2023/093: Thursbitch — Alan Garner

2023/093: Thursbitch — Alan Garner

She heard Jack again, but his was the only mortal voice, and even for him Nan Sarah could not move. Something was in the field. It grew from the mass, and was it, yet made it more, drawing the dark writhing into its own purpose, the yelling to its own tongue. What was there grew to reach the moon and gave one cry such as Nan Sarah had not heard in all her days: the cry of both man and bull. [p. 59]

A short (178 pages in print) but very dense novel: I've read it twice and suspect I will find new angles, new elements, when I read it again.

The setting is the valley of Thursbitch, a name which Garner has interpreted as either 'the valley of the demon' or 'the valley where something big dwells'. There are two parallel narratives, which may intersect but do not do so explicitly. ( Read more... )