This captivating story follows — over the course of four seasons — a misfit man who adopts a misfit dog. It is springtime, and two outcasts — a man ignored, even shunned by his village, and the one-eyed dog he takes into his quiet, tightly shuttered life — find each other, by accident or fate, and forge an unlikely connection. As their friendship grows, their small, seaside town suddenly takes … suddenly takes note of them, falsely perceiving menace where there is only mishap; the unlikely duo must take to the road. Gorgeously written in poetic and mesmerizing prose, Spill Simmer Falter Wither has already garnered wild support in its native Ireland, where the Irish Times pointed to Baume’s “astonishing power with language” and praised it as “a novel bursting with brio, braggadocio and bite.” It is also a moving depiction of how — over the four seasons echoed in the title — a relationship between fellow damaged creatures can bring them both comfort. One of those rare stories that utterly, completely imagines its way into a life most of us would never see, it transforms us not only in our understanding of the world, but also of ourselves.
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This is an achingly well-written book that I am still thinking about and I finished it more than a week ago.
Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume, published through Windmill Books, isn’t a type of book I would normally pick up. In fact, it was a surprise from my one-time order of a blind date with a book box. I put off reading it for a while because it’s a dog book. I never read dog books or watch dog movies because I know it’s going to be sad. Even if it’s a feel-good dog story, which this was most definitely not, you know something is coming. The dog dies, the human gets sick, the dog runs away, etc. And I just can’t handle it. But I’m trying to do a tbr challenge for October and the first prompt was a book with an animal so I decided to brave it.
It’s hard to describe the synopsis of Spill Simmer Falter Wither. The best I can do is say it’s about an isolated disabled previously-abused man adopting an isolated disabled previously-abused dog. The book is separated into the four seasons: Spill for spring, Simmer for summer, Falter for fall, and wither for winter. Throughout the book you get a glimpse into the man’s present and past and see his own twisted journey to how he loves this dog.
I’d give this book three stars. It probably deserves more, but I couldn’t deal with how sad this book was! It was a tear-jerker from page one. Plus, not much happens. It’s very character-driven, more about the thoughts and feelings of the disabled man, with the majority of book just stuck in observations of the world. Then, all of a sudden, a lot of twisted, bizarre, and borderline spooky things happen at the end. I think the pacing could have been better.
That being said, the descriptions and writing style in this book was beautiful. It really causes the reader to stop and reflect on their own lives and what they may have taken for granted. Descriptions of the environment and the way the seasons changed seemed reminiscent of the worlds of Thoreau and Rachel Carson. Everything was very visceral–from the gritty scenes to the beautiful ones.
One thing that bugged me throughout was that he kept giving his dog chocolate. Dogs can’t eat chocolate! And this dog never got sick from it! It’s a silly thing but it did annoy me.
If you’re someone that does like dog stories and needs a good sob right now, then I’d recommend this book. If you hate crying and abuse stories, steer clear of this book!
If you want to know more about the author, Sara Baume is an Irish novelist who has won many literary awards including the Davy Byrne’s Short Story award, the Kate O’Brien award, and the Hennessy New Irish Writing Award.
Unbearably poignant and beautifully told.
In a relentlessly inventive language that, it seems, can maneuver anywhere and describe anything, Baume’s story of a man and his dog examines and elegizes the myriad strange, ramshackle, and ephemeral worlds locked deep inside the world. An exceptional, startling, and original book.
Powerful, heartbreaking, told with great control. The writing is superb… I had an image of all language standing to attention, eager to serve this writer.
It was one of the most unusual books I’ve read. The writing was exceptional and very descriptive
Although I did find the characters quite bizarre
Made me feel sad and lonely
Extremely well written story of two misfits, a middle age man and the one eyed dog he adopts. They live on the fringe of society on the sea coast of Ireland. A sad & haunting tale of their final road trip, based on a misperceived reality.