I find myself in a strange position right now. I received this book through the post on Saturday morning that was sent to me direct from the author - who in this case happens to be my own dad. So it is a strange feeling indeed to have read a novel that someone you know personally has written and then, in the spirit of my keeping up faithfully with my book-log, have to write a review about it..
It was hard to read The Spirit of the Fen as being just a novel in which I had no prior emotional investment, rather than a novel specifically that your dad had written. I am not sure I managed to remain totally impartial – you are always looking for hidden subtexts and meanings to things! Whether that is a good thing or not I have no idea. I suppose I am in a very privileged position really as I guess not many people get to read a novel written by someone they know. There have been books I have read in the past when I have thought that it would have been great to know the author, to be able to have that inside information behind the text. But I didn’t find that in this case – not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. I think maybe it was the type of story and it’s content that made distancing myself from it so difficult since I grew up in the area and know how close the subject is to my dad. So, I shall try my very best to be impartial in my review, but I cannot promise I will manage it completely - in fact I will probably end up being too critical! Suddenly I am thinking how do I have the right to critique a novel when I probably have no idea how difficult a task it can be to write one?!
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The Spirit of the Fen is set in the small market town of Bungay in Suffolk – the town I grew up in between the ages of 4 and 18 – and focuses on the current topical issue of new homes being built on green-field sites in rural communities in order to meet government targets. The rural area in this case being Outney Fen (or known locally as Outney Common). The story follows Danny and his fight to save the Fen from Pilgrim’s housing development, which will mean the desecration of common recreation and pastureland of environmental and historical significance – not to mention the spiritual attachment held of it by many of the local residents. It is a story of soul-searching and tragedy amidst much determination, and raises some important questions being faced by many rural residents and council planners up and down the country.
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The Spirit of the Fen is set in the small market town of Bungay in Suffolk – the town I grew up in between the ages of 4 and 18 – and focuses on the current topical issue of new homes being built on green-field sites in rural communities in order to meet government targets. The rural area in this case being Outney Fen (or known locally as Outney Common). The story follows Danny and his fight to save the Fen from Pilgrim’s housing development, which will mean the desecration of common recreation and pastureland of environmental and historical significance – not to mention the spiritual attachment held of it by many of the local residents. It is a story of soul-searching and tragedy amidst much determination, and raises some important questions being faced by many rural residents and council planners up and down the country.
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Overall, it was a good story and enjoyable to read but I think more so for me because I know the area and the landmarks being pointed out and its history. But it's a good first effort and the story flows along nicely. There are also some compelling arguments raised with regards to whether houses should be built on the Fen - at one point I found I was in two-minds about it all just as the central character was whereas before I have always been dead against. Knowing how much the author loves the place on which this book was based, he does manage to balance both sides of the struggle in a fair and objective manner which is quite an achievement. There are some slight repetitions throughout where he is trying to get his point across but the passion that the character of Danny has for the Fen, and it's significance to him and his spirituality is made very clear. I don't think it's going to win any book prizes, but the issues that it raises certainly provide some serious food for thought.
