The Elusive Language of Ducks

by Judith White

As if it will make up for her loss, they bring Hannah a duckling to care for. They were well meaning, and it could have done the trick.

However, Hannah's focus on the duck progressively alienates those around her. As the duck takes over her world, past secrets are exposed. Will Hannah's life unravel completely?

This funny, moving and insightful novel contemplates the chemistry between one person and another: a man and another man's wife; a woman and a duck; a woman and her dead mother; a drug addict and his drug. Beautifully written, it is a penetrating and compassionate view of marriage, dependency, obsession, addiction, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Susan Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The two things I most appreciate as a reader is original stories that are well crafted. This story is both unique and well written so has been delightful to read. I enjoyed needing to constantly question the reliability of the narrator (when she seemed less than sane) and surprised when others in the book were actually less reliable. The plot kept me guessing as to what was coming which is truly refreshing. Whilst clearly set in New Zealand it didn't overplay the kiwi-ness which I sometimes find authors in this country tend to do. I didn't realize until finishing that the author had experience raising a Muscovy duck but it was certainly evident in the detailed descriptors she knew her stuff. The sub-chapter titles were clever and the writing style sublime. "Dark Thoughts" was truly poignant in recording the thoughts of a person and a marriage at cross roads - incredibly rare for me but I read it three times. Highly recommend as not just a good read, this is an excellent read!

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book, and definitely was surprised at how I felt about it. When I began reading this, I didn't know how involved I would be able to get in the story. But I began to realize that there was so much more to this novel and this story than Hannah's enchantment, and eventual obsession, with her duck. The story delved into depression, love, and family with grace, tact, and beautiful writing. A lot of reviews described Hannah as crazy - which, admittedly, I can see - but I found it easy to relate to her. Everybody in life goes through struggles and we all get addicted to something that takes away the pain. I've been there. For Hannah, her way of dealing with life was through this duck and I understand that.

In regards to characters... I'm usually incredibly character-oriented when reading a book. I want to like and care about the characters. Some of the other characters in this story were not good people and I didn't like them. But rather than distancing me from the story like it normally would, it actually made me more intrigued, because I feel like their attitudes set them apart from Hannah. This distance and separation really brought to light the anguish that Hannah was feeling.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NZ writer.

This is a very cleverly tied together contemplation of grief, the chemistry (and disintegration) of relationships, and the magic of ducks.

The blurb does not do this story justice.....

[Bachyboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is stunningly inventive and truly clever. I didn't imagine that a woman's pet duck, given as a mourning present and who eventually talks, would keep me so engrossed. The structure is perfect; all those little bite sized chapters with their wonderful headings just kept me reading and reading.

[Jo Roszkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisitely written I consumed each small chapter like a gourmet morsel. Some lines were so beautiful I wrote them down to refer to and reflect on later. I found the main character Hannah so relatable, not crazy as some have suggested, but vulnerable in her grief... a grief about her mother that I know about, have experienced myself. I loved the attention to tiny details - the strange things we might eat when we've forgotten to eat... the plants in the garden... the sights near the beach. I will be hunting out more by this writer. I am officially a fan.

[Kiwiflora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah is at that awkward stage in life when many women question what the hell they are doing, where is their life going, with ageing parents to attend to, looking after and living with their partner of the last 30 years - is this really all there is to the rest of one's life? Yep, the post menopausal woman. Awesome. No, I don't want to read about such a depressing subject!

But wait! In the midst of her mother's illness, death and subsequent funeral, her fracturing relationship with her husband Simon and her lifelong difficult relationship with her sister Maggie, she is given a duckling. A cute, yellow downy feathered gorgeous little creature that she pours her complete heart and soul into. Not surprisingly this all consuming focus on the duck alienates her from those who love her, and whose help she cannot see. Will the love of her life turn out to be the duck or will she return to the land of human beings?

