The Thorn and the Blossom

Mar 30, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, romances

Rating Clarification: 1.5 Stars

I'm bummed I wasn't as taken with this story as I hoped to be. After all, it involves (cue Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music) "a few of my favorite things":

1. A Cornish setting
2. A quaint bookstore
3. A hunky Brit hero
4. A fairy tale/legend about Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, and Queen Elowen
5. Lost loves/past lives intertwining throughout the centuries
6. A beautiful cover (one of the most beautiful I've personally ever seen)
7. A very cool book design, with an a...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of star-crossed lovers and Medieval tales

Recommended to Samantha by: Patty Valencia

Shelves: adult, faeries, knights-medieval, reviewed, romance, show-off

Note: This review will be done in 3 parts. One for each version of the story and then the final for an overview of the entire story as a whole. I began with Brendan's Story.

Brendan's Story:
In this part, we are introduced to Brendan Thorne. He lives in Clewes, where he helps his father with the Thorne & Son bookstore. This part left my heart aching with romantic longing. I was really hoping they would end up together. This is exactly the kind of romance I enjoy. One where there are obstacles...more Note: This review will be done in 3 parts. One for each version of the story and then the final for an overview of the entire story as a whole. I began with Brendan's Story.

Brendan's Story:
In this part, we are introduced to Brendan Thorne. He lives in Clewes, where he helps his father with the Thorne & Son bookstore. This part left my heart aching with romantic longing. I was really hoping they would end up together. This is exactly the kind of romance I enjoy. One where there are obstacles, but the story is believable and the story so likeable that you just can't help but root for the star-crossed couple. =)

Evelyn's Story:
This part begins with Evelyn Morgan and her hallucinations. She attends Oxford but needs to get away after years of her poetry being degraded by everyone around her. So, she heads off to Clewes where her family was supposed to have been from. There, she meets Brendan Thorne, a local boy who helps run his fathers' bookstore. They spend a few days together but circumstances arise and they don't see each other for 10 years. They both end up working as professors at Bartlett. Evelyn's story fills the gaps that were formed in Brendan's story. This completed the romantic atmosphere and left me with a sense of hope but still a closure if the two did not end up together after all. (which I am still hoping for!!!) =)

OVERVIEW:
Separate, these stories are good. Put together, they are even better and really sew up the seams. In both parts, I felt that the story was a romance, but I felt a more romantic sense in Brendan's story. Evelyn's story seemed more like a story about a girl who is trying to find herself and figure out where she belongs. Granted, Brendan also has to find a place to belong, but I feel it even more so with Evelyn. She is in need of appreciation for herself. I am really hoping they end up together. At the end of Brendan's story, I had my doubts. But when I finished Evelyn's I felt a sense of hope spark up. If it were up to me, they would meet on the hill on that very last day that they both made up their minds to accept whatever came. & I don't know if any one else was feeling it, but Evelyn and Brendan seem to be a part of the Gawan/Elowen tale. Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but that's my theory.

Presentation:
The book is very unique in its printed style. I really liked the accordion fold. Very fun! Also, the Title is very pretty, but simple and very unassuming. Perfect for this story. The font is basic, but I liked the bigger letters taht began each section. The pictures on either side of the stories were very well drawn and visually appealing.

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. It was simple and easy to digest, but still made me want to savor it for all its worth. I honestly believe that this could be a full-length novel and not just a short presentation. This would have been a delightful "lengthy" read. Definitely a book I would have sat through on a sunny summer day. Well-done, a very delicious-but simple-romance that kept me wanting to know more about the characters relationship outcome. =)

*Additional Note: Best read with Celtic music playing in the background to create a wonderful atmosphere. ---Soundtrack to Braveheart works well too. =]*(less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Amy A rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will be honest. The thing that attracted me first to this book was the different way in which it was packaged, an "accordian style binding". The whole concept was pretty clever I thought, one story told from two different people's perspectives.

The underlyning message of the story was not cloaked by any means. The reader knows right away who the characters are / were and the fate that they face, but instead of making the story boring it was more interesting to be able to pick out the details o...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Isa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, romance, insta-love, boring, magical-realism, disappointment, read-2012

Originally posted at Bookmarks.

Never judge a book by its cover.
I already knew this and yet, here I am.

This is, quite easily, one of the prettiest books I own. The book itself, as an object, is worth a whole star (perhaps even more...).

Now the story...
First of all, and this is important, it's not badly written.
The dialogue is a bit trite and at times unbelievable, but other than that it's fine.

The plot hinges on a cliché I personally hate: that of star crossed lovers who will fall in love beca...more Originally posted at Bookmarks.

Never judge a book by its cover.
I already knew this and yet, here I am.

This is, quite easily, one of the prettiest books I own. The book itself, as an object, is worth a whole star (perhaps even more...).

