Call number
FICT MOZ
Collection
Genres
Publication
Algonquin Books (2017), Edition: First Edition, 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML: FINALIST FOR THE 2017 MAN BOOKER PRIZE **The Guardian Best Books of 2017 * December Indie Next Pick * Amazon Best of the Month * Amazon Debut Spotlight * PEOPLE Magazine BOOK OF THE WEEK** "Beguiling . . . A lyrical and mythic work . . . Mozley's sheer storytelling confidence sends the reader sailing." �??New York Times "A quiet explosion of a book, exquisite and unforgettable." �??The Economist "Part fairy tale, part coming-of-age story, part revenge tragedy with literary connections, Mozley's first novel is a shape-shifting, lyrical, but dark parable of life off the grid in modern Britain. Mozley's instantaneous success . . . is a response to the stylish intensity of her work, which boldly winds multiple genres into a rich spinning top of a tale."�??Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The family thought the little house they had made themselves in Elmet, a corner of Yorkshire, was theirs, that their peaceful, self-sufficient life was safe. Cathy and Daniel roamed the woods freely, occasionally visiting a local woman for some schooling, living outside all conventions. Their father built things and hunted, working with his hands; sometimes he would disappear, forced to do secret, brutal work for money, but to them he was a gentle protector. Narrated by Daniel after a catastrophic event has occurred, Elmet mesmerizes even as it becomes clear the family's solitary idyll will not last. When a local landowner shows up on their doorstep, their precarious existence is threatened, their innocence lost. Daddy and Cathy, both of them fierce, strong, and unyielding, set out to protect themselves and their neighbors, putting into motion a chain of events that can only end in violence. As rich, wild, dark, and beautiful as its Yorkshire setting, Elmet is a gripping debut about life on the margins and the power�??and limits�??of famil… (more)
Media reviews
Fiona Mozley’s Man Booker-longlisted debut is an elemental, contemporary rural noir steeped in the literature and legend of the Yorkshire landscape and its medieval history...Elmet possesses a rich and unfussy lyricism....Elmet belongs to a strain of northern British gothic that mirrors the
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variety that has long held sway in the southern states of the US. The gothic has always returned to us what we repress, whether that be monks hiding in priest holes or bodies buried in swamps...The embedding of such myths in the language and landscape of Hughes, dragged down from the moorland and into the woods, makes for a scarred, black gem. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member EBT1002
If a great read is marked by the reader's desire to return to it and by the sense that one is immersed in the story even when one is doing other things, [Elmet] is a great novel. It's not a perfect novel and, especially at the end, I was left wondering about Mozley's motivation, but the characters
She rolled a cigarette for me too and lit it with a match from her top jacket pocket before turning the match to the end of the roll-up she was holding between her lips. I inhaled as deeply as was comfortable and blew my smoke in the direction of my sister and up into the night air."
and this one:
"The soft, wet moss on the woodland floor and the sallow bark of the ash smelt more familiar this morning than ever before. Birds in the branches and the small mammals in the undergrowth kept the silence with us, though I saw shining eyes and flickering indigo feathers through apertures in the leaves."
The story is an odd one: teenagers Daniel and Cathy live with their father, whom they call Daddy, in a hand-built cabin in a copse in Elmet, the "badlands" of York described by Ted Hughes in [Remains of Elmet] (and quoted on the frontispiece of this novel). Set in modern times, it has the feel of a medieval drama and that is clearly intentional. Such are the author's themes: the timelessness of the earth and family, but also of avarice and the wretched violence it breeds. Blending tribute to the natural world with a vividly visceral story, the novel kept me enthralled.
Still, it's not a perfect work, either. Young Daniel's relationship with Vivien, an older woman who introduces him to the pleasures of reading, art, and the soft life they offer, never quite rings true and, in at least one place, it simply offers distraction. Daniel is certainly a young man coming of age and his vague discovery of his own sexuality is a reasonable sub-plot but Mozley doesn't carry it off effectively. For that, she loses a whole star rating but definitely not my overall appreciation of a notable debut novel.
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are bold and brash, the story (implausible though it is, but that rarely bothers me) compelling and knife-sharp, the language often stirring. Mozley's ability to describe is evident, such as in this otherwise mundane passage:She rolled a cigarette for me too and lit it with a match from her top jacket pocket before turning the match to the end of the roll-up she was holding between her lips. I inhaled as deeply as was comfortable and blew my smoke in the direction of my sister and up into the night air."
and this one:
"The soft, wet moss on the woodland floor and the sallow bark of the ash smelt more familiar this morning than ever before. Birds in the branches and the small mammals in the undergrowth kept the silence with us, though I saw shining eyes and flickering indigo feathers through apertures in the leaves."
The story is an odd one: teenagers Daniel and Cathy live with their father, whom they call Daddy, in a hand-built cabin in a copse in Elmet, the "badlands" of York described by Ted Hughes in [Remains of Elmet] (and quoted on the frontispiece of this novel). Set in modern times, it has the feel of a medieval drama and that is clearly intentional. Such are the author's themes: the timelessness of the earth and family, but also of avarice and the wretched violence it breeds. Blending tribute to the natural world with a vividly visceral story, the novel kept me enthralled.
Still, it's not a perfect work, either. Young Daniel's relationship with Vivien, an older woman who introduces him to the pleasures of reading, art, and the soft life they offer, never quite rings true and, in at least one place, it simply offers distraction. Daniel is certainly a young man coming of age and his vague discovery of his own sexuality is a reasonable sub-plot but Mozley doesn't carry it off effectively. For that, she loses a whole star rating but definitely not my overall appreciation of a notable debut novel.
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LibraryThing member JosephCamilleri
Elmet was a surprise inclusion on the shortlist of the 2017 Man Booker Prize. Or perhaps, with hindsight, its success should not have been surprising at all. It is, in fact, a genuinely original debut novel.
