Member Review
Review by
Michael B, Reviewer
Drowning Troubles
Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Jan Carson’s short story collection, “Quickly, While They Still Have Horses,” I anticipated great things from her latest release, “Few and Far Between.” It completely met those expectations, delivering an endearing and highly enjoyable novel. While the novel navigates deep waters of trauma and loss, Carson balances the heaviness with a sharp, particularly Northern voice—sprinkled with dark humor that lands as authentic.
Carson brilliantly envisions an alternate history where a 1950s plan to drain Northern Ireland's Lough Neagh succeeded, resulting in "The Ark"—a utopian archipelago serving as a sanctuary for those marginalized or persecuted during the conflict of "The Troubles." This is an imaginative feat, masterfully blending supernatural elements with a cast of deliciously eccentric characters swept up in the turbulent social currents of the era– The Troubles.
At the heart of this story are the final two caretakers of the Ark: siblings Marion and Robert-John Connolly. They are skillfully crafted, complex characters who remain stuck in a state of stagnation, forever shaped by the trauma of their late father, the brilliant yet abusive anthropologist RJ Connolly. Marion is the emotional anchor of the book—a warm and caring soul who begins to find small, quiet freedoms, such as hiding a cellphone from her brother or enjoying a girls’ night in with Alex. Her brother, Robert-John, stands in stark contrast: he is reserved, neurotic, and deeply stubborn. He clings to the island’s isolation with fervor, displaying idiosyncratic quirks like covertly gorging on Chunky Kit Kat bars and blaming the invention of television for society's moral decay. Ultimately, their relationship forces them into a crucial dilemma: whether to remain guarding the ghosts of their past or finally embrace a future on the mainland.
These tensions are brought to the surface as the narrative unfolds and a visiting researcher, Alex, arrives. Carson creates haunting, resonant metaphors for the collective trauma and unresolved history of the region by utilizing surreal, magical elements. There are the 'Sleepers'—women from the mainland overwhelmed by grief, warehoused on the island of Middle Flat in a persistent, comatose state known as 'resignation syndrome' while being tended to by state nurses. Complementing them are the 'Almost-Deads' on Church Flat, zombie-like figures existing in a bardo-like state between life and death after sustaining life-threatening injuries. By bringing these groups together, the novel highlights the region's shattered environment, fusing everyday reality with elements of the supernatural to mirror profound, lingering trauma.
Ultimately, “Few and Far Between” is an indelible look at family, memory, and the complex, often messy reality of finding—and holding onto—a place to call home. As the threat of flooding looms over the Ark, the stakes for the Connolly's become agonizingly clear: it is not merely their shelter at risk, but the physical witness to their entire history. The rising waters threaten to erase the tangible evidence of their memories, forcing a final confrontation with the ghosts they have spent a lifetime guarding.
For readers drawn to character-centric family chronicles or narratives seamlessly blending historical events with myth, this book is must-read. "Few and Far Between" offers a compelling option for those who enjoy literary fiction that dances with the surreal.
Thank you to Scribner Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Jan Carson’s short story collection, “Quickly, While They Still Have Horses,” I anticipated great things from her latest release, “Few and Far Between.” It completely met those expectations, delivering an endearing and highly enjoyable novel. While the novel navigates deep waters of trauma and loss, Carson balances the heaviness with a sharp, particularly Northern voice—sprinkled with dark humor that lands as authentic.
Carson brilliantly envisions an alternate history where a 1950s plan to drain Northern Ireland's Lough Neagh succeeded, resulting in "The Ark"—a utopian archipelago serving as a sanctuary for those marginalized or persecuted during the conflict of "The Troubles." This is an imaginative feat, masterfully blending supernatural elements with a cast of deliciously eccentric characters swept up in the turbulent social currents of the era– The Troubles.
At the heart of this story are the final two caretakers of the Ark: siblings Marion and Robert-John Connolly. They are skillfully crafted, complex characters who remain stuck in a state of stagnation, forever shaped by the trauma of their late father, the brilliant yet abusive anthropologist RJ Connolly. Marion is the emotional anchor of the book—a warm and caring soul who begins to find small, quiet freedoms, such as hiding a cellphone from her brother or enjoying a girls’ night in with Alex. Her brother, Robert-John, stands in stark contrast: he is reserved, neurotic, and deeply stubborn. He clings to the island’s isolation with fervor, displaying idiosyncratic quirks like covertly gorging on Chunky Kit Kat bars and blaming the invention of television for society's moral decay. Ultimately, their relationship forces them into a crucial dilemma: whether to remain guarding the ghosts of their past or finally embrace a future on the mainland.
These tensions are brought to the surface as the narrative unfolds and a visiting researcher, Alex, arrives. Carson creates haunting, resonant metaphors for the collective trauma and unresolved history of the region by utilizing surreal, magical elements. There are the 'Sleepers'—women from the mainland overwhelmed by grief, warehoused on the island of Middle Flat in a persistent, comatose state known as 'resignation syndrome' while being tended to by state nurses. Complementing them are the 'Almost-Deads' on Church Flat, zombie-like figures existing in a bardo-like state between life and death after sustaining life-threatening injuries. By bringing these groups together, the novel highlights the region's shattered environment, fusing everyday reality with elements of the supernatural to mirror profound, lingering trauma.
Ultimately, “Few and Far Between” is an indelible look at family, memory, and the complex, often messy reality of finding—and holding onto—a place to call home. As the threat of flooding looms over the Ark, the stakes for the Connolly's become agonizingly clear: it is not merely their shelter at risk, but the physical witness to their entire history. The rising waters threaten to erase the tangible evidence of their memories, forcing a final confrontation with the ghosts they have spent a lifetime guarding.
For readers drawn to character-centric family chronicles or narratives seamlessly blending historical events with myth, this book is must-read. "Few and Far Between" offers a compelling option for those who enjoy literary fiction that dances with the surreal.
Thank you to Scribner Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
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