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I actually just picked up 'The Wake' a couple of weeks ago. There is definitely a learning curve to Kingsnorth's "shadow tongue," but once you get the hang of i
by holowire 8y ago
I actually just picked up 'The Wake' a couple of weeks ago. There is definitely a learning curve to Kingsnorth's "shadow tongue," but once you get the hang of it, it is very immersive and rewarding to read. It really gives you a sense of foreign place and time, as a story set in 1066 should. What surprised me is how effective it is at establishing a perspective from which you can really feel the relationship that these characters have with the world around them. I picked it up because the premise sounded interesting, and was totally blown away with how fun it is to read—I would definitely recommend checking it out.
- ken 8y ago"Cloud Atlas" is another book that uses different writing styles for different eras -- 6 of them, I think. Every new chapter, it takes a little while to figure out the language.
- spudlyo 8y agoThanks for the recommendation, I just might do that. I was relieved to see it has a glossary[0] so you're not completely at sea. I remember getting all the way through Trainspotting without realizing that there was a glossary in the back of the book, which was a facepalm moment. [0]: https://unbound.com/books/the-wake/updates/glossary https://unbound.com/books/the-wake/updates/glossary
- holowire 8y agoOh yes—I should have mentioned the glossary. Thanks for calling that out—it is absolutely necessary in making it an enjoyable read. Once you get a grasp on it though, it's pretty easy to infer meaning of new words as you go.