Now the story...
First of all, and this is important, it's not badly written.
The dialogue is a bit trite and at times unbelievable, but other than that it's fine.

The plot hinges on a cliché I personally hate: that of star crossed lovers who will fall in love because it was all meant to be. This may appeal to many people but it's a particular deterrent to my full enjoyment of a story. "Even so," I thought, "The characters... they'll be what will pull it all together, if they're great, it can still end up being good."
The characters didn't help.

I started with Evelyn's story, perhaps that was a mistake. Normally, when I find a character like this, I will dislike him or her. A spoiled rich girl whose "parents just don't understand" (thanks Fresh Prince) why she'll drop into whimsical considerations every other paragraph and whose only refuge is her poetry (which was criticised by the poet laureate, but that makes him an idiot because, really, what does he know, am I right?) Like I said, I don't like characters like this. But I couldn't even muster dislike for Evelyn. She was so wishy-washy, so barely interesting at all, that she gave me a serious case of "I nothing her."

Brendan's story was easier to get through. He was still annoying here and there, talking about how he'd never made real friends with the other boys in his fishing village because he "was different, a scholar", which just about tells us he doesn't know what friendship is at all, I mean, can you imagine how dull life would be if you were only friends with people who are like you? He just seemed snobbish, he was "a little hurt - that she'd assume he was just a poor boy from Clews." Seriously? Seriously? But not even that made him interesting.

In the end, the only thing I felt strongly about was the fact that I paid €12 for this :((less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Sari rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a love story - the story of Evelyn and Brendan. I really enjoyed this book - the format is something I think a lot of people will be talking about. It's printed "accordion-style" and you can either read Evelyn's story first or Brendan's, it doesn't really matter, they both read from front to back, from different ends of the book.

Evelyn is an American who sometimes "sees things" and is always being told she's too imaginative for her own good and that she needs to get more serious with her...more This is a love story - the story of Evelyn and Brendan. I really enjoyed this book - the format is something I think a lot of people will be talking about. It's printed "accordion-style" and you can either read Evelyn's story first or Brendan's, it doesn't really matter, they both read from front to back, from different ends of the book.

Evelyn is an American who sometimes "sees things" and is always being told she's too imaginative for her own good and that she needs to get more serious with her life. She feels herself needing a break, and takes a week's vacation in Cornwall where she meets Brendan, who along with his father owns an old bookstore in town. He tells her of the legends of the Queen of Cornwall and her lover, Gawan, a knight who comes to her rescue. They're cursed for their true love to spend 1,000 years apart. Evelyn and Brendan have feelings for each other but Evelyn has another vision and flees to America.

Of course, years later, in America, they come together again. Can they get past the visions Evelyn has? Are they the modern version of the Queen and The Knight? Has their 1,000 year separation finally come to an end, or are they destined to be parted yet again?

As in any good love story, things come between Evelyn and Brendan, and I was anxious that their story be resolved in a happy way. I'll admit it here: I'm a sucker for a good story of Hope - the promise of happiness is so important and so many stories don't give you that.

I enjoyed this book, it's shorter than most books I read but definitely packs a punch. I loved the way the book is styled, though I kept dropping it all over the place (I blame that on me, not the book). I loved the drawings, they really added to the feel of the story. Even though the stories aren't long, they surprised me with their charm.

I read the book Evelyn's story first, then Brendan's story. Just in case you're interested. I'm sure it would have been different had I read his story first but it just seemed to me that's how it needed to be done.

* Note: I received a review copy from Quirk Books, but as always, my opinions and the review above are my own.
(less)

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: in, 2012, early-reviewers, fantasy, romance

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.[return][return]The first thing I must discuss about this book is the physical formatting. This tale of star-crossed lovers is done with unique accordion-style pages, with Brendan's story on one side and Evelyn's on the other. The construction is really quite beautiful. This means that the book has no spine. If I didn't care about the condition of the book, I could probably stretch it out over four or five feet. The pages are o...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Larou added it

