Grief is the Things with Feathersby Max Porter
Published by Faber Faber
Poetry, contemporary, magical realism, fiction
In a London flat, two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their mother's sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic, imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness.
In this moment of despair they are visited by Crow - antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter. This self-described sentimental bird is attracted to the grieving family and threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and physical pain of loss gives way to memories, this little unit of three begin to heal.
In this extraordinary debut - part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porter's compassion and bravura style combine to dazzling effect. Full of unexpected humour and profound emotional truth, Grief is the Thing with Feathers marks the arrival of a thrilling new talent.
Firstly, I'm amazed how much I could care for characters, who actually didn't have names. They were just 'boys', 'dad', and 'crow'. Still, the characters came alive in the pages, and their grief was all too real and easy to identify with if you've ever lost someone.
Secondly, this is a curious mixture of short story, poetry, myth, contemporary, and magical realism. It's a story of a widower and his two boys, who try to cope with the loss of a wife and mother. Then comes Crow, who narrates the story, and acts as the family's grief counselor. The Crow is curious thing, a trickster and babysitter, and sometimes his point of view was hard to decipher. The boys were at times little rascals, but they found solace on each other and the grief was easier to deal with for them than their father, who at times was just empty shell, barely able to deal with the realities of life without his loved one.
I don't often read general fiction and poetry even rarer, but this was something else. It was original exploration of grief and loss, and at times it really it hard to feels. It was also funny at times, especially the boys' antics and Crow's hilarious reactions. I really liked Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and I'm sure it'll stay with me for quite some time. And yes, it made me want to read some of Ted Hughes' poems.
Secondly, this is a curious mixture of short story, poetry, myth, contemporary, and magical realism. It's a story of a widower and his two boys, who try to cope with the loss of a wife and mother. Then comes Crow, who narrates the story, and acts as the family's grief counselor. The Crow is curious thing, a trickster and babysitter, and sometimes his point of view was hard to decipher. The boys were at times little rascals, but they found solace on each other and the grief was easier to deal with for them than their father, who at times was just empty shell, barely able to deal with the realities of life without his loved one.
I don't often read general fiction and poetry even rarer, but this was something else. It was original exploration of grief and loss, and at times it really it hard to feels. It was also funny at times, especially the boys' antics and Crow's hilarious reactions. I really liked Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and I'm sure it'll stay with me for quite some time. And yes, it made me want to read some of Ted Hughes' poems.
4 of 5 stars
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