This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Cressida McLaughlin
Glaciers follows one
day of Isabel’s life as she goes to work, buys a dress for a party, and is
forced to confront the way she feels about co-worker Spoke. But Glaciers is so much more than just it’s
plot. Everything about it is beautiful, from the pocket size of the book
itself, to the simple, tactile cover and, most importantly, the words inside.
Isabel’s actions are interspersed with thoughts and memories, as if the reader is spending one day inside Isabel’s head, observing her world, both inside and out. The language is sparse, the words carefully chosen, almost like a poem. Each chapter is a snapshot, each scene or memory simply, exquisitely described, so you can close your eyes and put yourself there, imagining the textures of the dress or Isabel’s pulsing heart as she talks to Spoke. It’s like an understated, compelling stream of consciousness, and it’s also a love story.
Despite the brevity of the book and the relatively small time in which you get to know Isabel and Spoke, their connection is as powerful as the love story told in a 300 page novel. What is implied in the things left unsaid is as important as what is revealed. I found myself swallowing the lump in my throat on more than one occasion. And don’t think that because it’s short you can read it quickly. There’s something about the fragility of the text that made me read every word slowly and turn the pages carefully, knowing each one was precious.
Glaciers is the kind of book you will want to read and reread, knowing you will find something new in it every time you do. It is thought provoking, poignant and uplifting, and full of beautiful imagery. It is a book to carry around with you, dip in and out of, and relish again and again.
8/10
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