Shelves: 2012-02, fantasy

I do like my Kindle, and after having owned it for ten months and using it extensively I would not want to miss it. And while it is extremely convenient and very much to be preferred over most physical books which these days are more often than not badly designed, badly bound and badly printed in a miniature font that gives you a headache after ten minutes of reading, there still are (and likely will remain) some things that simply cannot be done with an e-book.[return][return]The Blossom and th...more I do like my Kindle, and after having owned it for ten months and using it extensively I would not want to miss it. And while it is extremely convenient and very much to be preferred over most physical books which these days are more often than not badly designed, badly bound and badly printed in a miniature font that gives you a headache after ten minutes of reading, there still are (and likely will remain) some things that simply cannot be done with an e-book.[return][return]The Blossom and the Thorn has a leporello binding, meaning that it is a book that does not have a spine but whose pages fold out like an accordion. I seem to remember having read in an interview with the author that it was her publisher who came up with the idea of producing a book in that style and suggested it to Theodora Goss who apparently liked the idea. The Blossom and the Thorn, a novella of approximately 2×40 pages, is the result and its central subject matter of star-crossed lovers fits the physical form of the book perfectly, presenting each lover’s story on one side of of the fold-out, their stories so close to each other as to almost touch, but still forever separated by the tiniest margin with the thickness of a single piece of paper.[return][return]There have been two-sided stories like this before, the most famous one being probably E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Lebensansichten des Katers Murr, or more recently Mark Z. Danielewski’s Only Revolutions, which also illustrates the double-sidedness of its narrative by means of the book’s physical form, although in the much more common version of a tête-bêche binding.[return][return]Presenting the story in a leporello binding is as far as I know unique, and Theodora Goss’ ingenuity transforms what could have been a cheap gimmick into something strikingly significant, the sensual representation of an abstract concept. And it is not just the lovers, there is a host of similar close-but-separate pairings to be found spread throughout the text – past/present, scholarship/poetry, United Kingdom/United States, the two different versions of the Gawain and the Green Knight, to name just a few – they form a leporello of their own, strung together and arranged in a fold-out by the novella. As simple as the story in itself is, it is marvelously structured, and the writing possesses the unostentatious lyricism one finds in folk tales and legends. Because of the density of its form and imagery, The Blossom and the Thorn did not feel short to me at all, despite of it being not many pages long and despite its immense readability which had me quickly turn (flip? fold?) the pages. But there is so much happening on so many levels that there are more wonderful things to discover on a single page here than in many a doorstopper Epic Fantasy novel.[return][return]This is not just a cerebral writing exercise, though, but the stories of Evelyn and Brendan are tender and touching, are very human even with all their mythopoetic resonances. The ending is not quite a Happy Ever After, but it is not bleak either, ending on a guardedly hopeful note for both characters. There is an emotional honesty about the novella that blends into the way it tightly interweaves its few fantastic elements with its firm realistic grounding – this is no wish-fulfillment fantasy, but shows that the mythic enhancement of everyday life does come at a cost, and leaves it quite open whether it is worth paying that price or not.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Rajiv Perseedoss rated it 5 of 5 stars

"They would not live happily ever after, because no one did that. But they would be together, and that was enough" - The thorn and the blossom.
I got this book from Dioni Zhong months back - came in with the loveliest of covers and a nice casing and a nice little addition - you can read the book from both directions and that would tell you the story from two different perspectives; very clever indeed. I, however, kept it aside and postponed reading it forever, since i thought it would be some che...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a sweet love story that gets bonus points for creative presentation. I bought it on a whim because the book has accordion pages. On one side is the story from the woman's point of view; on the other, the story is told from the man's point of view. That little gimmick was enough to justify the purchase, especially since I found it at my favorite indie bookshop and I never feel guilty about plunking down money there. It was a much quicker read than I anticipated, but I enjoyed it thoroughl...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Thorn and the Blossom is one of those books you can't help but share with others. The story is delightful, and the gimmick makes it unique and fun. The gimmick you ask? That's right, this is no average novel, The Thorn and the Blossom is a unique accordion fold novella with Evelyn's story on one side and Brendan's story on the other.

Way back when, on my 16th birthday, my dad presented me with a box set of the first three Griffin and Sabine books by Nick Bantock. At the time I had never read...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Previously published in slightly lengthier format at www.fallintofiction.blogspot.co.uk

This self-described “two-sided love story” utilises an accordion-fold binding (without a spine) as its unique selling point. Essentially, Goss tells the same love story from the perspective of both lovers, with the reader capable of choosing which version of events they will read first, Evelyn’s or Brendan’s. Much like the accordion-style interwoven format, the two accounts marry together, each supporting the...more Previously published in slightly lengthier format at www.fallintofiction.blogspot.co.uk

This self-described “two-sided love story” utilises an accordion-fold binding (without a spine) as its unique selling point. Essentially, Goss tells the same love story from the perspective of both lovers, with the reader capable of choosing which version of events they will read first, Evelyn’s or Brendan’s. Much like the accordion-style interwoven format, the two accounts marry together, each supporting the other, with moments of overlap throughout the narrative.

