Loners, Bell and Sigh meet in Dublin and recognize that they are soulmates. The two move to the Irish countryside into a ramshackle cottage with their two dogs. They have a view of a mountain that they declare they'll climb someday. Seven years later the mountain is still unclimbed, the cottage has continued to deteriorate and the litter they pass everyday without picking it up continues to accumulate. Bell and Sigh aren't bothered by filthy dog bowls or smelly dog duvets. They ignore dirty cottage windows, a cracked wood stove, a spit-encrusted bathroom mirror. Houseplants either die or take over the house. Beheaded tick bodies are gathered in a bowl. Over the years they talk, care for the dogs and make a point to avoid people. They live on the dole and become keen observers or the natural world around them - both inside and out. Cobwebs gather in corners mice inhabit walls, insects fly freely through the house and eventually Bell and Sigh can identify the species by the sound of their wings. Nothing much happens until the eighth year when horizons appear.
Baume's lyrical, rhythmical prose carries this seemingly watching paint dry plot. The setting comes alive and descriptions, even unpleasant ones, make the reader feel like a silent observer in the cottage.
Those who have read Baume's other titles - spill simmer-falter-wither and A Line Made By Walking- will recognize patterns. Characters are societal outsiders , there are dogs, sad, old, unmaintained cottages and a focus on the natural world. There are themes and symbols and for lovers of language, a rewarding read.