The story is narrated by teenager Daniel, who lives in a rural area of Yorkshire with his
“Elmet” was the last Celtic kingdom of England, which later became part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The novel is headed by quote from “Remains of Elmet” by Ted Hughes, which describes the area as a “badlands – a sanctuary for refugees of the law”. The title therefore juxtaposes the contemporary setting of the novel against a more timeless, ancient landscape. There are other elements which invite a ‘mythical’ reading of the work. The repeated reference to John as “Daddy” suggest that he is more of an archetype than a flesh and blood character. The simple yet lyrical narrative voice suits the teenage narrator, but is also redolent of the poetic language of legend. There are also clear references to tales of Yorkshire outlaws, particularly “Robin Hood and his Merry Men”.
This contrast between the ancient and the new is interesting but it also gives rise to some inconsistencies. John is often given a romantic aura – although a violent man, he seems to follow an ancient moral code, one which is, at heart, decent, coupling a respect for nature and with attention to the needs of fellow man. However, this ‘code of honour’ sometimes sits uncomfortably with the evidently leftist-liberal worldview of the novel, which is presented in no unsubtle terms. John’s children, for instance, very evidently represent a contemporary view on gender - Cathy is a strong female warrior (literally) whilst John is, it is strongly suggested, gay. On the whole, it seems that John is fine with this which, frankly, does not seem altogether credible. Indeed, in one of the initial chapters, there is a passage that implies that Daddy’s feelings towards Cathy verge on the abusive and which contradicts the generally positive portrayal of this giant. And John’s moral code, despite his defiance of the “bad guys” such as Price, is not too different from theirs, one in which disputes are solved through violence.
In my view, the novel works best if one reads it for its lyrical, narrative flow, and the sustained undercurrent of tension and violence which explodes in the final pages. The ending is deliberately harrowing and graphic, and I caught myself squeamishly looking away from the book. Yet, it fits the novel and is by no means out of place. Like Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, also set in North England, Elmet explores contemporary concerns in a novel where the past seems to be continuously looking over our shoulders.
The story is narrated by teenager Daniel, who lives in a rural area of Yorkshire with his
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slightly older sister Cathy and John, the man they call Daddy. Daddy is a burly giant who has a reputation as a prize fighter and survives at the fringe of legality. His fighting skills are put to good (for that read “dubious”) use by debt-collectors and by organisers of illicit bare-knuckle fights. John and the children lead a somewhat nomadic life, especially after the death of the children’s grandmother. They move to a rural area of Yorkshire, where Daddy builds a house in a copse on land belonging to local landowner Price. This not only attracts the unwanted attention of Price (to whom Daddy seems to by mysteriously linked by past events) but also draws the enmity of powerful businessmen who see John as a threat. Daddy resists, and finds himself thrust forward as the champion of the downtrodden and exploited workers and tenants of the area.“Elmet” was the last Celtic kingdom of England, which later became part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The novel is headed by quote from “Remains of Elmet” by Ted Hughes, which describes the area as a “badlands – a sanctuary for refugees of the law”. The title therefore juxtaposes the contemporary setting of the novel against a more timeless, ancient landscape. There are other elements which invite a ‘mythical’ reading of the work. The repeated reference to John as “Daddy” suggest that he is more of an archetype than a flesh and blood character. The simple yet lyrical narrative voice suits the teenage narrator, but is also redolent of the poetic language of legend. There are also clear references to tales of Yorkshire outlaws, particularly “Robin Hood and his Merry Men”.
This contrast between the ancient and the new is interesting but it also gives rise to some inconsistencies. John is often given a romantic aura – although a violent man, he seems to follow an ancient moral code, one which is, at heart, decent, coupling a respect for nature and with attention to the needs of fellow man. However, this ‘code of honour’ sometimes sits uncomfortably with the evidently leftist-liberal worldview of the novel, which is presented in no unsubtle terms. John’s children, for instance, very evidently represent a contemporary view on gender - Cathy is a strong female warrior (literally) whilst John is, it is strongly suggested, gay. On the whole, it seems that John is fine with this which, frankly, does not seem altogether credible. Indeed, in one of the initial chapters, there is a passage that implies that Daddy’s feelings towards Cathy verge on the abusive and which contradicts the generally positive portrayal of this giant. And John’s moral code, despite his defiance of the “bad guys” such as Price, is not too different from theirs, one in which disputes are solved through violence.
In my view, the novel works best if one reads it for its lyrical, narrative flow, and the sustained undercurrent of tension and violence which explodes in the final pages. The ending is deliberately harrowing and graphic, and I caught myself squeamishly looking away from the book. Yet, it fits the novel and is by no means out of place. Like Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, also set in North England, Elmet explores contemporary concerns in a novel where the past seems to be continuously looking over our shoulders.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
Elmet by Fiona Mozley is a 2017 Algonquin Books publication.
This debut novel, shortlisted for the coveted Booker Prize, is an absorbing, intense novel of suspense, which draws from the mini-trend of highlighting the lives of those living ‘off grid’, hand to mouth, living off the land, shunning
Cathy and Daniel live with their father, a prize fighter, in the rural woods of Yorkshire. Cathy is practical, smart, and insightful- Daniel is a sensitive child who enjoys domestic chores, and art over the harsh realities of his world. He loves his father, accepts his occasional moodiness, and depends on his sister emotionally.
But, as the story opens, the reader knows that something has happened to upset the family dynamic, something that has separated them. As the story progresses, we know that whatever happened, it was catastrophic because this family is close, loyal, and definitely a firm unit, despite their unconventional lifestyle.
This story surprised me. I was mainly curious about it because of its award nominations and because it was a debut novel on top of that, and because the description of it remined me of several books I read last year that featured alpha male fathers keeping their children out of school, teaching them to survive in the wilderness, and how to hunt and live off the land, but in those books the sinister quality comes from within the family unit, but in this case, the alpha father is making the decision to live away from society to protect his children. So, knowing the threat is an outward one, and it won’t take long to figure out where the danger lies, which will give anyone a queasy feeling of unease. I was constantly preparing myself for that crescendo, but I never anticipated the hairpin curve the story would take.