As a prior recipient of the World Fantasy Award and someone whose previous work has included adaptations upon fairy tales (A Rose in Twelve Petals and Sleeping With Bears), it is no surprise the novella utilises the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as its starting point. Goss adapts this subtly, to cultivate the “Tale of the Green Knight”, this being the title of a medieval romance which Brendan hands to Evelyn when they meet. Thus, Arthurian legend mixes with Celtic mythology and the magical realism which forms the basis of much of Goss’s work. Soon enough, this causes both characters to question whether or not they might be the cursed lovers who are the subject of the tale itself…

The novella is brief, at approximately 40 pages for each version, but reads well as two self-contained stories and as a cohesive whole. Whilst some aspects of the lovers’ tale are left unanswered, this does not detract from the tale, serving to add poignancy to its spare story arc. Too, there are nice touches in the artistry of the cover and inside the work itself, with the colour scheme of green and gold mirroring those referred to via the “Green Knight”. You can also discover a small thumbnail image of the Green Knight on peeling back the removable sticker on the outer case containing the book itself, should you so wish.

Clearly, a lot of thought has been given to ensuring the narrative supports its format and should ensure Quirk Books’ latest offering reaches its intended audience. Whilst it is also possible to purchase an e-format, it would be a pity to waste the opportunity to experience the physical version, for this reader at least.(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Liza Wiemer added it

My elder son Justin had Professor Theodora Goss for a class at Boston University his freshman year (he's a junior now). He has always spoken so highly of Prof. Goss that I was excited to read her two-sided love story. Incredible. I started with Brendan's story. The story was so engrossing. I loved his perspective on his relationship with Evelyn. I loved the mystical aspect of their relationship and the medieval connection with THE TALE OF THE GREEN KNIGHT. Magic, romance.
Evelyn's story bought an...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Virginia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, romance

"The Thorn and the Blossom", by Theodora Goss, is a lovely, unique reading experience for romance lovers. It is also a wonderful collectible for book lovers. The length of the two-sided book may be short, but the complete package is such that more words are not necessary. Devotees of romance will delight in the story of Evelyn and Brendan, two "book people" who meet in a village bookstore. Read one of the lover's version of the story, and then flip the book to read the other point of view. Sweet...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Shamz rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book because the concept was fascinating to say the least. The story of Evelyn covered one side of the book and the story of Brendan the other. It is quite unique. Somehow they are mysteriously drawn to each other through a book/poem and yet, they can't be together no matter how hard they try. It is almost as if a curse from the past follows them around, plaguing their every move. Although they talk mostly about the poem, its translation and nothing else, as I understood, it ties i...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-reviewed-for-wellreadwife-com

The Thorn and The Blossom by Theodora Goss is a truly unique book. The book comes beautifully packaged in a box. When you are ready to read the book, you slide it out of the box and the book opens accordion style. It contains the same story told from two different points of view. If you open the book and read from one direction you get Evelyn’s story. If you open from the other direction you get Brendan’s story.

The Thorn And The Blossom is a tale of star crossed lovers, Evelyn and Brendan. Evely...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthurian, based-on-myth-saga-etc, short-stories-novellas

Lent to me by a friend (thanks!) -- I received it in the post today and read it this evening in one go. It's a pair of connected novellas/short stories, which cover more or less the same events from the point of view of the two main participants. It doesn't really matter which you read first: each illuminates and complements the other. It's a lot of fun, actually: the physical copy of the book has concertina pages, so you read it one way, turn it round, and read back the other. It's a very nice...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Sofia Samatar rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a number of reviews of this book online. People are generally enthusiastic about the accordion book concept and the sheer beauty of The Thorn and the Blossom as a physical object, and rightly so. Many seem to have read it because they were so attracted to its material form, and to have approached it with excited cries of "The packaging! The packaging!" I, on the other hand, approached with cries of "The Goss! The Goss!"

So this is a Goss reader's review, because I have been in love with...more I've read a number of reviews of this book online. People are generally enthusiastic about the accordion book concept and the sheer beauty of The Thorn and the Blossom as a physical object, and rightly so. Many seem to have read it because they were so attracted to its material form, and to have approached it with excited cries of "The packaging! The packaging!" I, on the other hand, approached with cries of "The Goss! The Goss!"

So this is a Goss reader's review, because I have been in love with her work since reading the short story "The Rapid Advance of Sorrow." I'm also a writer, and I'm interested in how writers work. Goss is a writer's writer; her characters are often artists, or people who are trying to become artists, or who wish they could be artists. The Thorn and the Blossom is, as its description advertises, a love story, but it's also a work story. It's about people finding the great passion that will make them happy, and for the lovers Brendan and Evelyn, that's passion not just for each other, but for meaningful work. For enchanting work. They seek out enchantment like knights in the Forest Sauvage, and we want them to find it.

I started with Evelyn's story. Why? I dunno, maybe a girl thing? Ok yes, probably a girl thing. As you may well have heard, the accordion form of The Thorn and the Blossom means that you can open it from either side, so you can choose to read either Brendan's or Evelyn's story first (and either way you will be greeted by beautiful art by Scott McKowen). So I began with an introduction to Evelyn: her studies at Oxford, her struggles with "seeing things," her attraction to the cute guy she meets in a bookshop in Cornwall. And when I'd finished, I flipped the book over and read Brendan's side, to learn about his efforts to fit in in his fishing village, his own Oxford experience, and his attraction to an intriguing American exchange student.

