Review: The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth
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Haunting and immersive.
It’s 1066 and Anglo-Saxon England has just been invaded by the Normans.
Forget the romanticised versions of medieval England, where kings fight for glory on cinematic battlefields. This story follows the small village life of Buccmaster, as it is shattered by the invasion.
After losing his family and farm Buccmaster becomes a ‘grene man’, living in the forest fighting against the ‘ingengas’ (foreigners).
We learn very quickly that Buccmaster isn’t a nice guy, and it’s clear this won’t be a straightforward heroic journey.
Buccmaster felt big in his small village. Now he struggles with the loss of his social status. What will he do to feel powerful when in fact he is powerless?
I loved the exploration of national identity. Buccmaster believes he is a true Englishman, although he himself is a descendant of previous invaders.
The most striking feature of The Wake is that it is written in an imaginary language, called a ‘shadow-tongue’ of Old English. The idea is to evoke the strangeness and foreignness of the past.
It is disorienting at first, but after about 50 pages I overcame the language and instead became gripped by the building tension of the plot.
I was transported into the ‘deorc holt’ with my ‘werod’ (dark forest, war band).
The Wake is so rich in atmosphere and texture. The feeling is otherworldly.
The story is told by Buccmaster. He has a haunting presence, and his superstitious beliefs create a supernatural mood. An eerie second voice adds to the mystery of the story.
The setting is beautiful and ghostly. Humble villages are surrounded by glistening black marshlands. A travelling storyteller brings news along old Roman roads. Time moves slowly, with the seasons.
With a Shakespearean level of foreshadowing, Kingsnorth surrounds quiet life in the forest with a sense of impending doom.
The language and literary techniques render a simple plot into a dark, complex character study, and the dramatic finale is impressive. A ‘triewe’ creative achievement.
Recommendation:
This book is an experience. Best for a dark, still night.
It’s not one for casual readers, or for the bus. To help wrap my mind around the language I listened to the audiobook version and read along with it. I used a free trial on audible.com.
This brought the character to life, especially since it’s written in a conversational way. The idea is that you are sitting by the ‘fyr’ with Buccmaster as he tells you his tale. He interrupts himself to reflect on his childhood. Some sections have a poetic style which adds another layer to the challenge. After about a quarter of the book I was able to understand everything and could read alone.
The Wake is an intelligent novel and you are sure to feel accomplished after reading it.
Rating:
4 out of 5 ‘haeric‘ stars. ‘Hairy stars’ are comets.
I would have liked to give 5 stars, but I decided to deduct a star because of the author’s use of sexual violence. In my value system it is unethical to use sexual violence to add shock value to a story. The book had already achieved a bleak atmosphere without it, and I was disappointed to see the author fall in to this harmful trope.
