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A review by silverliningsandpages
Dark Water by Elizabeth Lowry
4.0
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“In every life, I now believe, there is one event that is the well-spring of the fundamental agony and decision in us. It lies beneath the sunlit layers of the present moment, throwing its shade across the foundations of our being, forming the self to come. If grasped and brought to the surface, it can save us or destroy us.”
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Boston, 1833
.
After an eventful and nightmarish stint as ship’s doctor on the USS Orbis, Carver’s path crosses again with that of the legendary sailor William Borden. This time though they are psychiatrist and patient in an asylum.
.
This is a melancholic, fascinating gothic story which explores truth, knowing, not knowing and not wanting to know. The narrator is unreliable, and many people and things are not what they seem. It’s a claustrophobic novel that really delves into the murky hidden depths of the mind and heart, the “dark water”. It challenges readers to consider what “insanity” is, its spectrum and whether the “insane” characters are closer to knowledge than their doctors. Ultimately this is a clever, compelling and cautionary novel about obsessive ambition, and the nature of heroism and sacrifice. The research behind the book has obviously been meticulous; I’ve learned quite a bit about maratime matters and the portrayal of the asylum was very insightful. I enjoyed this immensely and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic fiction. .
“In every life, I now believe, there is one event that is the well-spring of the fundamental agony and decision in us. It lies beneath the sunlit layers of the present moment, throwing its shade across the foundations of our being, forming the self to come. If grasped and brought to the surface, it can save us or destroy us.”
.
Boston, 1833
.
After an eventful and nightmarish stint as ship’s doctor on the USS Orbis, Carver’s path crosses again with that of the legendary sailor William Borden. This time though they are psychiatrist and patient in an asylum.
.
This is a melancholic, fascinating gothic story which explores truth, knowing, not knowing and not wanting to know. The narrator is unreliable, and many people and things are not what they seem. It’s a claustrophobic novel that really delves into the murky hidden depths of the mind and heart, the “dark water”. It challenges readers to consider what “insanity” is, its spectrum and whether the “insane” characters are closer to knowledge than their doctors. Ultimately this is a clever, compelling and cautionary novel about obsessive ambition, and the nature of heroism and sacrifice. The research behind the book has obviously been meticulous; I’ve learned quite a bit about maratime matters and the portrayal of the asylum was very insightful. I enjoyed this immensely and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic fiction. .