So, does the accordion thing work? Yes. No matter how you read it, there will be surprises. Does it seem like a gimmick? No. The stories complete each other; they gain depth when read together; they want to be experienced back-to-back.

And what about the stories themselves?

The stories are stories. Although set in our own era, they're really fables, drawn with the bold strokes of medieval tales. Brendan and Evelyn's love story explicitly echoes The Tale of the Green Knight, a Cornish legend that inspires them both, in terms of content: like Gawan and Elowen in the legend, they must endure a star-crossed love (and there's much to suggest that they actually are Gawan and Elowen reborn). But these past and present stories also share form. Here's a bit from the legend:

The giants gathered on this hill, surrounding Gawan and Elowen. Gawan fought bravely, but even he couldn't conquer them alone. Finally, fearing that he would be defeated despite his magical armor, Elowen cast a spell. It was the strongest she had, and it turned the giants to stone.

And here's a bit of Brendan's story:

In the next couple of days, they went to the church where Brendan had attended services when his mother was alive. She had died of some sort of cancer when he was seven. His father had never talked about it, and he'd never asked. His father was a taciturn man who had left his son mostly to his own devices. Brendan had grown up reading books and running around Clews, the town and the forest that was left.

That clean diction, those quick jumps in time--that's the pared-down music of the fairy tale, in which what is said is only what is absolutely necessary. There's no extra ornamentation on The Thorn and the Blossom, which may take some getting used to for readers who reveled in the more baroque language of Goss's electrifying collection, In the Forest of Forgetting. But I feel that in this book, once again, Goss writes her process through her characters. Brendan and Evelyn seek the right literary form to express the magic they've experienced, and they both write unexpected things as a result. As for Theodora Goss, she's left the weirder and creepier aspects of her work behind to write a curl-up-on-a-winter's-day love story in The Thorn and the Blossom.

Oh, and also, the packaging is lovely.(less)

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Jan 17, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, from-publisher

When I was contacted to review The Thorn and the Blossom the design and description made me say "yes" immediately. So often I will read one POV in a book and wonder what the other main character is thinking. I had never read an accordion-bound book before, it was a bit tricky to figure out how to hold at first. But, I like the way Evelyn and Brendan’s covers are done. The slipcover that The Thorn and the Blossom is classically beautiful.

I started with Evelyn’s side of the story. I enjoyed Evelyn...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reading-challenge, read-in-2012

This is a beautiful novella. The book is accordion-bound telling two sides of a wonderfully told love story. The book is housed in a gorgeous slip cover. The artwork is stunning. This is one book I highly recommend buying the print version versus the e-book edition. The quality of the paper and cover are extraordinary!

One side tells the story from Evelyn's viewpoint. Evelyn travels to Cornwall for a week, where she meets Brendan in a bookstore. They both discover their common love for medieval l...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, dtb

What a beautiful little novella. The Thorn and the Blossom is the story of Evelyn and Brendan, who meet in a bookstore in a small town in Cornwall and feel an instant connection. They spend several days together, then part and don't see each other for years. Inevitably, though, their paths cross again, leaving the reader to contemplate the true nature of their mysterious, haunting love story.

The book is accordion-bound, making it two-sided -- Evelyn's story on one side, Brendan's on the other....more What a beautiful little novella. The Thorn and the Blossom is the story of Evelyn and Brendan, who meet in a bookstore in a small town in Cornwall and feel an instant connection. They spend several days together, then part and don't see each other for years. Inevitably, though, their paths cross again, leaving the reader to contemplate the true nature of their mysterious, haunting love story.

The book is accordion-bound, making it two-sided -- Evelyn's story on one side, Brendan's on the other. The reader can choose which to read first; the two sides of the story run parallel, with repeated dialogue and such, but after reading the second perspective we come away with a different understanding of the first as well. I read Evelyn's story first; I wonder how different the book would have seemed if I'd read Brendan's first. It's a really interesting way to present a story; as a librarian, though, I wonder how well the book would hold up, physically, to library use. The paper is good-quality and quite heavy, and there is a sturdy slipcover, so I suppose it all comes down to how careful patrons are with it!

The book itself, in addition to being bound quite uniquely, is really lovely. The artwork on the slipcase reminds me of beautiful old botanical prints, and the story is illustrated with several block prints. The artistic style lends the book a very strong sense of timelessness and permanence.

