[MMX]⇒ PDF The Wake Paul Kingsnorth 9781908717856 Books

The Wake Paul Kingsnorth 9781908717856 Books

Download As PDF : The Wake Paul Kingsnorth 9781908717856 Books

The Wake Paul Kingsnorth 9781908717856 Books

This is quite simply one of the best and most extraordinary books I have ever read. As the other reviews have mentioned, the language is what sets this apart from other works, and what undoubtedly causes such strong divisions regarding the book. Either you will get it, or you won't. For my part, I was able to eventually adapt to the language, and once I did so, it became an absolute delight. I ended up reading it quite slowly, and out loud, for this isn't a book to rush through, but to pace yourself, and savor the richness of the words. It was a great deal of fun to stumble across the same word several times before I figured out what it was actually saying, and it gave me a sense of some accomplishment to do so. That said, this just isn't for everyone, and I could see how people would struggle with it. The protagonist is either a delusional jackhole or mentally ill, or maybe a wee bit of both. And the work is quite dark, as is fitting to the time it describes. But if you have a love of the medieval period, and are a bit of a language geek, I think you will be enthralled by this unique work. I know I was.


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The Wake Paul Kingsnorth 9781908717856 Books Reviews

"i is buccmaster of holland i is a socman a man of the wapentac i has three oxgangs and this is my werod."

This proud declaration is repeated by the narrator throughout this thoroughly researched and beautifully written historical novel. After French invaders have destroyed villages throughout England, Buccmaster reminds nearly everybody he encounters that he is a free English tenant farmer of roughly 60 acres, was a member of the shire court of justice and now leads a small ragtag band of resistance fighters in the years following the Norman invasion. There is a helpful glossary, but frankly I tried not to use it, instead letting the words flow by (it helps to read aloud) and learning their meaning from their context. Pretty soon the barrier of author Paul Kingsnorth's "shadow language" falls and you're in another world.

The reason to read The Wake, however, is not to test your patience with pseudo-archaic linguistics (we have Klingon for that). It's the tale itself, the view it gives into the lives of simple English farmers who would lose everything, and the larger message it conveys that we humans do, in fact, tend to repeat history rather than learn from it. Since history is written by and for the victors, The Wake aims to give the conquered of 1066 their due. But Kingsnorth doesn't paint in black and white. Yes, there are the evil French invaders, raping, murdering and pillaging England under the cross of Rome. But as the novel progresses, it becomes clear Buccmaster may not be the most reliable narrator, and his defense of the old ways, in the service of his already anachronistic English gods of the forest, fen and sea, becomes its own brand of violent fanaticism. Indeed, the parallels to today's continued problem of state and tribal warfare in the name of religion make this novel surprisingly thought-provoking and relevant.
Brilliant! What can I say? I know some Old English and some German, though, and I'm not sure what I'd be able to read without those bits of background. But who knows--maybe a lot. The O.E. Lite "shadow language" is the kicker here, as all the review testify. It gets incantatory very easily and naturally, also brutal, also witty. One of the best perks of the language is that you don't get any of the French borrowings, and you realize over & over what it means to have your language debased to the point where it's the vulgar or funny version of something that would be more refined using the French-origin near-synonym. I was won over when I figured out "haeric star," especially as "hairy" in modern English means something rather coarse, hairy all over, not like this comet with its hair streaming behind it. The language in many respects creates its characters and makes their horrors real.
Upon reading the 2014 Man Booker longlist announcement, I was immediately drawn to The Wake because of it's unique premise and because I believe it's the prize's first crowdsourced nomination. Sourced by readers? I had to give it a try.

What is perhaps the most unique about this novel, and needs to be mentioned, is the language. Written in a version of Old English created by the author for layman readers, I didn't know what to expect. But what I think should be made clear is that Paul Kingsnorth didn't write this novel intending it to be a chore for the reader. He wrote it this way to reflect the world it takes place in, and he did so beautifully. The story is fascinatingly alien, and utterly relevant to a time we can only try and imagine. I appreciate Kingsnorth's reasoning in the note on the language

"The way we speak is specific to our time and place. Our assumptions, our politics, our worldview, our attitudes - all are implicit in our words, and what we with them. To put 21st-century sentences into the mouths of eleventh century characters would be the equivalent of giving them iPads and cappuccinos Just wrong."

And he's right. Ever get annoyed reading modern morals in a character of historical fiction? I bet Kingsnorth would too, but by taking the brilliant extra steps with language he's created something magical. Once you pick up on the "rules" of the language, reading it becomes second nature. It nourishes the story, never detracting from the tale. There is a partial glossary in the back, but I didn't use it once. Kingsnorth did all the hard work for us, and I found joy in understanding his new words through context.

Set during the Norman invasion of England, the story follows Buccmaster, and his somewhat misguided attempt to bring England back to what it used to be. Buccmaster is cocky, outspoken, and probably schizophrenic, but oddly riveting in an endearing sort of way. Except for the homicidal tendencies of course. But it's 1066, and his entire world is in turmoil. The journey is dark, but dreamy, and I was sad to see it end. Not that I was expecting otherwise, but I'll be honest, this one caught me off guard. One of the best historical fictions I've read yet, it brings exciting new breath to the genre.

I look forward to reading more of Paul Kingsnorth's work in the future. Highly recommended.
This is quite simply one of the best and most extraordinary books I have ever read. As the other reviews have mentioned, the language is what sets this apart from other works, and what undoubtedly causes such strong divisions regarding the book. Either you will get it, or you won't. For my part, I was able to eventually adapt to the language, and once I did so, it became an absolute delight. I ended up reading it quite slowly, and out loud, for this isn't a book to rush through, but to pace yourself, and savor the richness of the words. It was a great deal of fun to stumble across the same word several times before I figured out what it was actually saying, and it gave me a sense of some accomplishment to do so. That said, this just isn't for everyone, and I could see how people would struggle with it. The protagonist is either a delusional jackhole or mentally ill, or maybe a wee bit of both. And the work is quite dark, as is fitting to the time it describes. But if you have a love of the medieval period, and are a bit of a language geek, I think you will be enthralled by this unique work. I know I was.