What do you think?
Rate this book
Rook
Nora has come home to the Sussex coast where, every dawn, she runs along the creek path to the sea. In the half-light, fragments of cello music crash around in her mind, but she casts them out - it's more than a year since she performed in public. There are memories she must banish in order to survive: a charismatic teacher with gold-flecked eyes, a mistake she cannot unmake. At home her mother Ada is waiting: a fragile, bitter woman who distils for herself a glamorous past as she smokes French cigarettes in her unkempt garden. In the village of Bosham the future is invading. A charming young documentary maker has arrived to shoot a film about King Cnut and his cherished but illegitimate daughter, whose body is buried under the flagstones of the local church. As Jonny disturbs the fabric of the village, digging up tales of ancient battles and burials, the threads lead back to home, and Ada and Nora find themselves face to face with the shameful secrets they had so carefully buried. One day, Nora finds a half-dead fledgeling in a ditch. She brings him home and, over the hot summer months, cradles Rook back to life. A mesmerising story of family, legacy and turning back the tides, Rook beautifully evokes the shifting Sussex sands, and the rich seam of history lying just beneath them.
338 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2012
4 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Jane Rusbridge
5 books97 followersJane Rusbridge lives and works in coastal West Sussex.
Her debut novel, The Devil's Music (Bloomsbury, 2009)was nominated for the 2011 International IMPAC Literary Award.
'An unputdownable and beautifuly written novel' Tania Hershman
Read the reviews:
http://www.janerusbridge.co.uk/reviews/
Her second novel, ROOK (Aug 2012)is one of 9 launch titles from Bloomsbury's exciting new literary imprint, Bloomsbury Circus.
‘Rusbridge's sympathetic and respectful handling of a sensitive issue conveys an emotional impact that resonates long after the closing pages’ Times Literary Supplement
‘the Anglo-Saxon material is genuinely fascinating and the writing itself is really fine – often lush and ambitiously poetic, but always controlled' Daily Mail
'intense, atmospheric, and beautifully written' Joanna Briscoe
Her debut novel, The Devil's Music (Bloomsbury, 2009)was nominated for the 2011 International IMPAC Literary Award.
'An unputdownable and beautifuly written novel' Tania Hershman
Read the reviews:
http://www.janerusbridge.co.uk/reviews/
Her second novel, ROOK (Aug 2012)is one of 9 launch titles from Bloomsbury's exciting new literary imprint, Bloomsbury Circus.
‘Rusbridge's sympathetic and respectful handling of a sensitive issue conveys an emotional impact that resonates long after the closing pages’ Times Literary Supplement
‘the Anglo-Saxon material is genuinely fascinating and the writing itself is really fine – often lush and ambitiously poetic, but always controlled' Daily Mail
'intense, atmospheric, and beautifully written' Joanna Briscoe
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 5, 2012
Jane Rusbridge's second novel, Rook, is quite simply stunning. The novel drops you into the deep and muddy depths and allows you to explore the characters' like hidden artefacts with the changing perspective of time. I found that Nora's story is displayed from everyone else's view - Issac's teachings, Eve's all seeing eyes, Ada's secrets - even though she is central to the novel and leads the third person perspective naturally.
The musically inspired descriptions, even when Nora is not present, allows her presence to be felt throughout Rook. The way in which the dialogue flows from summaries into direct speech draws the reader into the intimate conversations without redirection. Colour, along with music, features heavily - from Rook's black plumage, Harry's colourless paintings and the eyes that haunt and follow Nora.
Following the final breakdown of her relationship with Issac, Nora hides in the relative safety of her family home however she finds that her mother is determined to change for the future although this leads to a digging up of the past. The puzzling child-adult shifting between Nora and Ada pulls you into their relationship, with a subtlety which provides familiarity to many reader's own experiences I'm sure. The unfolding of other relationships allows you to discover the new with Nora whilst the hidden past is also uncovered although at a different pace.
The swift manoeuvre of past and present guides the reader through Nora's mind without force or confusion. Nora's thoughts spring up from the narration to hang in the air, ever present. By shrinking both time and distance, Rook is a novel that speaks to generations and educates on both historical fact and fiction whilst exploring characters that speak directly to you.
The musically inspired descriptions, even when Nora is not present, allows her presence to be felt throughout Rook. The way in which the dialogue flows from summaries into direct speech draws the reader into the intimate conversations without redirection. Colour, along with music, features heavily - from Rook's black plumage, Harry's colourless paintings and the eyes that haunt and follow Nora.
Following the final breakdown of her relationship with Issac, Nora hides in the relative safety of her family home however she finds that her mother is determined to change for the future although this leads to a digging up of the past. The puzzling child-adult shifting between Nora and Ada pulls you into their relationship, with a subtlety which provides familiarity to many reader's own experiences I'm sure. The unfolding of other relationships allows you to discover the new with Nora whilst the hidden past is also uncovered although at a different pace.
