I liked this book a lot and wanted to share it. But I’m also not up to writing a full review.
So.
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Premise: Briony, a teenage girl in early 20th century Britain, talks to the Old Ones in the swamp surrounding her town. She has a sister, a dead stepmother, a distant father, a mysterious stranger, a guilty conscience, and a secret. Throughout the story, there are visitors and spirits and memories and Things That Happen so that the secret gets revealed.
It’s a lot more specific and compelling than that, of course, but I don’t want to spoil it.
Potential Issues: The book treats witches as if all who are labeled/identify with the term are of the historical Puritan persuasion of what it means to be a witch. Not true, and not a fair representation of folks who identify with relevant religions, I think. (My knowledge is limited.)
Rose, Briony’s sister, is portrayed as mentally ill — specifically, as someone with paranoias, delusions, and impulse control issues. I am always skeptical when a character with mental health issues is portrayed — in this case, particularly because Briony, who narrates, subscribes, more or less, to the idea that her sister is crazy. In other words, as a reader, I’m more or less required to accept it as true. I find this a bit troubling but overall workable in the grand scheme of the book — largely because Rose comes across as a round, developed character who very much retains her agency.
Finally, there is one scene surrounding an execution and another scene in the midst of an attempted rape. Personally, I found them disturbing but not triggering — and necessary for the overall plot.
Why I Liked It: As is the case with so many books I find compelling, I loved Briony’s narration. There’s so much going on. Her relationship with her sister — and her memories of their past. Her relationship with her father — and her memories of their past. Her relationship with the swamp — and her memories of their past. Her relationship with Eldric — and how it contrasts with and unearths memories of the past. Also, this slow evolution of Briony’s sense of self and self esteem as she pieces so many events and influences together.
The climax is wholly satisfying. It’s everything I knew was coming, from the subtle and complex way the story builds, yet it surprised me at the same time. It accounted for all the pieces, yes — but it also made them more than the sum of their parts. I approve.
I don’t know if I love the last chapter, but still I needed it. Needed the wrap up, Briony’s time for reflection — for making explicit the bits she has been piecing together for a couple hundred pages. I think I would especially have needed it were I reading the novel in my young adult years, the target market for this book. Even now, I’m not sure if the final chapter is a letdown — compared to the climax, at least — or simply a winding down.
Bottom Line: I’d read it again. I probably will read it again — and gain different insights. I am looking for more novels — they exist — by the same author. Overall, a worthwhile investment of my time.
What are you reading now? What should I read next?
