Island

by Jane Rogers

Abandoned at birth and shuttled among foster homes, Nikki Black decides at twenty-eight to seek out her birth mother, intent on killing her. Nikki's vengeance takes her to a remote island off the coast of Scotland, where both the beaches and the inhabitants are full of artifacts from the past that haunt the present. Here she discovers a witchlike mother who concocts remedies in her dank kitchen and a stuttering, monstrous brother whose seemingly simple mind is filled with stories of past islanders, crofters, and Vikings. Gradually her brother's dangerous love and strange way of seeing the world transform Nikki's life in ways that she — and the reader — could never expect.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult, Scotland, Thriller, Drama, Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2000

About the author

Jane Rogers is an award winning author of nine novels, including The Testament of Jessie Lamb, Man-Booker longlisted and winner of the Arthur C Clarke Award 2012.

Other works include Mr Wroe's Virgins (which she dramatised for the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama series), Her Living Image (Somerset Maugham Award) and Promised Lands (Writers Guild Best Fiction Award). Her story collection Hitting Trees with Sticks was shortlisted for the 2013 Edgehill Award, and the title story was a BBC National Short story award winner.

Jane is Emerita Professor of Writing and also writes radio dramas and adaptations. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and lives in Banbury, UK.

www.janerogers.info

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had almost zero interest in reading this book. That was until I saw the movie and suddenly my interest was piqued. I am quite glad that I watched the movie first though, otherwise Jane Rogers' lack of the use of commas probably would have driven me insane before I'd even gotten into the story.

Jane writes quite mysteriously and the lines between reality and fairy tale do become a little blurred - I spent the greater portion of this novel trying to decide whether Nikki was just crazy/paranoid or if Phyllis was actually a witch. I really enjoyed the last chapter which told the truth about a few of the different stories, including that of Nikki and Phyllis.

I felt that the characters were quite realistically portrayed and the small island setting was a brilliant addition to the overall effect.

If you do ever get the chance to read the book or watch the movie then grab hold because you're in for a treat of a novel about three tormented souls.

[Jen Show · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I honestly only read this book because actor Colin Morgan is performing one of the lead characters in the film adaptation. I feel it is important to note that this colored my reading heavily. I found myself growing quite fond of the character in question (Calum) almost immediately, and I am not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much had I not been filling the character in with the fabulous Mr. Morgan.

Overall I really enjoyed the read, and in fact finished the book in one sitting. The atmosphere Jane Rogers creates is brilliant and striking if not a bit mad. Occasionally you catch a glimpse of glimmering threads of the more redeeming factors of humanity running beneath the narrative, but for the most part it is a dark tale with dark characters that I will probably visit again some day.

I don't at all regret in indulging in this book. But I do sort of regret having lent it out.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Island is a creepy, depressing, cloudy day of a book. A girl is shuffled through foster homes and the social service system, until she is old enough to take care of herself. She was abandoned by her mother for reasons unbeknownst to her, and subsequently hates everyone and everything. She decides to kill her mother, hoping this will bring her the peace she dreams of.
The mother is not a witch as the description would have you believe. She's a homeopath. The daughter is hateful: an unsympathetic character. She meets her brother, who is mentally challenged, and strikes up a bizarre friendship with him. They have sex, which just goes to show how messed up this young woman is.
Island is an icky book that made me feel claustrophobic and mildew-y. The sun never shines, the narrator is a sick freak, and the story could have shed about 50 pages. I didn't care about any of the characters, nor did I find them relate-able.
Not recommended.

[m i l o u ✨ (Grumpy Hobbit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I got introduced to this story was when I watched the movie with the brilliant Colin Morgan who portrays an adorable and sublime Calum. You can only fall in love with Calum. I had the urge to hug him through the entire movie and I was curious if that would be the same if I chose to read the book. I can assure you that it is not only Colin. Calum just has the adorable factor and I'm glad that I read this book.



