Imagine this: You are on holiday in Scotland and the rain is pouring down. Your basic cabin is blessed with mildew, a funny smell and non of the usual comforts, you have at home. That includes internet and phone connection. And there is very little to do, when it’s raining, so you are forced to spend quality time with your family for many hours in a row. Or spy on the neighbours. To top it all, your neighbour from hell is keeping the little community of cabins awake during the night by partying and loud music.
Sarah Moss sets the scene for Summerwater brilliantly. On this particularly rainy day, where the tension and claustrophobic feeling steadily increases over the day, we follow family members in six different cabins. Or rather we follow the thoughts of the family members, which are written in a stream-of-consciousness style. I loved it.
Sarah Moss portrays utterly recognisable characters representing different stages of life: The young mother who unexpectedly gets an hour to herself without children and husband and stresses over, how she best can utilise her short stint of freedom; the bored teenagers, who don’t want to be on holiday with their families in this godforsaken place; the middle-aged women who is obsessed with running and keeping fit; the young couple on the brink of settling down and the elderly couple realising there are things they just can’t do anymore. All the characters are superbly drawn, with great observational skills, a sharp pen, sensitivity and exquisite humour (I laughed out loud when reading Millie’s chapter).
These white middle-class families are all bothered by the loud music keeping them awake during the night. Like in Ghost Wall, there is an underlying Brexit theme going on in Summerwater, with people in the cabin park showing biases – acknowledged or unacknowledged – towards the partying Eastern European family. The latter family never get a voice of their own; they are the only ones whose viewpoint, we never get to hear.
The building tension culminates in a rather dramatic finale. The change from slow and introspective character study to action-filled drama felt abrupt and unharmonic. To me the Brexit theme wasn’t particularly interesting. What I loved was Moss’ superb character portraits. So the ending came a bit out of the blue.
In an interview, Sarah Moss said she started to write Summerwater after an unsuccessful stay in a cabin park (they ended up going home after one rainy day) and it was rather late in the writing process, the Brexit theme came up. I think this shows; the novella didn’t feel particularly rounded.
However, I can easily forgive that. I adored Moss’ writing. Her character study of this subset of British people was funny and spot on and her nature descriptions were poetic and foreboding at the same time. Add to that an ability to build an atmosphere, which is second to none. 4 1/2 stars.
Title: Summerwater Author: Sarah Moss Format: Audiobook, narrated by Morven Christie Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Summerwater was the first book in my official summer reading – and what a start!
Great review! Moss really does write characters so well.
Indeed! This one really surprised me positively. 😊
Oh dear, if I admit that I abandoned this can we still be friends? It fell into the short but not short enough category for me – I hated those tedious stream of consciousness personality portraits – they all seemed so miserable and self-obsessed! And all that rain! But it was her obsession with people pooing and peeing that did for me in the end. Really, how Dickens managed to write all his books without once mentioning people’s toilet habits – think how successful he could have been if only he’d described how loudly or quietly Nicholas Nickleby peed…
Glad you enjoyed it though! 😉
This comment made me laugh! Have to say I prefer not to read about anyone’s toilet habits, best left to the imagination, if one wishes to imagine.
Haha, of course we can still be friends. It’s always nice, when people who disagree with me comment as well (if they don’t bash me 😉). I sometimes worry if I criticise a popular book such as Crime and Punishment and nobody disagrees with me. Is it because the review came across as offensive or people just don’t like to disagree? Anyway, I know you are happy to state your opinion. 😁 Actually, I did have a feeling, you might not get along with Summerwater. Probably the stuff you really disliked was what I enjoyed (minus the peeing… 😆).
Picked up a sample!
Ah, let me know what you think!
Wonderful review, thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!
I feel as if I’ve been on that particular holiday! I’ve added this book to my list 🙂
Yes, I had that feeling after having read the book. Moss’ descriptions and her ability to create an atmosphere really drew me in. Hope you will enjoy it, if you decide to pick it up!