How can one resist such a lovely little creature - the development of the relationship between Hannah and the duck is funny, moving, weird, alarming and when the duck gets big - it is a Muscovy duck - becomes downright dangerous. She has conversations with the duck, seeing the world from the duck's point of view as well as her own. The duck as therapist helps her unravel her complicated relationship with her mother and sister, helps her mourn her mother's death. Her sister Maggie and drug addicted husband Toby have their own troubles, with both marriages under threat. Will an impasse be reached? Will Hannah choose the duck over Simon? And what about Toby - can he survive?

I very much enjoyed this insightful and compassionate look at middle age, death, change of life. I found much of the duck dialogue/interface very weird, at times tedious and ridiculous, but never having experienced life-stopping grief I should not be too critical about how others cope! To top it all off, Judith White is a New Zealand author, and writes beautifully of the landscape, the beaches, the farmland, and surroundings that Hannah and Simon live in. Well worth a read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love a book where the author takes a different look at life challenges instead of telling a story similar to possible my own experience. The duckling just added that different perspective on grief and how relationships can be affected following significant losses in our lives. Hannah needed something to love and care for after having cared for her mother for so long to ease her from someone needing care to actually caring in every day life. Judith managed to include other relationships in the story which added colour to an already fascinating development of human and duck relationship. I must have a look at the other books Judith has written. I'm sure if they are anything like this one that spoke to my heart and related to my own losses they will make enjoyable reading.

[Simon Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Yes, people think like this. Sanity is whatever works for you and Judith White reveals how varied the human experience can be. A duck that talks? No that’s not what she is saying. What would the duck say if it could talk? Bingo. Using fantasy to explore the connection between the internal and the outside outside world but without going as far as being too macabre, she tests our acceptance of the strange and offbeat links to wider existential concepts. From the old folk song ‘On Ilkley Moor bar t’hat.’ “Then we shall all have eaten thee” is the functioning principle here. This ably done with evocative descriptive prose and acute emotional veracity.

[Ro Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
It sounded weird.....a woman who is given a duckling to care for after her mother dies?????
It's absolutely captivating.
Even although it is about a duck it is also about ...human relationships and all it's complications.
I loved the characters especially Toby the drug addict.
Beautifully written.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky story about a bereaved woman who substitutes a Muscovy duck for her recently deceased mother. The relationship between woman and duck is interwoven with a domestic narrative. The writing is poetic and the book is worth reading for that alone.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library with the thought that I should really read more Nz fiction and I definitely didn’t regret it. This is one of those great stories that is not a story about what it seems to be a story about, but instead it’s a story about something deeper below the surface.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most unusual and thoughtful book. Really enjoyed it.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and so sad. I loved it, and loved that it was set in New Zealand.

[アマチュア読者 · Rating 4 out of 5]

女人喪母後，丈夫在他人建議下帶回一隻小鴨。沒想到鴨子佔領了女人的心思，引發婚姻危機。

昨晚(2018/2/6 23:50)才地震，今天在書裡看到描述紐西蘭基督城地震時，腦子又暈了一下，然後就看到緊跟在文字後暗示日本311地震的敘述，覺得暈暈的。

然後，也許情節設定上本來就很難讓人滿意，但我覺得如果你無法照顧一輩子就不要馴養任何動物。也就是如果你馴養了任何動物，就請做好準備照顧牠一輩子。

p.239
她霎時明白了地震、海嘯跟傷痛的共通本質。位移。某樣東西移動了，連帶著周遭一切也得跟著重新定位。無論在泥裡，在空中，在生命裡，只要有一樣事物位移，連周遭的微粒都會跟著受到衝擊。她對此現象再熟悉不過。編輯就是這麼回事。只要更動一個字就能影響整部作品，影響整首詩。只要少了一個字，就得重新評估建構剩下的部分。

[Tui Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was an exploration of grief. I was almost sure of that as I read, but became certain at the last chapter where the story had a most unusual kind of happy ending.
The psychology felt authentic and was very recognisable. I saw myself in Hannah as she worried about little details of the comfort of her pet. Meanwhile bigger things are going on in her life.
The duck's language may be elusive but its message comes through loud and clear with all its jaunty conflict. Funny how well it seems to know this woman. A very clever duck. It sent me rushing off to google Muscovy ducks.
The writing throughout is beautiful and clever.