The prose is stunning with strong gothic tones which had me constantly reminding myself I was not reading a historical novel and wondering how the author captured that atmosphere inside a setting I wouldn’t have associated with it. There are many themes explored with such a stinging reality, stated harshly and emphatically and unapologetically. Gender roles, class distinctions, and the struggle against poverty is brutally forced onto the pages while the vividly drawn characters spiral towards their unstoppable destinies.
Award nominees and winners often leave me feeling bewildered. I don’t understand, sometimes, what caused a book to stand out within the staid world of literary critics. I end up scratching my head, wondering why the book left me feeling so underwhelmed. But, in this case, the author and her writing made quite an impression on me, and for once, I understood why the book garnered such lavish praise.
Again, this is a book that may not appeal to a broad audience. It is not necessarily the most upbeat novel, but while there is a form of retribution, you don’t want to show up expecting everything all tied up in a nice neat little bow or expecting a warm and fuzzy happily ever after. Despite that, this journey is one I am glad I took. I’d go so far as to say it as powerful as it is unsettling and stayed with me long after I turned the final page. I will certainly keep an eye on this amazing writer!!
4 stars
This debut novel, shortlisted for the coveted Booker Prize, is an absorbing, intense novel of suspense, which draws from the mini-trend of highlighting the lives of those living ‘off grid’, hand to mouth, living off the land, shunning
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the traditional life embraced by most people.Cathy and Daniel live with their father, a prize fighter, in the rural woods of Yorkshire. Cathy is practical, smart, and insightful- Daniel is a sensitive child who enjoys domestic chores, and art over the harsh realities of his world. He loves his father, accepts his occasional moodiness, and depends on his sister emotionally.
But, as the story opens, the reader knows that something has happened to upset the family dynamic, something that has separated them. As the story progresses, we know that whatever happened, it was catastrophic because this family is close, loyal, and definitely a firm unit, despite their unconventional lifestyle.
This story surprised me. I was mainly curious about it because of its award nominations and because it was a debut novel on top of that, and because the description of it remined me of several books I read last year that featured alpha male fathers keeping their children out of school, teaching them to survive in the wilderness, and how to hunt and live off the land, but in those books the sinister quality comes from within the family unit, but in this case, the alpha father is making the decision to live away from society to protect his children. So, knowing the threat is an outward one, and it won’t take long to figure out where the danger lies, which will give anyone a queasy feeling of unease. I was constantly preparing myself for that crescendo, but I never anticipated the hairpin curve the story would take.
The prose is stunning with strong gothic tones which had me constantly reminding myself I was not reading a historical novel and wondering how the author captured that atmosphere inside a setting I wouldn’t have associated with it. There are many themes explored with such a stinging reality, stated harshly and emphatically and unapologetically. Gender roles, class distinctions, and the struggle against poverty is brutally forced onto the pages while the vividly drawn characters spiral towards their unstoppable destinies.
Award nominees and winners often leave me feeling bewildered. I don’t understand, sometimes, what caused a book to stand out within the staid world of literary critics. I end up scratching my head, wondering why the book left me feeling so underwhelmed. But, in this case, the author and her writing made quite an impression on me, and for once, I understood why the book garnered such lavish praise.
Again, this is a book that may not appeal to a broad audience. It is not necessarily the most upbeat novel, but while there is a form of retribution, you don’t want to show up expecting everything all tied up in a nice neat little bow or expecting a warm and fuzzy happily ever after. Despite that, this journey is one I am glad I took. I’d go so far as to say it as powerful as it is unsettling and stayed with me long after I turned the final page. I will certainly keep an eye on this amazing writer!!
4 stars
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LibraryThing member Carmenere
The land itself seems as medieval as the feuds which continue through the ages and is "Now pocked with clutches of trees, once the whole county had been woodland and the ghosts of the ancient forest could be marked when the wind blew. The soil was alive with ruptured stories that cascaded and
This novel is the perfect example of why I try not to give up on a book. Approximately 3/4's of Elmet is rather sluggish and fraught with the daily details of living like survivalists in a modern world. However, it lays the ground work for the explosive finish which is frightening and powerful!
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rotted then found form once more and pushed up through the undergrowth....". One of these ruptured stories involve siblings, Daniel and Cathy who live with their father on land once owned by their deceased mother. It is told from the perspective of Daniel who appears to be on the run and searching for his sister. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Cathy is a strong young lady who will fight to protect those she loves and her father, though a gentle man and loving father, will fight when it is necessary. Through the years, enemy lines are drawn and alliances formed. Will peace last or will old and semi-unclear feuds be recalled? What is clear is that the self sufficient lifestyle this family of three once lived in the wilderness will change. This novel is the perfect example of why I try not to give up on a book. Approximately 3/4's of Elmet is rather sluggish and fraught with the daily details of living like survivalists in a modern world. However, it lays the ground work for the explosive finish which is frightening and powerful!
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
This is a story set in Elmet which is a part of England with a bit of history of lawlessness. It is a Robin Hood type a place, a place where you can live off the grid. Daddy and his daughter Cathy and son Daniel live there in a house that they built and they live off the land. They make due. The
It’s a dark story, told by the boy who is young but often it feels that he might be telling this story as if he is looking back and seeing it as an older person. There is no law here in Elmet unless it is what you take it into your own hands. Cathy learns that no one is going to listen to her when she reports bad behavior and so she knows it is up to her to take care of things.
I’ve read some reviews and agree with those points that the narrator seems older than his years. That there was inconsistencies but I didn’t particularly notice them. I ended up liking this debut story inspire of the problems with the characters and the inconsistencies. I felt the ending fit the story.
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kids are not going to school, they drink, smoke and live a life that is very much out of the ordinary. It’s a dark story, told by the boy who is young but often it feels that he might be telling this story as if he is looking back and seeing it as an older person. There is no law here in Elmet unless it is what you take it into your own hands. Cathy learns that no one is going to listen to her when she reports bad behavior and so she knows it is up to her to take care of things.
