(2/18/2017)
As soon as I started reading I was intrigued and pulled into the story. The house, this gorgeous, spooky sounding house, a house with a tragic past, now home to a young Henry, his sister Threnody, mom and dad, Henry the elder. A man in love with literature, music, wanting desperately to write an outstanding novel, put meaningful words on paper. The gorgeous sounding library, with a huge amount of books, a house with nooks and crannies to get lost in, sitting on top of a mountain in a small Appalachian town. House envy, house lust. A house that will soon hold an inordinate amount of sadness, tragedy. Gothic tones, characteristics abound. The Barrowfields, a place where nothing grows, nothing thrives.
Then the tone changes, the pace changes, and Henry escaping sorrow, things he doesn't understand, goes off to college, leaving his younger sister behind. The sister he read to, sang to, was basically a father stand in. A sister to which he made many promises. Less gothic, typical college experiences, drinking, parties, a girl he falls for and he becomes embroiled in someone else's life, problems, father issues. Not sure how I felt about this part, the change of story. Going away was necessary for Henry in that he grew as a person, made him able to return home and deal with the tragedy of the past. But, think to much was brought into this part, was like a detour that I felt parts of didn't fit.
Eventually he returns home, with girl in tow, moves back into "my" house, don't I wish. His family no longer lives there but he reconnects, comes to harsh realizations, and we find out the full extent of the story. Sad, tragic but I loved this book, the writing wonderful, the story of Henry and the complicated roles of fathers. Loved all the literary talk and the different composers and music mentioned. This is in my opinion a brilliant debut of a novelist with some major talent.