I'm not a big fan of Nikki's character and I got annoyed whenever she acted rude towards Calum, who was sunshine on a rainy day. It did warm my heart when the two of them grew closer later in the book.
I really did enjoy reading this book. The story is interesting though and I liked all the folklore. I did give it 3,5 stars but that was mostly because Calum makes me happy.


Now I want to watch the movie again cause I do prefer Colin's version of the adorable and sweet Calum :)

[Dash · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a critical piece there are some interesting aspects to the story, particularly the distinct voice as well as the fact as its related by an unreliable narrator so you don't know if the story you read is the story that actually went down. Nikki also talks about this thing she calls 'the fear' which I am assuming is schizophrenia. So what is real? Who knows?

Though someone please tell me the point of the incest? It wasn't even necessary for the plot. It was just utterly and completely ick.

Please check trigger warnings if you're teasing this

[Abby Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I love this book.

The funny thing is, it's been a slow-burn on my bookish affections. It's one of those books that I kind of just HAD, bought it on a whim during online shopping years ago, carried it around a bit, missed it when it got stuck in storage. Then one day I realized, Good Lord, I quote this book a lot, I think about this book a lot, and little stories the characters have told stuck with me for years... At certain points, I didn't even remember this or that thing I had gleaned were FROM this book, they were just part of a vague quotes-library in my head.

One of favorite lines: If you'll never leave me, I'll never leave you. Not now, nor ever.

I don't know why, but I find that perfection.

I do understand though that this book probably isn't for everyone. There is some strong language and by GOD are the thematic elements a little cringe-worthy to someone who goes into this not realizing how dark it's meant to be. I mean it's got a main character making murder plans, an actual accidental murder later on (a brilliant twist, I'll try not to spoil here beyond that -- for I fear I've said too much -- so I don't have to mark this review), incest, more incest, abandonment, mental health issues, children-in-care issues...etc...

Also there's a bizarre lack of proper punctuation which seems to annoy some readers. However, personally I can't fault the book this, it's part of the charm of reading Island -- it just is. See, the way the words flow just suit Nikki Black (the first person POV character of this novel) SOOOOOOO well, and it's so beautifully crafted... It just WORKS. I can't imagine this book written any other way.

I also like how it deals with what Nikki refers to as "fear" which seems to be a sort of PTSD from her less than easy life mixed with anxiety from some other mental issues she clearly has. Because it's all consuming at the beginning, and at the end she's found her way out of it, and yet she's not QUITE ready to go back out into the world, she needs to rest at her little safe-haven a little longer. I love how the book shows that not only as being okay in-universe but enough of a positive note for an ending. Yes, that part of Nikki's life is over, we don't need to know what comes next, just that she's safe now and has finally come full circle and faced her fear.

The elements of storytelling are also very gripping. We're told a bunch of different things from various folklores, even a couple local to the island itself, all of which tie into Nikki's story in some way or another. It's just...so, so good.

From an iconic opening line that you'll never be able to forget, to a satisfying conclusion this is one heck of a brilliant book about one person's journey, and how they come to terms with it and themselves.

[Pamela Huxtable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly disturbing, Island hooked me from the first pages. Nikki Black is a disaster of a woman, and she knows it. Her twisted personality decides that her troubles all stem from her mother, who abandoned her as an infant. Nikki locates her mother, and travels to the island where she lives in order to kill her.

Folk tales of the little people, vikings, and other legends punctuate the despair and cruel nature of Nikki's world.

Stylistically, Nikki's voice is one of a kind. Abrupt, sometimes brusque, but always abrasive, she doesn't gloss over her troubles or her motives.

I highly recommend this book.

[Steve Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. A little slow to start with, and a very unlikeable protagonist, so at first I wasn't engaged. When the book reaches the Island, however, it becomes very good indeed.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is probably more like a 3.75 than a 3. I will definitely read more by Jane Rogers.

[Kristin E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing would be to die. It would be less trouble. I was very calm; all around me the little island, the last island, the island off an island off an island was still. Stillness was most natural. To go on scrabbling and running and grasping after some kind of life was aberration; stillness was lasting.

