The Wake

by Paul Kingsnorth

Winner of the Gordon Burn Prize 2014 and The Bookseller Industry Book of the Year Award 2015. Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Folio Prize and shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize.

A post-apocalyptic novel set a thousand years ago, The Wake tells the story of Buccmaster of Holland, a free farmer of Lincolnshire, owner of three oxgangs, a man clinging to the Old Gods as the world changes drastically around him. After losing his sons at the Battle of Hastings and his wife and home to the invading Normans, Buccmaster begins to gather together a band of 'grene men', who take up arms to resist their brutal invaders.

Written in a 'shadow tongue' – a version of Old English updated so as to be understandable for the modern reader – The Wake is a landmark in historical fiction and looks set to become a modern classic.

• ISBN13: 9781908717863
• Publish Date: 3 April 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 17 September 2015
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Unbound
• Format: Hardcover (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lianne]

I was approved an ARC of this book by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review in its entirety was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/04/23/review-the-wake/

My initial impressions of this book definitely focused on the writing. It does take a good number of pages to get a feel for how the language works, understand how certain letters sound, and what certain words may mean in contemporary English; I suppose a drawback to reading the book in an eCopy format is that the glossary is at the end rather than something you can flip back and forth to at your convenience. It can be tough, but it does colour the story and the way the reader approaches the story, Buccmaster’s world and society of the time. I also found that reading it out loud helped.

Story-wise, it was a curious read albeit the pacing had its moments. It starts off and the reader has no idea where the story is headed: there are signs and portents, you know that there’s tension in the air and you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. It does, but then the story hits another lull of sorts. Events slowly begin to pick up when Buccmaster decides to revolt and gains a small band of men to join in the revolt against William the Conqueror (love that they call him by his French name here). It was also intersting to follow as this group tries to recruit more people from other communities to their cause, with varying results.

My favourite part of the book had to be the ending though. Buccmaster for the most part had been a strange character–he’s crude, he’s paranoid, he’s suspicious, his treatment of people left for wanting, and has a bit of self-importance going for him. Despite of this, I really felt for him though at the end of the novel.

Overall I’m glad to have finally read The Wake. Readers who are looking for something different to read may want to check this title out.