enjoyment.
The problem for me is that, in Timberdark, much of what the author does best is shunted off, leaving long periods of nothing very much at all. A little of this is enough to get the point across, I think, and I understand why there needed to be demonstrations of how soul-sapping life in town is for both Cooper and Peter, in different ways. But alongside this, I felt there needed to be 'something' going on, something to tie the story together - a rise and fall of tension, interesting plot events. While the opening is stunning, the ending felt rushed and heavy-handed, because the whole middle section of the book seemed to be wasted in directionless sketches of ideas that didn't come together.
What I will say is that these books are powerful, resonant, and thought-provoking. While I'm frustrated at the choices made to take the story in this direction after Wranglestone, it's also the case that I want to re-read both, and immerse myself back into this world. There are interesting real-world metaphors to be drawn with the Dead... I couldn't help but think of mass commutes in parallel with the Dead migrating. But I also think the message the novel sends at the end is too simplistic.
Yes, one could go off and live in a tent in the forest forever, and it would be beautiful. and you would feel more alive. and it would be nice not to sit in an office and be told what to do by anyone. But what if you can't do that because your government doesn't allow you and your soulmate to live in the same country without working visas and an impossibly high level of income for your profession? Where are you supposed to go to be truly happy, when you must compromise? The novel presents impossibly simple answers to highly complex questions, and I think that does a disservice to the potential thematic depth of the series. Much of the final act would not feel out of place in 'Goodbye, Things' by Fumio Sasaki or any work by The Minimalists. I think I was hoping for something more nuanced, but perhaps that's unfair, given the uncompromising attitude of Cooper, especially, which I do love.
Ultimately, I think I can't help but wonder how this story could have been different, because the author writes so well, and the characters are so strong, and I just wish Timberdark had been a different book. It's one of those sequels where you didn't know what you were hoping for until you read it and realise... that's not it.
I'm so conflicted. Darren Charlton's writing is beautifully sparce; he is the master of leaving so much unsaid, which creates an incredible atmosphere of yearning almosts and is somehow quietly majestic, much like the expansive environment he renders with such acute precision in the early stages of this novel and throughout its predecessor, Wranglestone. Cooper and Peter are one of my favourite couples, and Cooper in particular transcends the page, despite his limited page-time and dialogue. I am disappointed the book moved in this direction, because it meant less time with Cooper and Peter together, and less focus on Cooper, which for me were some of the major strengths of Wranglestone. Leaving the natural setting, which allowed the author's prose to shine, was necessary for the events of the book, but for me limited my reading enjoyment.
The problem for me is that, in Timberdark, much of what the author does best is shunted off, leaving long periods of nothing very much at all. A little of this is enough to get the point across, I think, and I understand why there needed to be demonstrations of how soul-sapping life in town is for both Cooper and Peter, in different ways. But alongside this, I felt there needed to be 'something' going on, something to tie the story together - a rise and fall of tension, interesting plot events. While the opening is stunning, the ending felt rushed and heavy-handed, because the whole middle section of the book seemed to be wasted in directionless sketches of ideas that didn't come together.
What I will say is that these books are powerful, resonant, and thought-provoking. While I'm frustrated at the choices made to take the story in this direction after Wranglestone, it's also the case that I want to re-read both, and immerse myself back into this world. There are interesting real-world metaphors to be drawn with the Dead... I couldn't help but think of mass commutes in parallel with the Dead migrating. But I also think the message the novel sends at the end is too simplistic.
Yes, one could go off and live in a tent in the forest forever, and it would be beautiful. and you would feel more alive. and it would be nice not to sit in an office and be told what to do by anyone. But what if you can't do that because your government doesn't allow you and your soulmate to live in the same country without working visas and an impossibly high level of income for your profession? Where are you supposed to go to be truly happy, when you must compromise? The novel presents impossibly simple answers to highly complex questions, and I think that does a disservice to the potential thematic depth of the series. Much of the final act would not feel out of place in 'Goodbye, Things' by Fumio Sasaki or any work by The Minimalists. I think I was hoping for something more nuanced, but perhaps that's unfair, given the uncompromising attitude of Cooper, especially, which I do love.
Ultimately, I think I can't help but wonder how this story could have been different, because the author writes so well, and the characters are so strong, and I just wish Timberdark had been a different book. It's one of those sequels where you didn't know what you were hoping for until you read it and realise... that's not it.