Book Review: - Waterland, by Graham Swift

Waterland, by Graham Swift

By Toria Burrell, 1/28/ 11

This is a highly acclaimed English classic, from the 1980s. I read it 12 years ago, but just found my review on Amazon.com from that time, and am re-posting it here. I was totally thrilled, impressed and blown away by it! The whole novel is a masterpiece, weaving together different metaphors that beautifully illustrate LIFE, whilst maintaining a compelling narrative.

Tom Crick is a history teacher, forced to resign: - "History" is being struck off his school's curriculum due to "cut-backs", and so he embarks on a final series of history lessons that hold his pubescent pupils breathless and awe-inspired. As narrator, he weaves all threads of "history" together: - World events, regional sagas, family legends and his own personal life, spanning hundreds of years, yet keeping vivid common threads running. He continually asks the biggest question of all: WHY? Using philosophical, poetic language, he explores how nature and man fill vacuums: Man's way is by telling stories. Where fact is unknown or unexplained, myth (or fiction) fills in.

Set in a tiny village in the English "Fens" (in the south east of England), this novel embraces all elements of humanity: - Our loves, hates, hopes, disappointments, strengths and weaknesses. It will make you laugh, cry and ponder, as you hold the book down to digest the brilliant flashes that come out page after page!