Isn’t it lovely when a bookstagram friend knows your tastes so well? Liz @wildbonbons thought I would enjoy Sara Baume’s debut novel when she read it, and then even sent me her copy - every day I am thankful that I get to be part of such a kind community! And Liz’s suspicions were dead on, as Spill Simmer Falter Wither was exactly the kind of book I love - dark and utterly heartbreaking!
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The style of the book takes some getting used to, as our protagonist Ray, a 57 year old man who is somewhat of an outcast, talks to his adopted dog One Eye in the second person throughout to tell their story. Split up into four seasons, Ray walks us through first meeting One Eye, a mangled rat terrier with a bad attitude, and how their companionship develops until a fateful incident that will force them into drastic measures.
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If you’re looking for a lighthearted read about a man and his dog, PLEASE MOVE ALONG NOW. Yes their relationship is beautiful, and watching these two lonely misfits bond was tear-jerking, but shit gets dark, okay? I don’t want to give away too much for fear of spoilers, but if you’re thinking you can’t handle it because of the usual reason we can’t handle stuff with dogs in them, you’re probably wrong - CRYPTIC.
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I found Ray to be a bit too scarily relatable in some ways, honestly. My mind works a lot like his - constantly churning out what-if scenarios, dwelling for days on situations that are 100% never going to happen and yet give me headaches and sore, gnawed lips anyway.
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Baume depicts the English countryside so beautifully too. This book is heavily descriptive and very lyrical, so it moves quite slowly, but it’s definitely worth it! For something dark with a difference, I recommend this one.