The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan
April 22, 2018
gloaming
ˈɡləʊmɪŋ'
noun
literary
- twilight; dusk.
"hundreds of lights are already shimmering in the gloaming"
To say I read The Gloaming would be something of an understatement. This is one of those rare books that has such a hypnotic influence on you that instead of actively reading it, it kind of happens to you. Set on a remote Scottish island cloaked in folktales of mesmerising selkies and bewitching mermaids, it was so easy to sink into the words of Kirsty Logan. Be prepared to be taken along on what is a seemingly gentle narrative with an incredibly powerful undercurrent.
Three children are at the centre of the story, Islay, Mara and baby Barra "Bee". Their life on the island is one of long golden days, imaginary worlds and simple pleasures. They swim in the shockingly cold water and pick pears from the orchard while hunting for beetles. They know the paths their lives will take. They will grow up on the island like everyone else, and when they have led a life of love and gentleness, they will walk up to cliff, turn their faces to the sun and turn to stone.
It all seems blissful. But then Barra, the five year old boy who has always been closest to the spirit world, gets taken by the sea. The family are shattered into a million pieces and become separate islands from each other. Parents Peter and Signe up hold superstitions that they believe will bring Barra back. Islay flees for the mainland, desperate to avoid her stone fate. And Mara, the girl who always wanted to be more, meets Pearl, a copper skinned, blue eye / brown eyed girl who can hold her breathe underwater and who has the power to bring Mara back to life.
Kirsty Logan draws heavily on selkie folklore whilst also exploring the remoteness of island life. It is both ethereal and claustrophobic, hypnotic and alarming. The descriptions of the islanders who walk up to the cliff each year to turn into stone is one of the most haunting and natural scenes I have read in years. It reminded me of the art installation "Another Place" by Antony Gormley on Crosby beach. The fabric of this novel is richly woven with modern day life and ancient ballads. I actually yelped at the twist at the end, it's a blinder. Gorgeously poetic with selkie inspired illustrations, and Scottish language interspersed, Kirsty added an other-worldly filter to modern day life.
I adored The Gloaming and urge you all to read it. This a modern day fable that will pull you in and leave you wanting more.
Antony Gormley's installation Another Place at Crosby Beach
The Gloaming is published by Harvill Secker and out now.
0 comments