August 2023 Group Read - Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

[Ruri]

I was late to read this on another BC, but this is my chance to read it!

[Alice]

Also got here late but my copy is in the mail now. So excited!

[Emma]

I just started this and immediately had to stop when Leah got a nosebleed (not a spoiler, I think, bc it happens in the first 5 pages and as of yet it has no bearing on the story except as something weird that happens) I don't know if I can read this book; I'm in a really weird headspace right now and I'm so sad but I don't know if I can read this right now. :( Everyone else have a great time, though, it looks really good!

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚]

Hello everyone ! I’m currently still reading the book but I’m not sure if it’s the context the book or how they are writing around what happened ( 80 pages in by the way) this book is definitely giving three star vibes 😂. I’m struggling to read it

[Jennifer]

Same for me Char. If there wasn't the hook about what happened I'd definitely put this down. I think it's because I don't have the two mains very interesting so my brain is just saying 'spin on, get to what happened'.

I'm glad it's a short book!!

[Rum Rum]

I've also struggled to read this book and in spite of unanswered questions, I'm glad I finished it. Agree that thankfully it was a short book and could get to the end.

[Jennifer]

I'm finished. I'll be interested to hear what others think of this one as I wasn't a fan at all.

I picked it up as it was one of the horror nominations for the Goodreads awards 2022. I wouldn't recommend this book at all nevermind for an award!

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚]

💜🫶🏽

Netanella wrote: "Charlene (Char) wrote: "Hi Everyone !
I can’t wait to read this book! I can honestly say I haven’t been disappointed by a book this group has voted as a read either the first or the second."

Yay!..."

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚]

Oh yes, I definitely agree if the book was any longer I would’ve thrown it out of the window lol. It’s like okay just say what happened already ! I’m glad to know it’s not just me.

Jennifer wrote: "Same for me Char. If there wasn't the hook about what happened I'd definitely put this down. I think it's because I don't have the two mains very interesting so my brain is just saying 'spin on, ge..."

[Knight]

Kenneth wrote: "This is the thread for the August 2023 Group Read, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield."

Just finished this as an audio book but I think I need to read a physical copy. I found myself disengaged in some chapters and I don't know if it was just because I was not reading it myself.

[destiny ♡]

Knight wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "This is the thread for the August 2023 Group Read, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield."

Just finished this as an audio book but I think I n..."

I started the book on audio and had to switch to the ebook because I couldn't connect to the narrator for some reason.

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚]

Hi everyone ! Good news I have finished this book in my previous post I stated it’s giving me 3 star vibes it’s an official two stars! I posted my review and you’re more than welcome to check it out. This wasn’t the book for me :/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[The bookish Witch]

Hi everyone,

how far into the book are you? How do you like it so far?

Curious to hear your thoughts at the end of the month on what actually happend down in the ocean.

[Melanie]

Nice one!

[Tracee]

This has been on my list for months now so diving in. I'm only about 7% in so far but it seems interestingly weird so far and will be a short read. I am both terrified of deep water and have a great fascination for it so I'm liking the vibes so far.

[Kristy]

Read this in one sitting too. I really enjoyed it! I love a good subtle, slow burn Horror novel. When they are written well, they keep me thinking about them for a long time. I didn't pick up on the (view spoiler)[ Cthulhu (hide spoiler)] hints but boy do I see it all looking back now. I was thinking more along the lines of (view spoiler)[ Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But with Cthulhu pointed out, that's all I see now. (hide spoiler)] This was my first Group Read with this group and I'm glad I'm here.

[Alan]

Kristy wrote: "Read this in one sitting too. I really enjoyed it! I love a good subtle, slow burn Horror novel. When they are written well, they keep me thinking about them for a long time. I didn't pick up on th..."

Huh. I'm usually right on (view spoiler)[Cthulhu/Lovecraftian themes (hide spoiler)] but I didn't pick up on that. Maybe some (view spoiler)[ cosmic horror (hide spoiler)]. Just curious what was the 1st spoiler element for you?

[Jeff]

Frankly....for me it was a BIG "Meh"...



Jeff Mc

[Tracee]

This book felt like one long panic attack to me. Not because it was scary and I honestly didn't find too suspenseful either. But the themes of loss and fear of aging/death in both loved ones and self hit a little harder than I thought they would.

I did catch the spoiler hints. But it strangely reminded me of 2001 except for (view spoiler)[ going forward on the evolution scale the cursed crew went backwards back to the sea.. in a devolution evolution of sorts. (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure if there is really a point of what actually happened. The recurring themes are love, death, letting go. And I saw the curse as a reflection of (view spoiler)[ what happened to her mother. And the desperate need to hold onto her wife. (hide spoiler)]

I will admit some of the sections on the submarine spooked me a little though. This book gave me vibes that it really felt like a stretched out short story or novella but I'm glad it was as short as it was.

[destiny ♡]

Tracee wrote: "But the themes of loss and fear of aging/death in both loved ones and self hit a little harder than I thought they would."

This part of your comment specifically really resonated with me because while reading, (view spoiler)[I kept thinking of what was happening and how it felt parallel to dementia in a sense, and how horrible it is to slowly lose someone like that. (hide spoiler)] Just awful.