The writing is gentle and lyrical, and reminded me very much of the epic romances I read so many of during college. I was a medieval literature major (both Brendan and Evelyn are medievalists) and spent a semester in England, as Evelyn did, so that section in particular made me feel nostalgic. Then after finishing the book, I read the Q&A with the author that Quirk sent along as well, and was struck by this sentence: "But in the end, a book is never created entirely by its writer. Readers will imagine these things for themselves, each in a different way. The forest will be the forests they've walked through; the love story will be relationships they've experienced. And that's as it should be. That's what reading's all about -- participating in the story." How very true.

Expected publication date: 1/17/2012

Copy received for review from Quirk Books(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-romances-challenge

**4 1/2 Stars**

This is one of the most unique novels and I'm glad I was given a chance to read and review this. I may not have discovered this literary gem otherwise.

When Evelyn, an American, makes an impromptu visit across the ocean to Cornwall, she hopes to just get away from it all for a week; Oxford and her studies, her parents...She wasn't counting on meeting Brendan Thorne and forming a connection to him. While walking through a forest together near the end of her week-long vacation, Brend...more **4 1/2 Stars**

This is one of the most unique novels and I'm glad I was given a chance to read and review this. I may not have discovered this literary gem otherwise.

When Evelyn, an American, makes an impromptu visit across the ocean to Cornwall, she hopes to just get away from it all for a week; Oxford and her studies, her parents...She wasn't counting on meeting Brendan Thorne and forming a connection to him. While walking through a forest together near the end of her week-long vacation, Brendan kisses Evelyn, but when she opens her eyes she sees "hallucinations" that make him appear to be turning into vegetation. Evelyn has been seeing "things" since her childhood and had hoped that she outgrew them. She flees back to America without a backward glance. Fast-forward 10 years....Evelyn has published a book, gotten her PhD, and a job at a southern college; the same college that Brendan is also a professor. They rekindle their love and only when Brendan reveals his secret do things end the same way they did 10 years ago...Evelyn flees but this time she goes back to Cornwall. Will Brendan and Evelyn ever be together?

The story is left open-ended and shrouded in mystery but it's thought provoking as you contemplate how things could have been if the author were to have written 1 or 2 more pages. She leaves those aspects up to your imagination...you pretty much conclude the book however you want to with the details that Ms. Goss leaves in the final few paragraphs of each account.

I started this novel by reading Evelyn's account first then I flipped it over and read Brendan's. Of course, many of the sections of the book are mirror images of each other, but the author does such a majestic job piecing everything together. We get additional observations and points-of-view from each character in their respective accounts. The writing style is flawless; the thoughts conveyed without awkwardness; the 10-year gap doesn't impede the telling of the story; and the plot and characters are solid.

It is a nice, fulfilling read without a bunch of useless filler and nonsense. I was captivated from the first page and was able to read Evelyn's and Brendan's accounts in one sitting....Each account is approximately 37 pages long.

I'm extremely proud to place this accordian-style book on my bookshelf!!

eReaders only wish they could be as awesome as this hardcover, accordion-style book is!!! (less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Usually when I am reading a story, the format doesn't matter to me - ebook, paperback, hardcover, PDF, or computer file are all just vehicles for the story and quickly fade into the background. But with this book it mattered. Initially, I didn't know how to hold this book. It kept falling into its accordion folds and ending up in my lap. I almost felt like it needed one of those reading stands that you see in medieval book rooms along with the white, acid-free gloves you wear to not damage the p...more Usually when I am reading a story, the format doesn't matter to me - ebook, paperback, hardcover, PDF, or computer file are all just vehicles for the story and quickly fade into the background. But with this book it mattered. Initially, I didn't know how to hold this book. It kept falling into its accordion folds and ending up in my lap. I almost felt like it needed one of those reading stands that you see in medieval book rooms along with the white, acid-free gloves you wear to not damage the pages. The medieval feel supported the medieval story of lovers separated for a thousand years by a curse. The woodcut illustrations that began and ended each story also helped create a medieval feel.

The stories though contemporary had an almost magical, lyrical feel which isn't surprising because the author is herself a poet. Each story is in three parts. In the first part Brendan and Evelyn meet in the small town of Clews in Cornwall. Brendan is back home from Oxford for the summer working in his father's bookstore. Evelyn is visiting the area where her ancestors came from as she finishes up her semester abroad at Oxford before returning to the United States. These two are both lonely and feel out of place in their surroundings. Brendan doesn't seem to fit in with the local boys he grew up with because of his interest in literature and scholarship and their interests in the sea and fishing. Evelyn has been hiding a secret since her childhood and she is quietly defying her family's expectation that the become a lawyer in favor of her own desire to be a scholar and poet. The first part ends after only a week when Evelyn flees the area after just one kiss from Brendan triggers a hallucination of him turning into a man made of branches and leaves.

