Verdigris Deep, Frances Hardinge

[lady_schrapnell]

Phew. Rather glad I have a bit of time left for more reading before I try to sleep, as that one would not make good lullaby reading.

So, Fly by Night was complex political story, with imaginary world of 18th century coffeehouse feel, and much humour, as most everyone probably knows. And Verdigris Deep might be expected to be somewhat along the same lines, right? Wrong. This is present-day England (at least it appears to be the 'real' England), where three friends take some coins from an old wishing well for their bus-fare home. Not long after, strange things begin happening, to all three, but we see first through Ryan, who's already aware of the difference perspective can make. This is the first thing he sees, while looking in the mirror to put in his contact-lenses:

'The Ryan face that he could see in the streak of clear glass had both eyes closed. The lashes were dark and spiky with moisture, and beneath them tears flowed freely down the face. The eyelids, both upper and lower, were trembling as if they were struggling to open or fighting to stay closed. Then both eyes started to open, and murky water flooded between the lids and bubbled down the cheeks.'

I'm far too tired to be able to sort through what might be a spoiler and what would just give people an idea of this book, so I'll say that it reminded me of Charles Butler mixed with Catherine Fisher in her Alan Garner mood, with a touch of Older Daughter's surreal imagery thrown in. And a lot about what's really going on when people make wishes. Just when it's going into real horror, the tone changes and it's very funny ('"And I'm keeping this ready.'" Chelle brandished a scouring pad. "I mean, while I'm being all weird I might meet somebody I know or something..." Ryan wondered how Chelle's definition of "being weird" could include gabbling loudly, but not include walking around with a kitchen sponge sticking out of her mouth.') - only to change again, just as soon as you've relaxed a bit... And there's emotional horror in there too, both from the Spirit of the Well who's gone slightly -- insane -- and from some of the families, where no happy resolution is waiting to pop up in the next 50 pages.

But if I could, which I can't, I'd cut all the above wordage and just quote the last line.

Comments

[fjm.livejournal.com]

I'm supposed to be writing a review and am wondering if it's too naff to say "remember how amazing it was to read a DWJ book and the way you got to the end and turned it over and started again.....?"

My favourite was the line about his mother reaching out and grabbing a vol au vent in one hand and the wrong end of the stick firmly in the other.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

I had that line marked (with a scrap bit of paper) too! But I ended up with too many pages marked to use even most of them.