"It was the mother of forests; ancient beyond language, older than every known species, and, some said, propagator of them all, locked in its own system of evolution and climate." (pg. 34)
I also love this quote on crying: "A liquid without name, it being made of so many emotions and conflicts, each cancelling the other out until only salt and gravity filled the moment and moved down through his expression." (pg 15).
This book was gripping (albeit a bit confusing) from page one. The language is evocative and the location draws you in. A fantasy novel set near the end of the 19th and early 20th century- the action focuses on the African town of Essenwald and the Vorrh, a vast, seemingly endless forest 200 miles to the Southeast. There are all manor of creatures residing here, many not quite human. It is rumored that the Garden of Eden still exists in the depths.
The very nature of the tangled, ethereal forest isolated from the rest of its environs reminded me (for various reasons) of The Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff Vandemeer (who blurbs The Vorrh), the TV series Lost, and State of Wonder by Ann Patchett- amped up 100 times in weirdness.
The story follows an eclectic cast of characters...townspeople, the natives (True People), anthropomorphgi, robots, cyclops, priests, healers, spirits called the Erstwhile, Orm, Kin, workers of the Vorrh (Limbioa), and explorers who enter the Vorrh for various reasons. The main narrative is driven by the timid, fearful relationship between the town and the forest that can maim or kill if precautions aren't followed exactly. We also have foreigners trying to exploit the people and resources for their own agenda, and trying to destroy the native's way of life and God's in the meantime. The economy of Essenwald is also highly dependent on the timber produced from the Vorrh to thrive. The writing takes some getting used to, but Catling succeeded in making the mysterious forest sound hypnotic.
While I appreciated the originality and cryptic disturbing imagery- "Coldness plucked at her optic nerves with a bony nail." (pg 137), this story was a little out there for my readerly tastes. You can tell that Catling has an artistic background as a poet, painter, sculptor, and installation artist. I think this novel will appeal to anyone who loves to be unnerved and wants an original take on a "haunted" forest story. It is also slated to be a trilogy so there will be more if this strikes your fancy.
Final Rating: 3.5 Stars
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