[Rosalyn]

The marketing of the book is a bit misleading, this is more literary fiction with horror elements. More unsettling rather than outright scared. Despite much of the book dedicated to describing Miri and Leah's marriage, I didn't feel any sort of way about them, didn't feel the love or attachment. In my opinion, the tone of the writing was a bit dry. I think I went into it with wrong expectations, not much horror or plot, really. By the middle to end, I was skimming. Beautifully written, just not my type of genre.

final rating: 3/5

[Annie]

Dawn wrote: "I just recently finished this and will be curious what people think...as mentioned previously the horror is maybe too subtle but it still has a beautiful weirdness to it..."

It definitely reminds us that horror can be felt instead of seen. I love "beautiful weirdness" because that's exactly how I felt - I don't think I've felt that way about a book since Annihilation or really any Vandermeer story. Did anyone have the same connection?

[Dawn]

Yes, I feel this book has really stayed with me even though I never knew exactly what horror happened I could let that go because her writing and the feeling she created was so amazing. I haven’t read Annihilation but will now, thank you for the recommendation!

[Tracee]

I agree that I just didn't connect to the characters relationship like at all. I did form a general connection to Miri. But for their marriage? Nothing. But perhaps this was the author's intent (view spoiler)[ that Miri was trying to hold on to a marriage that had already ended. (hide spoiler)]

Everything with Leah also reminded me of the short story (view spoiler)[ The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!)]

Really interesting to see all your opinions here! I’ve been looking forward to reading this one and really hope I am able to start it before the end of august so I can join in with the discussion here and share my review :)

[Kate]

Finished a couple of days ago. Pacing was slow, but consistent. Interesting that many people couldn’t connect with the narrator or with the relationship between Miri & Leah. I thought the narrative tone and flashbacks were quite effective in illustrating their bond, and the tragedy in its slow collapse. There are some plot holes regarding the, uh, supernatural element that left me slightly unsatisfied. This is the sort of cerebral book where some mystery is to be expected, but maybe there was a little too much of it. There is very little action or suspense in the book, but I found it engrossing enough and the length is good (I wouldn’t have wanted it longer). The author does have a way of ending almost every chapter on a cliffhanger and then switching narrators. The plot unfolds elegantly but predictably after a certain point. Fortunately, I’m not too depressed, but I would have preferred a different outcome. Would recommend - the author has talent.

[Ruri]

I read it almost in one sitting because I could feel the melancholy of Miri. At some point it reminded me of a previous relationship and I thought that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to continue reading it. I confess I struggled a bit towards the end as I could see it coming but I still consider that it was so beautifully written that I forgive every gap and predictability in the story.

[Knight]

Kate wrote: "Finished a couple of days ago. Pacing was slow, but consistent. Interesting that many people couldn’t connect with the narrator or with the relationship between Miri & Leah. I thought the narrative..."

I agree with the pacing and the length fitting the story well. I also found some plot holes in the same way and I often had to go back and reread parts to see if I missed something during the "supernatural" or "expedition" scenes. I liked the characters and felt they were familiar and relatable in a way that came in slowly.

[Knight]

Ruri wrote: "I read it almost in one sitting because I could feel the melancholy of Miri. At some point it reminded me of a previous relationship and I thought that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to continue ..."

I also connected to it in a similar way. Near the end I had to read in a rush and then needed a moment to process. I wish I had read it (especially the last quarter of the book) on a rainy day.

[Abigail]

Wow, this is really perfect timing for me because I just found this group and just finished this book a few days ago. I was absolutely thrilled with this book. The body horror was really impressive, and I thought it was a really creative take on it. The atmosphere was so tense and creepy but also so full of love??? And a ton of love, I think, makes the horror all the more palpable. Real stakes, you know? It was a weird one, but in a very delicious way. I think it's incredibly complicated to make (view spoiler)[ a cosmic horror novel feel so subtle with such a slow build (view spoiler)[! (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Bo]

I finished this at the end of last month and have been thinking about it every day since. I'm passing it along to some friends, too. A gorgeous, melancholy, weirdly honest look at relationships. A page-turner in the most sublime way. Superb!

[Gillian]

I just finished. Yes, a couple of days late. I was on track to finish it within the month but then my town was hit by a tornado and our house was damaged and I felt too many parallels to the story of grief, loss, uncertainty of what is to come next, that I just couldn't finish it right away.

There are an incredible amount of quotable passages in this story about these exact themes and I found myself vigorously highlighting at times.

I enjoy bleak, literary horror that uses claustrophobia as a fear tactic and the unsettling feeling that something is not quite right or someone is not quite right. The fear of the unknown or the vastness of the ocean and what lies beneath, how isolation can affect us more immensely than the outright dangers we can see.

I ended up rating this four stars and I know I will pick up Armfield's book of short stories, Salt Slow in the near future.

[Kasia]

Liz wrote: "I enjoy bleak, literary horror that uses claustrophobia as a fear tactic and the unsettling feeling that something is not quite right or someone is not quite right. The fear of the unknown or the vastness of the ocean and what lies beneath, how isolation can affect us more immensely than the outright dangers we can see."

That was masterfully written, and so true, that is fear inducing to me too.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!)]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... better slightly late than never! :D finished and here’s my review! I really enjoyed this one. Read the first 100 pages and then waited until I had the time to sit down and read the rest in one sitting!
Also currently reading The Lesser Dead finally!