It's an intriguing story about how obsession can swallow you up... The narrator Nikki takes us along on her bitter and determined quest to kill her mother for abandoning her as an infant and leaving her to a life of instability and isolation. The setting (a small, Scottish island) is dark; the characters are mysterious and all manifestly haunted by their pasts. The writing is muddled like Nikki's mindset.

Nikki's inner frustrations and gawky attempts at killing her mother makes for gloomy, but strangely captivating reading; and even amusing at times greatly due to Nikki's sarcastic remarks. A good example being her first murder attempt in which she fails miserably after trying to sneak into her mother's bedroom during the night only to awkwardly run into her on the staircase. After having retired back to her room, Nikki reflects darkly upon her indiscreetness:

The house was totally silent; of course. And so it would be until I decided to go upstairs again, when she'd be sitting up waiting for me. Might as well give her a yell and tell her I'm coming.

I loved the rawness of the setting; Rogers has a way of using the surroundings to build up a chilling atmosphere and get under the skin of the characters - especially Nikki - which I greatly enjoyed. The highlight for me, however, was the development of the twisted relationship between Nikki and her peculiar half-brother Calum; a keen, but awkward collector and storyteller "with his head in the clouds". Their growing bond and the unexpected comfort the two lonely siblings find in each other provides the reader with a glimpse of hope in the otherwise dark and foggy universe Rogers has created for us.

[kimberly_rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal. Suspenseful. All the characters had depth. The pacing, the slow revelations--riveting. A book I won't soon forget. This one had me Googling like the crazed folklorist I am! The hebrides (an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland) has never fascinated me--not until the power of story set its sights on it! Interspersing folklore stories with present day scenes made them both bang into my mind and heart with more "oomph" than either would have alone.

The narrator's voice is powerful; it is certainly unreliable and often unlikeable--her outlook and judgments are jaded by her own inability to love herself or deal with her difficult emotions, so she pushes outward, seeks answers in anger and blame.

Some of the scenes were agonizingly "less is more" style; I was committed to the sister and brother, so I reread a couple of particular scene over and over, desperate to squeeze every thought and emotion out of them, to visualize every minute, to feel every second. Those favourite scenes were also my only complaint--they were slightly too skimpy. Throw a reader some meaty detail!

And, her brother. Breath-taking. I literally held my hand to my chest. His solitary, simple enthusiasm for his life and his constant attempts to love and understand despite his mental challenges.... He is certainly a transformative power for her; her growing ability to understand and transform herself is inspiring. And that's the magic of folk tales.

****

I tried watching the movie afterward; it was okay but absolutely incomparable in value to the book. I was inside this troubled woman during the book--completely inside. I understood her and her brother--achievements, mistakes, joys, sorrows, fears--far more with the book than if I only watched the movie. And the deep vein of richness that was the folklore was not in the movie, causing it to lose fabulous parallels.

[Allie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew about this novel because Colin Morgan is in the movie adaptation, I'm not gonna lie. But I read the argument and it attracted me, so I didn't want to missed the story from the original source.

I loved it. The story is predictable but it doesn't mean you can't get into it.

It's angsty and claustrophobic. Twisted and bitter. But it's fascinating. You feel trapped in the fog that Rogers sets for us, and you only feel a bit of relief on the tales told by Calum. But Nikki always comes back, with her darkness, making you understand her thoughts, even wanting her to fulfill her purpose. I enjoyed so much.
Read it in 2 days, and totally worth it.

"If you'll never leave me, I'll never leave you".

*
Supe de esta novela porque Colin Morgan está en la adaptación cinematográfica, no voy a mentir. Pero leí el argumento y me atrajo bastante, así que no quise perderme la historia de su fuente original.

Me ha encantado. La historia es bastante predecible pero no quiere decir que no puedas sumergirte en ella.