They reconnect years later at a small college in Virginia. Brendan is a tenured professor of medieval literature who has written a new translation of the legend of Gowan and Elowan and Evelyn interviews for an associate professor position. She had written a poem based on the legend called Green Thoughts. The romance rekindles but Brendan doesn't mention that he had married and that his wife was injured in a riding accident and is now in a coma in a long-term care facility. Evelyn thinks that she has finally outgrown the mental problems that plagued her childhood and sent her fleeing from Brendan in Clews. When Evelyn finds out about Brendan's wife she has another episode of the hallucinations that she thought were finished. She takes too much of the medication she hasn't used for years. By the time she recovers, Brendan's wife has died and he has left the college with no forwarding address.

The final section comes full circle back to Clews. Brendan has returned to his father's house to re-evaluate his life. He is out fishing with his boyhood friends and is working on a children's book about the story of the Green Knight. Evelyn finds a new psychiatrist who helps her to realize that her hallucinations aren't destructive and that she can live around them. She decides that it is time again to write some poetry based on the legend of Gowan and Elowen. This would be a series of ten poems about the lives Elowen lived some with Gowan and some without as the two doomed lovers waited until the 1000 year curse was through.

I loved the way the story of the modern lovers echoed the story of the medieval ones. I loved the lyrical language of this story. I thought the concept of the book design was intriguing and perfectly suited to the story that Ms. Goss was telling. I recommend this book highly both for its art and for the wonderful language.
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Dec 14, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars

A truly original story where the plot is as unique as the book, itself. Set up in an accordion-fold format, one ‘side’ of this book is told from Evelyn’s point of view. Evelyn is a girl who has had a bit of an issue all her life. When she was younger she had hallucinations, like fairies and trolls in her backyard. She’d been placed on medication by a doctor and went on to live a semi-normal life. Her parents are very wealthy and live in Boston. Her father is a lawyer and has been waiting for Eve...more A truly original story where the plot is as unique as the book, itself. Set up in an accordion-fold format, one ‘side’ of this book is told from Evelyn’s point of view. Evelyn is a girl who has had a bit of an issue all her life. When she was younger she had hallucinations, like fairies and trolls in her backyard. She’d been placed on medication by a doctor and went on to live a semi-normal life. Her parents are very wealthy and live in Boston. Her father is a lawyer and has been waiting for Evelyn to drop her ridiculous thoughts of writing poetry and studying literature, and head to law school to join him at the firm one day.

But Evelyn has been studying for a year at Oxford University, and has one week left before she has to go back home and deal with ‘real life’ once again. So she takes a short vacation to Cornwall - the small town of Clews that has one main street, a couple of historical spots, fishermen and a pub. Here is where she wants to rest, think, and get her life in order. Staying at the Giant’s Head inn, Evelyn takes a walk one day through town and comes upon Thorne & Son, Booksellers. This is the type of place with dusty floor to ceiling shelves, filled with the real leather-bound, gilt-stamped books from long ago. A true treasure.

In the store, Evelyn comes across a young man named Brendan Thorne. He has more than a little bit of mystery but loves playing the tourist, so he escorts Evelyn up the mountain to Gawan’s Court. He tells her the story of the ancient stone circle that is located there - a story based on King Arthur, the Green Knight, and a sorceress who put a spell on a couple who loved each other with all their hearts, making sure that they would never be able to be with each other for at least a thousand years.

Soon an incident occurs that makes Evelyn practically run for home and sets up a meeting that will happen years later in a small college in Virginia, where she and Brendan Thorne will have an amazing reunion.

By flipping this book over, on the back of the accordion fold is Brendan’s story, offering information on the life he lived after Evelyn ran from his sight in Clews and took off for America. From the woman he married who was filled with energy and no fear, to the girl who he’d met and fell in love with in his bookstore long ago, readers are swept away by the life that Brendan has lived, with the tale of the Green Knight being a very large part of his journey.

Stunning, riveting, unique, compelling - all of these adjectives would suffice for this modern-day tale with a historical ‘bent,’ that offers truly evocative characters and their two-sided love story.

This is a literary work of art that will make you want to hop a plane to Cornwall in search of that amazing bookstore.

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Mar 24, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lter, 2012, general-fiction

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program

The first thing I noticed about this book was the unique physical structure of it. Rather than the traditional bound book, it was an accordion, with Evelyn's story on one side, and Brendan's on the other. It made for a bit unwieldy reading but it perfectly conveyed that the stories were two sides of the same piece.

The story is a simple and short one: boy meets girl. But there is an undertone of something fantasti...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Amber (Books of Amber) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Firstly, I must say that this book is wonderfully put together. It’s so creative and unique, and it’s one of the things that initially drew me to the book.

The Thorn and the Blossom had a great premise with lots of potential, but I felt very disappointed by the execution of it.

