|
|
Title:
|
Seascraper |
|
Authors:
|
Wood, Benjamin |
|
Genre:
|
Fiction |
|
Pages:
|
163 |
|
Year:
|
2025 |
|
Publisher:
|
Penguin Random House |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Description:
|
Until 20-year-old Thomas Flett meets the visiting American film maker Edgar Acheson, he was resigned to eking out a living as a skanker, netting shrimp at low tide, at Longferry beach, and living in claustrophobic confines with his mother. But Edgar’s arrival, scouting locations and recruiting Thomas for his knowledge of the beach, is a life-changing one, a catalyst rekindling Thomas’ dreams of becoming a folk musician and finally having the courage to connect with his friend’s sister Joan. Gentle but with an unforgettable impact out of proportion to its brevity, this is a story of 1960s northern England, with bleak and beautifully described landscapes, close observations of the minutiae of daily living, and the poignancy of unfulfilled lives yearning for more.
Comments from BDS Reviewers:"I loved this story and the writing style of the author. At 162 pages, it almost qualifies as a short story, and has that feel."
"The book has an intimate style with attention to the detail of Thomas' life as a shankar, netting shrimp at low tide."
"Hope is a big theme, with Thomas hoping to be recognised for his music and hoping for a relationship with Joan, his mother hoping to be released from her penury, and Edgar hoping to make another movie."
"There is a big twist in the story and a very interesting and expertly written moment when Thomas discovers a song to sing and play on his guitar." The song can be heard online (address given at the end of the book), sung by the author.
"The story is a work of art, painting vivid pictures of the long and wide beach with its fog and cold and salty winds and the sea."
"I can not fault this book. Some may find it too slow and uneventful, but I think most readers, (I'm in a men's group) will enjoy this story for what it is."
|
|
Categories:
|
Fiction, Historical, Relationships, Short Read, England, Just Added, 2027 Titles |
|