I’ve read some reviews and agree with those points that the narrator seems older than his years. That there was inconsistencies but I didn’t particularly notice them. I ended up liking this debut story inspire of the problems with the characters and the inconsistencies. I felt the ending fit the story.
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LibraryThing member jon1lambert
Well, it didn't quite win the Booker Prize in the end. It started well but as it progressed I began to tire of big, strong Daddy and couldn't quite believe that Cathy was a murderer.
LibraryThing member hubblegal
15-year-old Cathy and 13-year-old Daniel have been living with their grandmother but when she dies, their father moves them to a land to which their family has some ties and builds a home for them there. Their father, John, is a huge, strong man who sometimes will enter into a prize fight to earn
I’m feeling very conflicted about how I feel about this book. So many parts of it are 5 stars for me. And yet I’m left with too much confusion. I usually don’t mind a book that doesn’t tie up all the loose ends. But this one just leaves me with far too many questions. It’s almost skeletal in nature, the bare bones of the story. And yet I couldn’t tear myself away, compulsively wanting to know more. I think I would like to re-read this book in time but read it with the knowledge that it’s partly a surreal fairy tale. I think my first reading had too much of a realistic outlook and that’s why I was left hung up on many of the details.
It’s gorgeously written, intensely suspenseful and very moving.
Shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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some money. He once worked as an enforcer for Mr. Price, the evil landlord of the story. While there’s a violent side to John, there also is a very gentle one. Their secluded life is fractured when Price starts questioning their right to remain on this land.I’m feeling very conflicted about how I feel about this book. So many parts of it are 5 stars for me. And yet I’m left with too much confusion. I usually don’t mind a book that doesn’t tie up all the loose ends. But this one just leaves me with far too many questions. It’s almost skeletal in nature, the bare bones of the story. And yet I couldn’t tear myself away, compulsively wanting to know more. I think I would like to re-read this book in time but read it with the knowledge that it’s partly a surreal fairy tale. I think my first reading had too much of a realistic outlook and that’s why I was left hung up on many of the details.
It’s gorgeously written, intensely suspenseful and very moving.
Shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
Elmet, a place of sanctuary, and for Cathy, Danny and their father, for a short while it was. They built on land their mother had once owned, but did no longer, near a copse and woods. They hunted,fished and used whatever the land provided. They didn't have much but they were happy, basically
"Spring that came with a rush of color, a blanket of light, u filling insects and absent, missed prodigal birds on this prevailing sou'westerly."
Their father was a large man, an unbeatable fighter, and when money was needed this is what he did, he used to use this skill to collect rents for Me. Price, but no longer. The land now belonged to Mr.Price and he only wanted to take and squeeze the most out of those who worked for him. The haves and the havenots, once again in battle, an unending cycle. He wanted, Danny's father to collect for him, and if he refused he would be thrown off his land.
"Coxswain was one of Prices friends. It was Price's landline all the land around here and Coxswain held it, ran the farm, worked the labourers hard for a tener a day and dobbed them in to the Dole office if they complained."
So a lovely place, an temporary idyll is turned into a place of violence, and the before and after is jarring. Beauty next to horror. Narrated by young Danny the story becomes even more poignant, a story of a particular time and place, a story that is told in beautiful language of a time that will not come again for this young family. From the calm beginning the tension is increased by increments ,by events, until it becomes clear that their will be a day off reckoning and a young boy will be left to wonder. Yet, how this comes about is surprising, and unexpected. What an amazing talent this author is,her first book and it makes the Booker's short list. I can definitely see why.
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content. The descriptions of this natural setting are glorious, beautifully done,the changing seasons,"Spring that came with a rush of color, a blanket of light, u filling insects and absent, missed prodigal birds on this prevailing sou'westerly."
Their father was a large man, an unbeatable fighter, and when money was needed this is what he did, he used to use this skill to collect rents for Me. Price, but no longer. The land now belonged to Mr.Price and he only wanted to take and squeeze the most out of those who worked for him. The haves and the havenots, once again in battle, an unending cycle. He wanted, Danny's father to collect for him, and if he refused he would be thrown off his land.
"Coxswain was one of Prices friends. It was Price's landline all the land around here and Coxswain held it, ran the farm, worked the labourers hard for a tener a day and dobbed them in to the Dole office if they complained."
So a lovely place, an temporary idyll is turned into a place of violence, and the before and after is jarring. Beauty next to horror. Narrated by young Danny the story becomes even more poignant, a story of a particular time and place, a story that is told in beautiful language of a time that will not come again for this young family. From the calm beginning the tension is increased by increments ,by events, until it becomes clear that their will be a day off reckoning and a young boy will be left to wonder. Yet, how this comes about is surprising, and unexpected. What an amazing talent this author is,her first book and it makes the Booker's short list. I can definitely see why.
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Beautifully written.
We are fortunate enough to have one of the Short Listed Booker Prize winners coming to our Lit Fest in March, so it seemed churlish not to read her book for our book group. I'll confess now, that I tend to run a mile from any Booker Prize novel and the nearer it is to the
The author has a wonderful way with words and her main characters are beautifully drawn.
Daddy was a complete contradiction; to the villagers he was a huge hulk of a man with unbeaten fighting fists, to his children he was a gentle giant who built his hen coop adjoining the house so the fowl could share their heat. He decorated a tree in the forest with real candles for Christmas. When it burned down, Daddy insisted they move it one final time before burning it, in case any little creatures had made their homes below in its warmth.
Daniel, or Danny, was the narrator, he was a quiet boy, thoughtful and studious.
Cathy, Danny's older sister, took after her father, brawny and independent, her strength was deceptive. As Danny said "I had an inside sort of head, she had an outside sort of head."
The children had lived with their father and grandmother, while their fay mother came and went, to no rules. More often than not she was absent and when she reappeared she often slept for days. After the grandmother died, Daddy brought them to a piece of unused land and they built their own house in the woods. This felt very much of the early last century, but it was actually much more recent times, so it's no great surprise that eventually someone came along and claimed the land. Their peaceful, isolated existence is shattered and events hurtle out of control.
