O Caledonia

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: O Caledonia

Author: Elspeth Barker

Publisher: Scribner

Release Date: 9.20.22

Publisher’s Summary 

In the tradition of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a darkly humorous modern classic of Scottish literature about a doomed adolescent growing up in the mid-20th century—featuring a new introduction by Maggie O’Farrell, award-winning author of Hamnet.

Janet lies murdered beneath the castle stairs, attired in her mother’s black lace wedding dress, lamented only by her pet jackdaw…

​Author Elspeth Barker masterfully evokes the harsh climate of Scotland in this atmospheric gothic tale that has been compared to the works of the Brontës, Edgar Allan Poe, and Edward Gorey. Immersed in a world of isolation and loneliness, Barker’s ill-fated young heroine Janet turns to literature, nature, and her Aunt Lila, who offers brief flashes of respite in an otherwise foreboding life. People, birds, and beasts move through the background in a tale that is as rich and atmospheric as it is witty and mordant. The family’s motto—Moriens sed Invictus (Dying but Unconquered)—is a well-suited epitaph for wild and courageous Janet, whose fierce determination to remain steadfastly herself makes her one of the most unforgettable protagonists in contemporary literature.

My Review

Ali Smith says this is "one of the best least-known novels of the twentieth century" and I firmly agree. I added this title to my longlist TBR (I have multiple TBRs) about 2 years ago when I saw it included in a list of coming-of-age novels similar to The Bell Jar. I had never heard of the novel before and I thought "oh I'll read that...someday." Book lovers know what that means. I forgot about O Caledonia until I recently started seeing it pop back up again on a few bookstagram accounts with a new cover. Learning that it was rereleasing, my interest was reignited but I was unable to score an ARC of the new edition. When my friend Deb @lonestarwords read it and said it would be "right up my alley," I knew I had to preorder it. 

I devoured the delicious novella in a day and swooned. O Caledonia (an endearing term for Scotland) is the perfect mix of the coming-of-age, gothic/horror, and nature genres that I wish more writers would explore. To try and wrap it up by comparisons I'd say it bridges the gap between the children/YA books like Matilda, Coraline, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children with the more adult Brontës, Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and Edgar Allan Poe. I REALLY loved this, and at just 188 pages I can see this becoming a yearly re-read for me.