Title: The Brides of Rollrock Island
Author: Margo Lanagan
Teen Reviewer: Shannon Finney
Rating: 5/5 Stars
The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo
Lanagan is a fantasy novel told from the perspective of several different
residents of the enchanted island where the story takes place. Rollrock Island
has a strange variety of inhabitants, including ‘mermaids,’ who are women that
are transformed from the seals that breed at the shore, and the men that are
held captive by their mystical beauty. The woman responsible for all the magic
that takes place is Misskaela Prout the witch, who was tormented all her life
because of her hideous appearance. She learns the secret of luring the sea-maid
out of a seal, and soon figures out how to make her living off of the ruin of
the men who succumb to their exotic charms. Throughout the course of the novel,
the reader witnesses the island transform from a traditional, Irish fishing
community into a place that is full of despair, depression, and debt.
Lanagan’s
writing is beautiful and poetic, and full of breathtaking imagery. I was very
much engaged by the story, and could picture myself there on the island as I
read. The story is told from several perspectives; from different residents of
the island that seem to be unrelated, at first. One thing that may be confusing
to some readers is this changing point of view, but that all gets cleared up by
the end of the novel. In fact, this unique way of telling the story contributes
to the depth of the novel, as the narrators come from different generations.
This allows the reader to study the island, (that becomes a character in of
itself,) as it slowly changes under the witch’s spell.
Overall,
I fully enjoyed The Brides of Rollrock
Island, a beautifully written novel with excellent character development
and a unique, enchanting story-line. As someone who doesn’t normally like
fantasy novels, I found Margo Lanagan’s tale of magic, transformation, and
despair to be an exciting read that I couldn’t put down.
No comments:
Post a Comment