When we meet Daniel at the beginning of the book, he is wandering along a railway line searching for his sister.
A review of Elmet would not be complete without at least a couple of the beautiful quotes:
"The dawn erupted from a bud of mauve half-light and bloomed bloody as I woke." (Loc 2004).
"I did not know about etiquette, nor about the correct and proper ways in which men and women should conduct themselves. Nor did I have any understanding that there were parts of the the body that held a different worth, a different kind of value or category." (Loc 1697).
I'm so glad I read this, it was a real joy, and although it seems to get varied responses, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, character driven book, but doesn't require that every page is action packed.
We are fortunate enough to have one of the Short Listed Booker Prize winners coming to our Lit Fest in March, so it seemed churlish not to read her book for our book group. I'll confess now, that I tend to run a mile from any Booker Prize novel and the nearer it is to the
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winner, the further I run. However, one of our members had read this and recommended it, so we gave it a go. It got a very varied response within our group so I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the way it was written, in spite of the fact that not a lot happened.The author has a wonderful way with words and her main characters are beautifully drawn.
Daddy was a complete contradiction; to the villagers he was a huge hulk of a man with unbeaten fighting fists, to his children he was a gentle giant who built his hen coop adjoining the house so the fowl could share their heat. He decorated a tree in the forest with real candles for Christmas. When it burned down, Daddy insisted they move it one final time before burning it, in case any little creatures had made their homes below in its warmth.
Daniel, or Danny, was the narrator, he was a quiet boy, thoughtful and studious.
Cathy, Danny's older sister, took after her father, brawny and independent, her strength was deceptive. As Danny said "I had an inside sort of head, she had an outside sort of head."
The children had lived with their father and grandmother, while their fay mother came and went, to no rules. More often than not she was absent and when she reappeared she often slept for days. After the grandmother died, Daddy brought them to a piece of unused land and they built their own house in the woods. This felt very much of the early last century, but it was actually much more recent times, so it's no great surprise that eventually someone came along and claimed the land. Their peaceful, isolated existence is shattered and events hurtle out of control.
When we meet Daniel at the beginning of the book, he is wandering along a railway line searching for his sister.
A review of Elmet would not be complete without at least a couple of the beautiful quotes:
"The dawn erupted from a bud of mauve half-light and bloomed bloody as I woke." (Loc 2004).
"I did not know about etiquette, nor about the correct and proper ways in which men and women should conduct themselves. Nor did I have any understanding that there were parts of the the body that held a different worth, a different kind of value or category." (Loc 1697).
I'm so glad I read this, it was a real joy, and although it seems to get varied responses, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, character driven book, but doesn't require that every page is action packed.
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LibraryThing member chrisblocker
When the Man Booker Prize judges name an unknown debut novelist, it's advisable to take notice. And when the named novel makes the shortlist, you can know you've found a new author worth paying attention to.
Fiona Mozley's Elmet is a finely-crafted moody story. The tale focuses on a father and his
Mozley wonderfully draws the rugged Yorkshire setting. The language throughout this novel is beautiful and vivid, but keeps with the atmosphere of the rural setting. Whether the characters occupy the surrounding woods or their own living room, the descriptions are always organic, yet crushing (like the forest).
[Daddy] led Cathy and me by our hands through the narrow corridors of our school. The ceilings were low and lit by halogen strip bulbs that flickered and shone the same colour as the magnolia pain on the walls, making it appear as if the light were emanating from the plaster. The only windows were long and thing and tucked just beneath the ceiling, well above the heads of the children who walked up and down these corridors so that when they looked up and out into the world beyond all they could see was the sky. On that day the sky was a mesh of criss-crossed grey and white cords being ripped and tugged and frayed by colliding winds.
Elmet may feel a bit light in the middle as the bulk of the story rests on the opening chapters and the ever-expected conclusion. Once the story comes full circle, one can see the necessity for the slow build in the middle. This is a story that doesn't rely heavily on being overly ornate or on the use of tricks. It hits hard at times, but not at the risk of losing its heart or voice.
Fans of Winter's Bone and His Bloody Project may appreciate the dark atmosphere of Elmet. The author gifts the reader with a bit more sensitivity than you might find in other similar tales, but that should not be a deterrent to any reader searching for a contemporary tragedy. This is a dark tale, but one that doesn't lose sight of its themes, love, honor, and devotion.
Fiona Mozley's Elmet is a finely-crafted moody story. The tale focuses on a father and his
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two children, Cathy and Daniel. The story is told from Daniel's perspective which is an excellent choice for a narrator. Daniel is unique and interesting; although he is central to the story, he exists largely as an observer. It's what happens to those closest to Daniel that truly propels the story.Mozley wonderfully draws the rugged Yorkshire setting. The language throughout this novel is beautiful and vivid, but keeps with the atmosphere of the rural setting. Whether the characters occupy the surrounding woods or their own living room, the descriptions are always organic, yet crushing (like the forest).
[Daddy] led Cathy and me by our hands through the narrow corridors of our school. The ceilings were low and lit by halogen strip bulbs that flickered and shone the same colour as the magnolia pain on the walls, making it appear as if the light were emanating from the plaster. The only windows were long and thing and tucked just beneath the ceiling, well above the heads of the children who walked up and down these corridors so that when they looked up and out into the world beyond all they could see was the sky. On that day the sky was a mesh of criss-crossed grey and white cords being ripped and tugged and frayed by colliding winds.
Elmet may feel a bit light in the middle as the bulk of the story rests on the opening chapters and the ever-expected conclusion. Once the story comes full circle, one can see the necessity for the slow build in the middle. This is a story that doesn't rely heavily on being overly ornate or on the use of tricks. It hits hard at times, but not at the risk of losing its heart or voice.
Fans of Winter's Bone and His Bloody Project may appreciate the dark atmosphere of Elmet. The author gifts the reader with a bit more sensitivity than you might find in other similar tales, but that should not be a deterrent to any reader searching for a contemporary tragedy. This is a dark tale, but one that doesn't lose sight of its themes, love, honor, and devotion.