Es angustiosa y claustrofóbica. Retorcida y resentida. Pero es fascinante. Te sientes atrapado en la niebla que Rogers teje para nosotros, y solo sientes un poco de alivio en los cuentos que cuenta Calum. Pero Nikki siempre vuelve, con su oscuridad, haciéndote entender sus pensamientos, sus razonamientos, incluso queriendo que cumpla su propósito. Lo he disfrutado mucho. Leído en dos días, merece la pena.

“Si nunca me dejas, nunca te dejaré”.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book but I have to say more for the characters and style then the actual story. Unfortunately about 3/4 through I figured out how it would end. But I wouldn't have missed reading it at all and plan to read her other novels. The narrator is truly disturbed but absolutely fascinating. She's the human equivalent of that car wreck you can't look away from. The other character are fairly well developed also. The novel takes place on a remote island off the coast of Scotland and Rogers interweaves "stories" of fairies and gnomes along with her poetic descriptions of the natural terrain to create an otherwordly location.

It was apparently made in to a movie in 2011 (according to IMDB) but it doesn't seem to be that easy to find.

[Greg Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Heart-breakingly lyrical . . . It takes you into the heart of a dark wood, where there is no hope at all, and brings you out the other side, ready, if not to live happily ever after, then at least to begin to live.'
Review from the Guardian drew me in. This is a dark mythic tale that weaves a magic thread that deeply moved me, with the customary Rogers resonance. As usual I found it hard to put down and her words haunted me long after I'd finished the book. Highly recommended!

[A Lizardectomy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fast read. Well-paced. I sometimes had to re-read the sentences, even though they're often terse. Because occasionally the author makes one sentence out of two she just doesn't add a period and capital letter. Because it makes the narration feel more intimate, like the narrator is not over-thinking just putting the story out there like a girl confiding in her diary.

I liked all of the folktales and local legends. The way they inspire both Nikki to magical thinking. As if the world is responding to her character or choices. And maybe the myth of fallen angels eating all the inherent goodness in the world and leaving only hollow forms is helpful. To describe something tainted but redeemable. Because the hollow vessels can be filled again. It is the obligation and the honor of all of us to fill it with something good.

It is easier to do this if someone has taught you to do this. Like Angus taught Calum. The fairies are neither good or bad. They can act both ways, depending on how they feel about you. Like humans do.

I like Calum. I like that he finds treasure in beaten, discarded, lost things. I like that he fixated so swiftly on Nikki, despite her ill treatment of him, because she seemed to be a vital character in the story Calum might tell himself about himself. Calum assumed Nikki was there for a reason. And, indeed, she was. She was a gift from the sea. Not like a pearl. But like broken bits of glass worn opaque, smooth. Like a storied ancient comb made by hand and tossed into the ocean in anger at the gifter. Like brined mismatched boots which cause blisters to wear but afford freedom to the boy who's had his boots stolen to keep him at home. Calum sees second life in some of these thing and sees value in all, precisely because they DO have a story from the time before he receives them. It connects Calum to others, even across time.

Nikki is healing. Part of that process is to feel safe enough, and to feel important in the stories of others, so that she can see the world redeemed. She eventually retells the stories - - especially her own story - - with acceptance and forgiveness and potential for value. Calum is like the giant Ash tree sprouting from a walking stick to tell the hard-hearted man of God that even wicked petty creatures may find forgiveness, may be raised by love above their inherently evil nature.

Like Nikki, the fairies were cast out of heaven. Ans Calum knows that, like the fairies, Nikki is capable of granting wishes as well as causing mischief. They are reactionary, these rejected creatures. They are liberated and fearful and irritable and, should they ever feel accepted, eager to please.

Nikki gets a few head injuries in this story. I like this. Because brain damage causes change in both temperament and personality. Nikki only conceived of murdering her mother after she fell on those icy library steps. She couldn't think clearly after Calum inadvertently delt a blow to her temple. She allows herself to get drunk, even though she would never normally permit herself to lose control. And so little bits of bad luck build on eachother. It happens like that. Bad sticks to bad. We make worse choices when we are stressed. Others take advantage of the weakened and susceptible. There are reasons why magical thinking can be reinforced by empirical experience. Bad spells. Good spells. Witchcraft. Fairies. Angels. Fate.