I haven’t read anything by Sarah Moss but will certainly add this to my list, thank you!
This was my second book by her, but I guarantee you, it won’t be the last! 🙂
This was a beautiful review and you’ve definitely made me want to read this book! 🙂
Aww thanks, it really was a wonderful books!
Sounds like a great summer read. I’m so tempted.
It was a great summer read, even if I hope, I’ll never experience a summer holiday like that. 😆
I have a lot of time for Sarah Moss and agree that her writing is of the highest quality. Signs for Lost Children is one of my all-time favourite novels. (Not sure if it would be your type of book but I do recommend it.) I will get to this one eventually but if I’m honest, I’m not looking for politics when I choose a novel and it makes me wary. There’s enough political stuff to read already – novels serve a different purpose for me!
I am going to look into her back catalogue, since both Ghost Wall and Summerwater have impressed me thoroughly. Is Signs for Lost Children part of a series? I don’t really look for politics in my reading either, but even the xenophobia theme was relatively down-toned. Or perhaps I didn’t pay much attention, because I was so absorbed in the characters. I hope you will get to read it sooner or later, it really was a wonderful book.
I will definitely read it! Lost Children is the 3rd in a loose trilogy. I read it without knowing that and loved it but I can see that the back stories would add to the enjoyment of the book. It’s historical and possibly not to your taste – Cornwall, Japan & lighthouses mixed with women’s mental health, early women doctors and a young couple separated in the early days of their marriage. Many themes yet a slow poetic read. I shall read all her work – eventually!
I thought it might be part of a trilogy, but good to know, it can be read as a stand-alone. Most likely, I want to read this one, even if you think, I may not like it 😊 but perhaps I’ll download an extract before getting the book. Ideally, I would like to read all her work as well.
Sounds like great writing! Thanks for your review
It really was! You’re welcome. 😊
You have me so pleased I bought this one, Stargazer. I can’t wait to read this immersive story. Terrific review!
Oh, you really have something to look forward to. Hope you will enjoy is as much as I did! 😊
Yeah I read this one not too long ago …. and I didn’t see the dramatic finale coming at all. There wasn’t a whole lot of action in the book but I liked the writing too. Here is my review of it at: https://www.thecuecard.com/books/april-showers-bring/
No, the dramatic finale came a bit out of the blue , didn’t it? Still, I was very impressed by the story overall.
I loved Ghost Wall! Looks like I’m gonna wanna read this too! Love books with great character study and atmospheric as well. Great review as always!
I thinks, it’s quite different compared to Ghost Wall, but the atmospheric writing is still there. I’m really keen to read more of her writing, apparently she has a new novel coming out soon.
Like FictionFan sadly I was disappointed by this one and it was my first Sara Moss novel, so double disappointment as I’d read good things about her previous works. On top of that I listened to her speak at the Edinburgh festival and so drawn in by that promise one gets on listening to an author speak. But the location, the weather, the reservedness, the pessimism, and finally the prejudice – of going inside every family except one, was just too much.
My usual fare is to seek voices outside the British/American mainstream, so possibly I’m a little more critical when I do go back there – it has to be really worth it.
I am sorry, you didn’t get on with this one. Probably, the writing style is quite divisive with people either loving it or not getting on at all. I’ve only read two of her books, but I’ve got the impression that her novels are quite different from each other, so perhaps you’ll get on better with some of the older ones. Or perhaps she just isn’t for you.
It’s interesting that you tend to go outside the British / American mainsteam. I look forward to follow your blog and get some inspiration. Admittedly, many of my reads are within the mainstream sphere.
I try, but by the end if the year it’s always the case that they’re the more dominant, without being conscious of it though, it’s too easy to be swayed by the dominant media/publishing houses. Following blogs rather than relying on media reviews helps immensely. However I’ve seen how publishers are quick to pick up that now too, so they tend to entice much of the blogging community towards their titles.
You are right, it seems like bloggers and influencers have become an important part of the marketing strategy.