Whale Fall

Succinct use of language, strikingly direct dialogue but still lyrical and full of hope against a backdrop of loss and disappointment among all residents and special discouragement among the women and the young. This tale is set on a remote Welsh island located a near full century in time but only ten miles distant from the mainland. The gifted young woman protagonist confronts constant difficulties and much despair among the four dozen residents of the island, including herself. When two mainland academics come to document life of island residents this poetic saga becomes a story of human spirit and determination. You will be glad to have experienced this book.

As an anthropology major, I was excited to read this story about a young woman who encounters two ethnographers interested in researching her island culture. Yet, the ethnographers heavily exoticize our protagonist and the people who live on this fictional Welsh island. They are also quite condescending at times to the villagers. The people who reside on this island are not some untouched civilization and their customs are not backwards or static. I also empathized with our protagonist’s desire to go to the mainland and make something out of her life.That being said, even though this was a short book, it was quite slow throughout. I was interested in how the arrival of the newcomers impacted Manod’s life, but it wasn’t exactly riveting material either. You can kind of predict how the story is going to conclude but I did think the ending was fitting. Overall, Whale Fall is an intriguing novel but its languishing pace might not appeal to everyone.

Excellent book. Almost a poem. I loved it.

I found the novel enjoyable, as told from the perspective of the main character; a look at a small island in Wales just before the second world war.