This story is unlike any other I've read. I recommend it.

[Pam Coll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, I felt I lived it, with love and heartbreaking understanding. Oh, oh, oh.... I loved all the great reviews of this book which others have written so well, thank you. Actually knew a friendly famous-t0-the-lake Muscovy duck: when we lived there he was a delightful visitor to our house daily for a pat and a morsel to eat. And yes, plop! onto the plastic carpet protector in the doorway every time. We had to rescue him once from being drowned by an aggressive parent black swan when Musky got too close to the nest... the swan was deliberately holding Musky's head underwater offshore until we managed to create such a hullaballoo that the swan desisted. I shall never forget Judith White's magical story.

[Cris V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing, I have to say it: Hannah and Simon, despite every mess that was inside of them, are a truly admirable couple.

Moving on: This was a marvelous book, taking such a deep topic as grieving and loss into a very personal and emotional level. As Toby says, we all have our addictions and, whether they're socially acceptable or not, they always help with coping out of a difficult situation.

Can't help but have a lot of mixed feelings towards this novel, it's deep, thoughtful and elaborate. To use a duck as an explanation of dependence and psychological transference... a very unique experience altogether.

[Sung Yee Poon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it! The voice is so genuine and close to the heart. The style so delightful that it puts you at ease right away. The grief seems so sweet that I am ashamed of my own dark journey. Even the conflicts she described are mild and never ugly like some experienced after any death in the family.I would recommend it to anyone going through loss. The duck is just an aid or companion to work through grief, everyone has to find his or her own. I envy the author for her beautiful experience coping with loss and conflicts or maybe it was her writing that made it sound beautiful and sweet.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, thoughtful book.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super slow first third and wanted to smack the main character, but the subtlety of her grief and the relationships rounded out more to the end. Generally too much duck.

[Dessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept. 100 pages too many duck for me.

[Monique Engelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of messages in this book. Not one I would have picked out myself, but enjoyed the journey. Nice, reflective, and ponderous. Quaint. Good pick for a book club book.

[Ellen Halseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome writing. Well-drawn characters. Grief makes a mess of us all.

[Jean Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very rewarding, good language and interesting ideas particularly about what to do with the ashes.

[Elizabeth Sibley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely and emotive book.

[Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a random, hurried selection just as the library was closing, and it was the catchy title that did it. I almost didn’t read it, but once I started the inventive way it is written (thanks for that word, Bachyboy) kept me going, along with the way that one woman’s grief after her mother dies leads not only to an obsessive relationship with a duck, but revelations about the relationships surrounding her. There were many times when I read a paragraph several times as the truth of it hit me. Creative, original, and a kiwi author as well; what’s not to like?

[Sara Ikmal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept and it really did capture that initial rush of grief that comes at the heels of a loss. But I struggled to get through this book. The writing style took getting used to for one. And the more I learned about the characters, the more I disliked them. The conclusion with the duck felt incredibly flat and anticlimactic. And I can understand that people do strange things when they're mourning, but everyone here could have used a lot of therapy and less being so unkind to one another.

[Vicki Klemm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story and the author's style. What we don't know about our parents, partners, etc... Do we ever truly know someone? A book about life and love. I thought she should have given up the duck sooner. Learned about Muscovies. Book club book.

[Josie Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is funny and sad and clever without being smarmy. I loved the puns, and the warped feelings Hannah was feeling. Don't try it if you can't take vivid descriptions of duck poop. I also loved the title, and the minutae of life.

[Vithya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I somehow did not enjoy this book. The book started by the main character talking in third person narrative. Towards the end I was skipping more andmore of the parts where the duck story came in and just skimmed for the main character Hannah's musings.