Which is why storytelling is so important : controlling the narrative is a form of magical thinking. We rewrite our world, the people in it, the forces at play, our own story. Tragedy is powerful, cathartic, necessary high art. This book was tragic, AND I am so pleased with the happy ending.

I will be reading more from Jane Rogers.

[Deize ☾₊˚✭ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu soube da existência dessa obra por conta de sua adaptação, que me fez buscar a novel e em ler tudo em uma única tacada, e sinceramente, ainda não sei se digeri. É um livro bem curtinho com pouco mais de 250 páginas, mas que é escrito de forma tão primorosa que em alguns momentos eu senti um fascínio similar ao de ouvir alguém ditar uma receita complicada toda de cabeça. E nem por isso é uma leitura fácil, mas é tão fascinante que é impossível largar. A trama acompanha Nikki, uma jovem órfã que está perdida à deriva no mundo, e que acredita que o único modo de voltar a ter controle é assassinando àquela que a deixou nessa situação, sua mãe. Depois de rastreá-la, ela vai em busca de sua genitora em um inóspita ilha e aluga um quarto na casa dela onde passa a planejar sua vingança, para sua surpresa ela descobre que tem um irmão. Nikki o descreve de modo desdenhoso, quase como um monstro. Calum, é um personagem fascinante, não há outro modo de descrever, solitário, estranho e taciturno, passa horas andando na ilha como se vivesse em outra realidade, em busca de seus "tesouros", ele conhece todos os tipos de histórias da ilha o que confere a trama um ar quase sobrenatural. E embora Nikki o despreze, ela o atrai cada vez mais, como uma abelha para o mel, adicionando um ar de tragédia Shakespeareana à trama. Esse é aquele tipo de história que entra em nós e cria raízes, não é exagero dizer que sonhei com eles, com Calum em segurança, ainda inocente contando sobre um sonho estranho que teve.

"Se você nunca me deixar, eu nunca te deixarei."
"Nem agora nem nunca."

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I watched the immensely talented Colin Morgan as Ariel in the Globe Theatre's production of The Tempest one day and then watched Island the next day. It was an interesting experience; as though Ariel, Caliban and Miranda had been combined into one character.

I wanted to read the book to get more insight into Nikki's thoughts and to see how Calum is characterized in the book. I can see why Colin Morgan would be cast in this role; they needed an actor who could be dangerous but sweet and vulnerable, who could credibly combine simple-mindedness with wisdom and overlay the whole thing with a fey quality.

This book is brilliantly written. Nikki's unflinching honesty about her mental illness, her bitterness and anger and her insight about how she got that way is worth the read. Her gradual transformation even more so. I will definitely be reading more Jane Rogers.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a slow burn, but it eventually captivated me and I couldn't put it down. I'm very glad I stuck with it. Heavy with atmosphere and folklore. Nikki is such a complex and broken character, and although I didn't 'like' her, she still grew on me and I found myself reflecting on her motives and thoughts even when I wasn't reading. A character doesn't have to be likeable in order to be well written. Brilliant book if you can look past the weird punctuation.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overall, has the potential to be great. If we weren’t so stuck on one thing for so long. Seemed like more could have happened, we could have learned more about her childhood instead of just getting small glimpses into why Nikkie is so dark and twisted. I need more! It’s nothing more than a 200 something page tease.

[Anna-Marie Thibodeaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving it a solid 3/5 stars. The setting is beautifully written and makes me want to live there spending my time like Calum exploring and collecting. I loved the book being from Nikki’s perspective. Her thoughts, emotions, actions, all stemming from a place of abnormal; never knowing if what she was saying was true or not. It was a quick read and I quite enjoyed it!

