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Becky S. (Springfield, MO)
Strange times in the Bog
This is definitely not my normal genre, but I found this book very intriguing and creepy and strange. The story of the Haddesley family and their relationship with the bog they live on is filled with oddities and traditions that kept things very entertaining and thought provoking. This would be a great book club book because there are so many things to discuss! Each member of the family is outlined and developed very thoroughly, the book is well written and engaging. It was hard for me to imagine that this could be a real family, but there are some pretty strange things happening out there, and who knows? I
…more definitely would like to read more by this author. (less)THE BOG WIFE delves into family mythologies, interconnectedness of siblings, and the trauma and drama that these mythologies create. It has elements of magical realism, horror, and the supernatural.
The chapters are titled with the name of the five sibling characters and divided into sections for each season that the novel passes through. This makes reading this book an easy pleasure, which was perfect for me as I was in a bit of a reader's rut.
I enjoyed this book and would rate it 4 out 5 stars. I would recommend it for reading clubs, since there is ample opportunity for delving into the psychology of the
…more brothers' and sisters' trauma, as well as the meanings behind the bog wife and the bog itself. (less)I was immediately hooked into this book by the setting, the bog, and the characters. The writing is beautiful . I would love to know how the author chose the setting. Her description of the bog and the surroundings, at least to me, was one of the best part of the novel.
Tami H
We Are All Connected
The Bog Wife was a mystical book that shows that we are all connected to one another and to the earth in special ways. The story was very slow to start, but ended well. Each of the five members of the Haddesley family by the end understands their own place in not only the family, but in relation to the world around them and to the earth itself. The mysticism is used to convey those connections. The five protagonists, who evidently look alike, have very different temperaments and needs. The book slowly reveals the desires of each individual.
While an unusual book, and at times a bit slow, I would definitely
…more recommend The Bog Wife to readers of literary mysticism. (less)
Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
The Bog -- one of the novel's characters
This might well be the strangest book I have ever read. The Haddesley family, living in deplorable conditions, lead a joyless life with shallow and perilous "connection" with their siblings, Indoctrination, intimidation, isolation, and control all figure in their featureless days, one right after the other as custodians of the bog on their property. Five generations of liars whose portraits line the walls of their home are killing them through the power of a compact made and scrupulously followed. The author portrays characters who are literally burying themselves alive.
I would recommend this as a book club
…more selection as it definitely would produce lively discussions such as what caused readers to be aghast and shocked. (less)The Bog Wife is a combination story of mythologies, gothic settings, family dysfunction, loneliness, eco-horror, and strong women. The author's writing of this story is impressive with a fullness to character development and the stories of five adult children raised in isolation with familial obligations taught them from the early days of their lives. The family compact with the eco-environment in which they live, a bog in the West Virginia Appalachians, is central to their self awareness and purpose...until it isn't. The story follows the adult children as they cope or do not cope with the consequences of their
…more father's death and the truths they seek about themselves, their father, their mother, and the land they live upon. An excellent read with a glass of good red wine, a fire going and perhaps even some rain falling. Try it; you just may enjoy it! (less)The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister is a depressive chronicle of the twisted lives of the Haddesley family of West Virginia. After their father's death, the adult children attempt dysfunctional coping with one another and the outside world, much of it to little avail. How each deals with habit and habitation is the subject of this novel, which I believe would appeal to those who like dark, gothic fiction. The Haddesleys' sideways approaches to life and its silent terrors remind us all that we're more like them than not. The family cranberry bog seems to be a euphemism for what happens to everyone as they wend their
…more way through life. Misunderstand or defy the bog and you risk not only your sanity but your very physical existence. This is what each family member has to endure and comprehend in his or her own way. (less)The Bog Wife
The Bog Wife is a unique smorgasbord of Southern Gothic, environmental horror, magical realism and family disfunction set in rural West Virginia over the course of one very wet and cold year. The isolated ancestral home which is situated on the edge of a peat bog is dirty, cluttered, and on the verge of collapse with a huge hemlock tree fallen through the roof. The family patriarch has died and the five siblings are trying to make sense of their family history and the family's compact with the bog. Through a dozen generations the bog has provided a cranberry crop, peat for heat, and a new bog wife
…more for the eldest son when he becomes the patriarch. In return, the family has cared for the bog defending it from invasive plants and other environmental hazards. Now things are not progressing as planned for either the bog or its caretakers. Be warned, this book is a compelling read and might keep you up late into the night. It will appeal to readers who enjoy horror and mystery. (less)
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