I started with Brendan’s side of the story, and while you can start with either story, I definitely think Brendan’s is the best place to begin. Evelyn’s story answers a lot of questions that were brought up in Brendan’s ins...more

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Jan 07, 2012 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4_stars, covers_i_like, fantasy, fiction, own, read_in_2012, received_for_review, reviewed, setting_us, setting_uk

I have to start with this actual physical book. If you read my blog, you might be aware that I don't accept books for review. Reading on a schedule was starting to feel like work, so I decided to just say no to free books and read what I want when I want. It works better for me. I still get the occasional pitch and I will glance through them but I ultimately move on.

The pitch I got for The Thorn and the Blossom was different. "As for the unique format, The Thorn and the Blossom intertwines Evely...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

A pair of very touching nested tales about girl meets boy/boy meets girl (or have we met before?). I've been very keen to read this book since I first bought it over 6 months ago. It's been making its way up my TBP pile. The only other thing I've read (or rather listened to) by Ms. Goss was her recent short story in October 2012 issue of Clarkesworld - England Under the White Witch - which I very much enjoyed.

The Thorn and The Blossom does not indicate which tale to read first, Brendan's or Eve...more

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Apr 14, 2012 mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, light-reading

Really this is just a two-pronged novella with a jazzy format. The book has two hard covers but no spine. One reads the accordion pleated pages from front to back, and then repeats the process with the opposite side. I read Evelyn's version first. Meh. Side two? More meh.

The format, although it is a lovely idea, was difficult for me to handle unless I sat still with the book on a table or on a pillow in my lap. I'm no athlete, but I do tend to move around and multi-task while reading - skitterin...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Alex Maidy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I do not think I would have picked up this book if it were not for the unique binding. Having read Mark Z. Danielewski's two-sided novel Only Revolutions, I was intrigued by another attempt at the dual story printed on opposite sides of the same physical book. Where Danielewski's novel was almost impenetrable (you had to flip the book every nine pages), Goss has achieved an interesting balance here. You truly can read either story first and it does affect the other.

The basic premise is two Oxfor...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written and hauntingly romantic read. It is a very short read, but the way the book is put together is interesting and unique.

Evelyn has been haunted by hallucinations of fairies and other fantastical things much of her life. Then she decides to spend a summer in a small English village and meets Brendan in a bookstore. The two get along famously until Evelyn starts to see things again and flees...more I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written and hauntingly romantic read. It is a very short read, but the way the book is put together is interesting and unique.

Evelyn has been haunted by hallucinations of fairies and other fantastical things much of her life. Then she decides to spend a summer in a small English village and meets Brendan in a bookstore. The two get along famously until Evelyn starts to see things again and flees. Throughout the years Evelyn and Brendan are drawn together and torn apart; many parallels are drawn between their story and the story of Sir Gawain. When read from one side you get Evelyn's perspective on the story, when read from the other side you get Brendan's. I read Evelyn's side first.

This is a short but sweet novel. It is put together in a creative way. The book is bound in an accordion fashion. This way is you read it from one side you get Evelyn's story; if you flip it around and read it from the other side you get Brendan's story. The book comes in a nice box which is great since the book isn't the most stable with its accordion type of binding. The strange binding does make it a bit awkward to hold; but the book is short enough that it isn't that bad.

I am a big fan of Goss's novellas and short stories; her writing is always haunting and beautiful with touches of magic and many literary references. This book is similar to previous works I have read of hers. The writing is absolutely beautiful and creates wonderful imagery. The story is haunting and romantic. Evelyn is constantly fighting her visions and dreamy nature trying to make something of her life like her parents want her to. Evelyn is strong in some ways and a coward in others. Brendan is a similar character.

I love all of the literary references and love how their relationship echoes the ancient Gawain story. There is a bit of magic throughout and you can't help but wonder if possibly Evelyn and Brendan are maybe these ancient lovers finally reborn.

There is some ambiguity in the story as well, things are left fairly open-ended. Again this is pretty typical of Goss. I enjoyed it and was left to wonder what the future could hold for this kind-of-a-couple. The story it beautiful, bittersweet, and haunting all at once.

Reading the same story twice but from different perspective was interesting. Goss did an excellent job of echoing some conversations but also including different experiences in each retelling. Basically something that Evelyn would gloss over in her account, Brendan would go into in detail. It showed how each character was impacted by their daily interactions with each other.

Overall I really loved this book. I loved the beautiful writing, the subtle magic, and the literary references. I loved the haunting romance and the star-crossed quality to their relationship. It was a quick read, but a very enjoyable one. I would recommend to readers who love a beautiful and haunting romance with a touch of magic. There is some ambiguity to the story as well. It all reminded me a bit of Catherynne Valente or Elizabeth Hand's early works. If you enjoy this book also check out Goss's short story collection In the Forest of Forgetting. (less)

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