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

People seem to be very polarised - either loving or hating this book. Many seem annoyed by a lack of commas, but it seems to me that is part of the stream-of-consiousness of the narrator, who also leaves sentences unfinished at times.
It's a dark tale of the effects of rejection at birth and lack of resolution in the social services the narrator encounters, swinging from being a high achiever, to wantonly destroying her own chances in life. For all this she blames the mother who abandoned her at birth. She determines on finding her mother and paying her back for all her own suffering by destroying her.
The search takes her to a small Scottish island and into the very home of her mother, where she is jolted by the dissimilarity her mother bears to her vision of her, and the fact that she has a brother or half brother she knew nothing about, and who appears to be his mother's focus in life.
It is cleverly written, and contains some lovely descriptive passages.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book but compelling.

[Manuela Lambrechts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik vond de manier van schrijven erg langdradig en ik kon me moeilijk inleven in de hoofdpersonage. Desondanks heb ik het boek wel uitgelezen omdat ik graag wilde weten hoe het af zou lopen.

[C.L. Flood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was riveted by this book. The sustained anger of Nikki and her gradual thawing in meeting her brother was a feat of a great writer.

[Aleesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no words.

[Megan Cunningham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Nothing happens isn’t really interesting nothing to it

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragedy and a fairy tale in the best way possible.

[Naddie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing. I really enjoyed feeling like I was trapped in Nikki's skin and understanding her way of thinking.

[Emrys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The best thing about it is the voice and writing style, so vibrant and striking, so unapologetically itself, so like Nikki. Nikki is so unapologetically the person who she wants to be that she opens the story telling us of her three different names and how they shaped her while she had them. The name given to her by her mother who abandoned her, the name given to her by the first family who tried to raise her, and the one she gave herself as an adult: cold and sharp, Nikki Black.
Nikki is not a nice person but I find myself liking her, and see myself reflected in her strange inner desires. Nikki loves stories. It’s her most forgiving quality, makes her seem softer and more human. She even likes happy endings. But since she is a woman who was lost as a girl, who grew up unloved, without a mother, she doesn’t see other people as closely as the rest of us might. She sees only herself, and so she is her story’s heroine, and only her happy ending matters. For every lost child in a story, there is the cruelty and negligence of an adult who put them there. This person is a witch, and she embodies evil in her egotistical uncaring nature. The lost child has been powerless all their life because of the detriments of their innocence and youth, but they find their power and seize their day. At the end, they kill the witch.
The task Nikki sets for herself is simple, and a necessity. There is no other way she can see to free herself and fly into her happily ever after. But she is not a truly bad person, and she holds in her heart less viciousness than she thinks. She finds a small consolation prize in putting off her witch’s fate in a newfound brother she never knew, a boy to be the best friend of her childhood that she never had. He himself is filled with stories that he cannot tell from life in the light of day. And he is frozen in a state of childhood itself by his slow turning mind and his long isolation with his mother.
A normal person would at this point have to weigh their options and choose between cultivating new love and new reasons, or sticking to their guns and shooting down the ghosts that keep them in a childish imprisonment. Nikki was not raised like a normal person, she doesn’t weigh her options. She wasn’t raised by anyone at all, so she turns to impulse and rides out the waves.
I loved being in Nikki’s mind, and I burned to hear more of her stories. I loved seeing things through her eyes but also imagining how her same story must have played out so differently for others. I understood all of the characters(though they could not do the same for each other). And I was wishing by the end that we could have had another round of adventures.
It was a bleak story, but lit by the characters’ passions.
I love writing out my favorite quotes from a story, but for Island that would be almost impossible. The whole book flows fiercely like a poem and a master work of language. My only regrets after reading this, is that I did not write it first. I’m jealous of Jane Rogers and the only thing that keeps me from running out to get everything she’s written is my own envy and lack of desire to keep from being twice spurned. I’ve done no justice in this review. Just read it.

[Ann Hale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Difficult book to get into and to follow.