Galore in Into the Forest

Apr 24, 2011 Christine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-historical, literature-canadian

So there is this albino who gets swallowed by a fish and then . . .

Well, the then is a bit complicted, kinda like life. You have religious battles, you have a sex addicted priest, you got witch women, you have ghosts, you have adultry.

There is even fish!

Galore is one of those fantasy novels that people who say they don't read fantasy, read and don't know it's fantasy. It makes me want to visit Newfoundland.

While not the deep structue of say A.S. Byatt, this book is one of those family sagas, an ...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Shellie (Layers of Thought) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-reviews, award-winners, genre-historical-fiction, spec-fic-fant-fairytales-fable-myth, country-canada, spec-fic-fant-paranormal, read-in-2011

Original review posted at Layers of Thought.

Historical fiction and a multi-generational tale, set in the freezing Newfoundland seaside town of Paradise Deep. Layered with snippets of the resident’s lives containing a touch of myth and small tastes of paranormal.

About: Galore is a complex and page-turning book, set in an area and time where living is bleak – a frigid seaside town in the mid 1800’s. Sadly the locals are starving, so when a dying whale swims into the harbor the town folk eagerly wa Original review posted at Layers of Thought.

Historical fiction and a multi-generational tale, set in the freezing Newfoundland seaside town of Paradise Deep. Layered with snippets of the resident’s lives containing a touch of myth and small tastes of paranormal.

About: Galore is a complex and page-turning book, set in an area and time where living is bleak – a frigid seaside town in the mid 1800’s. Sadly the locals are starving, so when a dying whale swims into the harbor the town folk eagerly wait for the animal to take its last breath. All are lurking on the beach, with their knives and buckets and plans to use every part of its body for sustenance; to their surprise when removing its stomach they discover the body of a man. Thinking it’s a corpse they plan to bury it, but are shocked to find that he is still alive. Judah, as they name him, is at first feared due to the nature of his arrival, his unusual appearance, a lack of apparent ability to speak, and a very strong odor. However, in time he is thought to be the reason for an increase in the fish being pulled in by their once empty nets and other improvements in the relative comfort of the remote community.

My Thoughts: The above is only a short description of the very first part of the book; the rest contains interwoven stories around the numerous characters developed within the text. The author skillfully and incredibly weaves together the complex personalities of the resident’s lives in an earthy, heartbreaking, and at times starkly hilarious way. It includes some interesting twists, a full circle and an appropriate ending. The story is a take on a universal theme of a man being swallowed by a whale - this is a myth which is found in various cultures, religious text, and folk stories. Although Galore does not have an ancient setting and it is also not religious, it does contain a strong thread containing two Christian factions and several colorful local clergymen.

Michael Crummey is an exceptional writer with an unusual style that is at once page-turning and complex. With so many tangled threads it’s a good thing there are two genealogy trees located at the beginning of the book; it is needed. Highly recommended for historical fiction lovers, those who enjoy a mythic theme, and those who love complex colorful characters in their reads. I rate Galore at 4 stars; I loved it and now know why this author has won so many awards. ...more

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