After reading a string of somewhat depressing books in a row, I decided to pull out an old favorite that I knew would not depress me. This is not a feel-good book exactly; it is more a magical book that completely transports me to another reality, and I can feel its lingering presence for days afterward.
The story is simple, in a way. A somewhat anonymous young man, Smokey Barnable, marries into the large and complicated Drinkwater family and goes to live in their many-roomed maze of a house. The narration meanders backward and forward in time to eventually include six generations of the Bramble, Drinkwater, Cloud, Mouse, Hawksquill, and Barnable families. (Notice anything unusual about the names?)
Then, again, the story is rather complicated, because "the further in you go, the bigger it gets." All these family members are part of a Tale being orchestrated by the fairy kingdom. Some believe this more than others (and some don't believe at all), but none know how the Tale will end.
It is impossible for me to convey the essence of this story, because it has always seemed to me that the book itself must be magic. It is subtly filled with vague hints, half-understood clues, half-seen glimpses, too-convenient coincidences. If fairies were real, this would be the way they operate.
The writing is magical as well. The text reads as if it were written in the 19th century rather than in the 1980s. It is formal, rather dense, beautiful. The ending is perfect.
I have never discussed this novel with anyone, but I have the feeling that it is one of those that readers would really love or really hate, and maybe not even finish. I think it would depend on the ability of the reader to completely suspend disbelief. I am a champion at that. While I read this book and for some time after, it is true for me. I dream about it, even.
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