{"id":2142,"date":"2016-09-11T17:06:22","date_gmt":"2016-09-11T11:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fableandi.com\/?p=2142"},"modified":"2020-03-04T17:11:46","modified_gmt":"2020-03-04T11:41:46","slug":"many-wyl-menmuir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/many-wyl-menmuir\/","title":{"rendered":"The Many by Wyl Menmuir – An Unsettling and Atmospheric Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

An abandoned house in a secluded fishing village has a new owner. What are the stories surrounding the previous owner? And why are the villagers sceptical of the new comer?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 2016 Man Booker longlist was a surprising one. When The Many by Wyl Menmuir<\/em> published by Salt publishing<\/em> got longlisted, it took the literary world by surprise. And so I began the book with high expectations<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Brief<\/h3>\n

A young man, Timothy, takes an abandoned cottage in a fishing village, hoping to fix it up before being joined by his girlfriend. The villagers view him as an intruder. So does Ethan, who blames himself for the death of the previous owner of the house, Perran. When Ethan and Timothy go on a boat together, do their previous grudges and regrets affect the kinship?<\/p>\n

\"The
The Many by Wyl Meimur<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My thoughts<\/h3>\n

After I read the novel, I was confused about my thoughts as well as clueless about the elements in the book that might have impressed the jury. I went through a few reviews of the book and noticed that readers fall into two main categories with this book \u2013 those who really enjoyed and those who didn\u2019t. No in-betweeners.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Writing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The writing is sparse and it would be a good example of what you call atmospheric prose. The scene where the story takes place comes alive as you read on, the fishing village, the abandoned house and the suspicious villagers. I loved Meimur\u2019s eye for minor details that truly enrich the story. The novel is told alternating between the present and flashbacks.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Atmosphere<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      There are strong hints of Gothic elements, in the inhospitable nature of the place and  mystery surrounding the abandoned house. There are environmental disasters showcased in poisoned waters, mutated fish and empty containers that mark a no-go zone offshore<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Pacing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        The pacing is slow. From the beginning of the novel we are presented with a mystery of who Perran, the previous owner of the house, is. The question was not answered even after 60% of the book was done. And may I say the book gives blurred answers to all questions it raises?<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Plot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          This is not one of the novels that is plot driven. Lovers of Anita Desai<\/em> might enjoy the book. (I am a fan of Anita Desai, but sadly this book did not work for me).<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          \"The
          The Many by Wyl Meimur<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Final Verdict<\/h3>\n

          This is a really short book, almost a novella, with only 160 pages in a physical copy. However, nothing much happens in the book and leaves the reader with pretty much the same questions they began with in the first few pages. I think if you are curious about the book you must give it a try. For only you can decide which category of readers you will fall into.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Title : The Many
          \nAuthor : Wyl Menmuir
          \nPublisher : Salt Publishing
          \nPublished : 2016
          \nLanguage : English
          \nPages : 160
          \nRating : 2.5\/5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          An abandoned house in a secluded fishing village has a new owner. What are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6307,16],"tags":[6937,462,87],"thb-sponsors":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Many by Wyl Menmuir - An Unsettling and Atmospheric Debut | The Book Satchel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a new owner takes over an abandoned house, he is seen as an intruder. 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