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LibraryThing member lisapeet
A dark fairy tale set in a just-barely contemporary England, thick with beautiful woodsy descriptions and a hovering anticipation of violence. Mozley just about out–Angela Carters Angela Carter, but there's also some Faulkner-level southern gothic at work (without the actual south). I liked it
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overall, though the Yorkshire dialect set my teeth on edge sometimes. But I'm always a sucker for a green-wood fable, and this put an interesting and unique spin on it, so I approve. Show Less
LibraryThing member strandbooks
I'm giving Elmet 5 stars. It was a 2017 Man Booker short list nominee. It's very similar to History of Wolves -- both debut novels by a young female author, nature plays a big role (northern England in Elmet, northern MN in History of Wolves), coming of age story of teens living with parents off
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the grid, intense plot climax at the very end. Overall I liked Elmet more than History of Wolves, but both are worth reading. The characters, especially the adults, are more developed. It will be interesting to see what both authors write next. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaDeNiscia
Patient story telling beautifully written.
LibraryThing member starbox
"Daddy was both more vicious and more kind than any leviathan of the ocean"
By sally tarbox on 30 April 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
The epigraph tells us that Elmet was the last independent Celtic kingdom in England...for centuries a 'badlands' and sanctuary from the law.
This memorable novel is set in
Teenage narrator Danny and his older sister live with their father, a feral world of self-sufficiency. They don't fit into the community- Cathy's complaints of ill-treatment at school are dismissed: "they're nice boys". Daddy is a bare-knuckle fighter, huge, apparently a gentle giant to his children, yet with an inner requirement for brutality: "your Daddy needs it. The violence. I wouldn't say he enjoys it, even, but he needs it. It quenches him."
In a world of travellers and corrupt landowners, events build to a horrific and unexpected crescendo...
Poetic, with beautiful descriptions of the rural landscape, yet unsparing of the darker side of life, this was a worthy Booker prize nominee.
By sally tarbox on 30 April 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
The epigraph tells us that Elmet was the last independent Celtic kingdom in England...for centuries a 'badlands' and sanctuary from the law.
This memorable novel is set in
Show More
this part of Yorkshire; though it's a 21st century world, it feels ancient, timeless, brutal.Teenage narrator Danny and his older sister live with their father, a feral world of self-sufficiency. They don't fit into the community- Cathy's complaints of ill-treatment at school are dismissed: "they're nice boys". Daddy is a bare-knuckle fighter, huge, apparently a gentle giant to his children, yet with an inner requirement for brutality: "your Daddy needs it. The violence. I wouldn't say he enjoys it, even, but he needs it. It quenches him."
In a world of travellers and corrupt landowners, events build to a horrific and unexpected crescendo...
Poetic, with beautiful descriptions of the rural landscape, yet unsparing of the darker side of life, this was a worthy Booker prize nominee.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
I'm not sure what to make of Elmet. It's an odd book, set in the rural English countryside, and told from the point of view of a boy growing up, who has an older sister and a father who is living off the grid. They've built a house in a quiet copse and are living close to nature, poaching a bit,
There's an overwhelming sense of peril shadowing this novel. Fiona Mozley does a brilliant job of both describing the natural world and of hinting at the danger to come. This isn't a book that obeys the usual patterns and if you need to have all your questions answered by the end of a novel, you may want to skip this one. But if you enjoy well-written novels that do things differently, you'll like Elmet.
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trading for other things. Daniel's father is a large man who earned money for a time beating up men, some in illegal prize fights, others for wealthy men willing to pay. It's not long before their quiet life is threatened. There's an overwhelming sense of peril shadowing this novel. Fiona Mozley does a brilliant job of both describing the natural world and of hinting at the danger to come. This isn't a book that obeys the usual patterns and if you need to have all your questions answered by the end of a novel, you may want to skip this one. But if you enjoy well-written novels that do things differently, you'll like Elmet.
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LibraryThing member icolford
The action of Elmet (the title refers to an independent Brittonic kingdom of uncertain borders that various historical documents situate in the Yorkshire region from the 5th to the early 7th century), Fiona Mozley’s Booker Prize-shortlisted debut novel, takes place in modern England, but well out
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of range of modern society. Our narrator is Daniel, 13 years old. Daniel lives in a house in the Yorkshire woods that he, his sister Cathy, 15, and their father John (whom the children always refer to as Daddy) built with their own hands. It is by their father’s choice that the family lives a low-tech, self-sustaining life off the grid. John’s wife, the children’s mother, is not present: presumably alive, but elsewhere. The children do not attend school and freely roam the countryside, though they do spend time with a friend/neighbour named Vivien, whose lessons take the form of a wide-ranging, open-ended conversation. John is a taciturn giant—not simply muscular, but of outsized physical proportions and strength—who has scraped together a living with his fists, taking part in arranged boxing matches for money. John’s past is hinted at: years earlier he worked as a debt and rent collector and all-purpose thug for Mr. Price, the wealthy but unscrupulous landowner who owns most of the land in the district, including the plot where John and his children have built their house. However, John abruptly quit Price’s employ when he ran off with Daniel and Cathy’s mother, a slight that Price has neither forgotten nor forgiven. The novel’s central conflict sets John with his rigid moral code, environmental consciousness and primitive notions regarding squatter’s rights, against Price, a modern capitalist with the law on his side, whose sympathy for the land and the people who live on it does not extend beyond whatever profit he can squeeze out of them. The main action of the novel is interrupted on a half-dozen occasions by brief italicized sections, narrated by Daniel, that take place after a calamitous event has wrecked the life he was living with his family. Mozley’s narrative builds slowly and ever so patiently toward this event, though the reader will understand that the family’s idyllic existence is doomed the moment Price drives up to the house in his Land Rover for the first time. The situation develops over the several months that follow this encounter. John’s misguided efforts to weaken Price’s advantage, in the hope of avoiding a confrontation, prove futile. Meanwhile, we learn that John and Price share a history that goes beyond a simple employer-employee relationship and that any concessions that John makes were never going to be enough anyway. Mozley has written a tragic and haunting work of fiction, masterfully paced, imbued with a primal quality that derives from her skilful evocation of the dense and misty forests of the wild Yorkshire landscape, and the archaic speech patterns of the locals. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
Often idyllic setting turns ultraviolent by the end
As a quick look at Wikipedia reveals: "Elmet was an area of what later became the West Riding of Yorkshire, and an independent Brittonic kingdom between about the 5th century and early 7th century."
"Elmet" the novel hearkens back to a time of
John becomes somewhat of a symbol for the local working class and organizes a rent strike for improved wages and house repairs. There is very little indication of civil authority (bailiffs are mentioned only at one point) and the sense is one of the rule of might and force rather than of legality. Price's resentment of John's independence eventually takes a turn into a shockingly violent conclusion.
I very much enjoyed "Elmet"'s often idyllic settings with its air of medieval outlawry. It felt very much like a modern day Robin Hood vs. Sheriff of Nottingham update, although giant ex-fighter John is more suited in the "Little John" role.
As a quick look at Wikipedia reveals: "Elmet was an area of what later became the West Riding of Yorkshire, and an independent Brittonic kingdom between about the 5th century and early 7th century."
"Elmet" the novel hearkens back to a time of
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feudal landowners lording it over serfs although its setting is present day northern England. The family of ex-prize fighter John and his teenage children, the older & tougher Claire and the softer youngster Danny are squatting on land owned by local headman Mr. Price. We gradually learn the history of the family tie-ins and of the land during the course of the book which is narrated by the son.John becomes somewhat of a symbol for the local working class and organizes a rent strike for improved wages and house repairs. There is very little indication of civil authority (bailiffs are mentioned only at one point) and the sense is one of the rule of might and force rather than of legality. Price's resentment of John's independence eventually takes a turn into a shockingly violent conclusion.
I very much enjoyed "Elmet"'s often idyllic settings with its air of medieval outlawry. It felt very much like a modern day Robin Hood vs. Sheriff of Nottingham update, although giant ex-fighter John is more suited in the "Little John" role.
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LibraryThing member NeedMoreShelves
I genuinely did not, based on the jacket blurb, expect to enjoy this book. What a fantastic surprise.
For me, this novel read like the first season of an amazing new HBO series - dark, with a sense of forboding because you know something bad is going to happen, but you just don't know quite when. A
I did not want to put this one down. I am absolutely looking forward to this author's next work. Definitely recommended.
For me, this novel read like the first season of an amazing new HBO series - dark, with a sense of forboding because you know something bad is going to happen, but you just don't know quite when. A
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series of well-drawn characters makes you invest early and deeply in the outcome of the tale. And when the bomb explodes, you feel the shockwaves down to your very bones.I did not want to put this one down. I am absolutely looking forward to this author's next work. Definitely recommended.
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LibraryThing member Nialle
This is about the last stand of an older system of living and of justice. In that sense, it is about Elmet. It is also about the first stand of someone who could not escape an inherited pattern, but was smart enough to see the pattern, and did the only possible thing to escape it. And it's about
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the homelessness of understanding not enough, knowing nobody safe, and grieving with no answers. Come for the starting over on wild land. Stay for the clutching and crushing grasp of the sins of the parent. Tired of characters overcoming improbable differences? Watch this stark shallowness of neighborly understanding turn friend against friend. You will never know all of what happened. There is a feral joy in accepting both the book's mysteries and its certainties. Feral joy being in short supply and poorly represented, you don't know yet, probably, how much having it will mean to you. Let this book claw you. Twist round and bite it. When you are both spent, the thrill of its power and your fight will make you stronger. Show Less
LibraryThing member viviennestrauss
She told me that sometimes it was as if she was standing with two feet on the ground but at the same time running headlong into a roaring fire.
LibraryThing member bodachliath
This book was the only genuine surprise on this year's Booker longlist, a first novel by a young British writer. I would be very happy to see this book make the shortlist - there may be at least six better books on the longlist but none of them would benefit as much from the exposure, and this is a
This was the most unexpectedly welcome inclusion on the shortlist. Very disappointed to lose Reservoir 13, Home Fire and Solar Bones
Mozley is studying medieval history, and her starting point is the story of Elmet, the last Celtic kingdom in England and later, to quote the epigraph by Ted Hughes "a 'badlands', a sanctuary for refugees of the law". Robin Hood is clearly another inspiration, as is the Yorkshire landscape and its recent political history.
The story is narrated by Daniel, a rather effeminate teenage boy. The two other main characters are his "Daddy" John, a giant prize fighter who has a legendary reputation in the criminal netherworld of bareknuckle fighting, and his sister Cathy, a feisty tomboy who has inherited much more of her father's qualities. When their grandmother and guardian dies, and Cathy gets blamed for starting a fight with bullies at her school, John takes them to squat in a copse, builds a wooden house for them and survives by hunting and by lending his muscle to the locals in return for favours. John is fiercely independent, with integrity based more on natural justice than the law.
John takes the children to be "educated" by Vivien, who lives in a neighbouring house and has a large and eclectic collection of books. I think this was necessary to explain the language the book is written in, which is a mixture of lyrical well written prose and reported speech in Yorkshire dialect.
It soon becomes clear that they will not be left alone. The Robin Hood element of the story starts with the appearance of Price, who owns the land and many of the houses in the area. Price is something of a pantomime villain, but the issues he embodies are real enough - economic exploitation of poor tenants in an area that never fully recovered from losing its mining industry. John gets involved in fighting for the villagers, helping them to form a united front and leading a rent strike, and lending his muscle whenever bailiffs appear. This inevitably leads to a violent confrontation, which does become a little too melodramatic for my taste.
Not by any means a perfect book, but it is a memorable one and I would be interested in reading whatever Mozley writes next.
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promising debut by a talented writer.This was the most unexpectedly welcome inclusion on the shortlist. Very disappointed to lose Reservoir 13, Home Fire and Solar Bones
Mozley is studying medieval history, and her starting point is the story of Elmet, the last Celtic kingdom in England and later, to quote the epigraph by Ted Hughes "a 'badlands', a sanctuary for refugees of the law". Robin Hood is clearly another inspiration, as is the Yorkshire landscape and its recent political history.
The story is narrated by Daniel, a rather effeminate teenage boy. The two other main characters are his "Daddy" John, a giant prize fighter who has a legendary reputation in the criminal netherworld of bareknuckle fighting, and his sister Cathy, a feisty tomboy who has inherited much more of her father's qualities. When their grandmother and guardian dies, and Cathy gets blamed for starting a fight with bullies at her school, John takes them to squat in a copse, builds a wooden house for them and survives by hunting and by lending his muscle to the locals in return for favours. John is fiercely independent, with integrity based more on natural justice than the law.
John takes the children to be "educated" by Vivien, who lives in a neighbouring house and has a large and eclectic collection of books. I think this was necessary to explain the language the book is written in, which is a mixture of lyrical well written prose and reported speech in Yorkshire dialect.
It soon becomes clear that they will not be left alone. The Robin Hood element of the story starts with the appearance of Price, who owns the land and many of the houses in the area. Price is something of a pantomime villain, but the issues he embodies are real enough - economic exploitation of poor tenants in an area that never fully recovered from losing its mining industry. John gets involved in fighting for the villagers, helping them to form a united front and leading a rent strike, and lending his muscle whenever bailiffs appear. This inevitably leads to a violent confrontation, which does become a little too melodramatic for my taste.
Not by any means a perfect book, but it is a memorable one and I would be interested in reading whatever Mozley writes next.
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LibraryThing member PDCRead
Daniel and Cathy live in a home that their father, John, built with his own hands. He is a huge man and an acclaimed bare-knuckle boxer but as a parent caring for his children, he is a gentle giant. They were never like the other children, and have an alternative upbringing, dropped out of school,
Soon the ghosts from his past lives begin to haunt him once again, the local landlord and hood Price needs John to fight again, large amounts of money are stake and Price has leverage over John. The children notice a difference in their father, gone is the calm; now they see rage flame in his eyes. John decides to accept Prices request to fight, negotiating a deal to secure their future properly and so begins his training…
I normally don’t read Booker Prize books as I have not always got along with them in the past but this was on my list to read as I was fortunate to win a signed copy. It is a dark tale of the underground culture of a northern village, with the characters deeply rooted in the very landscape they inhabit. I thought it did take a little while to get going, as Mozley takes time setting the scene and builds the atmosphere, however, the last quarter of the book flew by. The prose is sparse yet visceral and charged. Her portrayal of the characters, whose flaws give the plot the friction it needs, make this tale of a family who have stepped away from contemporary society, unnerving and disturbing.
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spend their days foraging and hunting for food and share their fathers roll-ups and cider. He has told them that this is their home forever, but he has no truck with details like who actually owns the land.Soon the ghosts from his past lives begin to haunt him once again, the local landlord and hood Price needs John to fight again, large amounts of money are stake and Price has leverage over John. The children notice a difference in their father, gone is the calm; now they see rage flame in his eyes. John decides to accept Prices request to fight, negotiating a deal to secure their future properly and so begins his training…
I normally don’t read Booker Prize books as I have not always got along with them in the past but this was on my list to read as I was fortunate to win a signed copy. It is a dark tale of the underground culture of a northern village, with the characters deeply rooted in the very landscape they inhabit. I thought it did take a little while to get going, as Mozley takes time setting the scene and builds the atmosphere, however, the last quarter of the book flew by. The prose is sparse yet visceral and charged. Her portrayal of the characters, whose flaws give the plot the friction it needs, make this tale of a family who have stepped away from contemporary society, unnerving and disturbing.
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LibraryThing member carlahaunted
Some men would rather destroy something than lose it to someone else. Those men are amongst the most dangerous of men. This novel captures the observation of one such man, and the destruction he is willing to wrought, quite well.
LibraryThing member CarrieWuj
Beautifully written story that transcends time in an almost fairy-tale telling, though of the dark Grimm brothers variety. The action is narrated by Daniel who is clearly on the run after a cataclysmic event. It feels rather apocalyptic -- lots of destruction and end to the life Daniel knew, but
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piecing it together over time reveals a personal tragedy of a horrific nature. The narration alternates between this real-time present and the recent past, revealing the event that led to his life on the move. Daniel and his older sister Cathy are being raised by their unconventional, borderline outlaw father. He is a simple man and his love for them is the brightest thing in this book. But he is a rough man who fist fights for money, or plays the heavy for someone in need, and who lives beyond the realm of civilized society. Daniel describes Daddy: "They feared him or they owed him favours. Other people did not seem to possess the kind of love he had nor the care he took of them....Others saw reciprocity and debts, imagined threats founded in nothing more than his physical presence, ... his insistence on integrity, the old-world morality over which he presided." (83). Their mother is absent, possibly dead, but strung out on drugs and had squandered her land away. The children are feral, not attending school and learning from the natural world around them. They are all self-sufficient survivalist types and are beholden to no one. But the property John is building on doesn't belong to him and therein begins the drama. When the rich land owner decides to make John fall in line with his other tenants, John fights back with the support of the community. It ultimately comes down to a fistfight he must win. But an unexpected wrinkle involving Cathy explodes everything and Daniel's present day plight begins to make sense. Haunting. A Man Booker prize finalist -- the writing lives up to that distinction. Show Less
LibraryThing member markm2315
You don't need to get very far into this book before you know what's going to happen. The characters are begging for it. So the question is whether you can stand the tension.
Awards
Booker Prize (Longlist — 2017)
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2018)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2019)
Publishing Triangle Awards (Finalist — Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction — 2018)
Somerset Maugham Award (2018)
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize (Shortlist — Adult — 2018)
Waverton Good Read Award (Longlist — 2017)
Dylan Thomas Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
Polari First Book Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
Europese Literatuurprijs (Longlist — 2019)
Ondaatje Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
Pages
320
ISBN
1616208422 / 9781616208424