The swift manoeuvre of past and present guides the reader through Nora's mind without force or confusion. Nora's thoughts spring up from the narration to hang in the air, ever present. By shrinking both time and distance, Rook is a novel that speaks to generations and educates on both historical fact and fiction whilst exploring characters that speak directly to you.
August 26, 2012
Reading Jane Rusbridge’s ROOK is like being transported from your current surroundings to the coastal inlet village of Bosham in West Sussex. Having been coaxed in to the history, scenery, intrigue and atmosphere there, the temptation is to stay until the book is finished.
There are secrets around every corner, from those surrounding the grave of King Cnut and the child buried next to him, and the truth of the final resting place of King Harold, to the ones that haunt Ada, the elderly and embittered resident of Creek House, and Nora her gifted concert cellist daughter.
Maybe the half broken baby ROOK that Nora rescues from the muddy creek and nurses back to life is the only one who doesn’t have a secret - but knows all the answers?
Living locally as I do, reading ROOK has made me eager to have a wander around Bosham again very soon. And as someone who cannot sing in tune, or play any form of musical instrument, Jane Rusbridge’s beautiful prose gave me a vicarious inkling of the sensuous joy of playing the cello.
I would definitely recommend ROOK for anyone’s TBR and look forward to the next of Jane Rusbridge’s novels.
There are secrets around every corner, from those surrounding the grave of King Cnut and the child buried next to him, and the truth of the final resting place of King Harold, to the ones that haunt Ada, the elderly and embittered resident of Creek House, and Nora her gifted concert cellist daughter.
Maybe the half broken baby ROOK that Nora rescues from the muddy creek and nurses back to life is the only one who doesn’t have a secret - but knows all the answers?
Living locally as I do, reading ROOK has made me eager to have a wander around Bosham again very soon. And as someone who cannot sing in tune, or play any form of musical instrument, Jane Rusbridge’s beautiful prose gave me a vicarious inkling of the sensuous joy of playing the cello.
I would definitely recommend ROOK for anyone’s TBR and look forward to the next of Jane Rusbridge’s novels.
February 17, 2015
What a wonderful novel! Beautiful, lyrical writing, conplex characters and a heartbreaking ending. Can't ask for more!
March 16, 2022
Not really the kind of book I usually choose to read but, as it was a carefully chosen gift (due to the fact that it's set in the village to which we've recently moved), I thought it would be a shame not to!
Overall, it's an engaging tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry historical mystery and deep-seated familial resentment, and is recounted in a skillful way by alternating between the viewpoints of the elderly mother and her cellist daughter
I approached 'Rook' with some trepidation but was pleasantly surprised! Go on - Give it a go!
Overall, it's an engaging tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry historical mystery and deep-seated familial resentment, and is recounted in a skillful way by alternating between the viewpoints of the elderly mother and her cellist daughter
I approached 'Rook' with some trepidation but was pleasantly surprised! Go on - Give it a go!
November 15, 2012
This is an atmospheric and beautifully written contemporary novel set in Bosham, West Sussex. Nora, an accomplished cellist, returns to her childhood home in Bosham to live with her elderly mother Ada. At first it’s unclear why Nora has returned and if she plans to stay. Ada is a realistic portrayal of a once glamorous woman drifting in and out of her memories, yet determined to remain independent and in control of her daughter. Their relationship is at times petulant and painful, rarely slipping into sentiment, which made it believable.
Jane Rusbridge weaves the past, both ancient and recent, into the present by creating images for the reader using all senses. At times I could almost smell the approaching tide and hear the screech of rooks. Her writing is reminiscent of the early novels from Penelope Lively and the poetic narrative style of Helen Dunmore. Reading this it did feel as if every sentence had been a labour of love for the author.
Nora rescues and nurses a fledgling rook with the help of Harry, a local handyman and artist. Harry is a quiet, understated character throughout the story, yet he is the solid, dependable hero who always seems to appear for Nora and Ada whenever disaster strikes. He’s almost an echo of the noble, Saxon warriors who haunt the beginning and end of the book.
The legend and myths of the Bosham church are also woven into the novel, along with theories on the Bayeux tapestry and the grave of Harold II (famously killed at the Battle of Hastings). A pushy TV documentary producer, who initially seems to help Nora bury the ghost of an influential ex-lover, stirs up and divides the local community with his obsession to dig up the church and open ancient tombs in search of the truth. Triggering Ada to remember the original excavation by her famous archeologist husband and his tragic death.
Gently and sensitively the tightly held secrets of both Nora and Ada become exposed, almost as if we (the readers) are archeologists prising them loose from the pages. We learn the poignant significance of Rook in Nora’s life and understand why saving him was so important to her. And we realise why she abandoned her music and previous life so dramatically. We also learn the truth about Ada and her past, which she never fully shares with Nora.
There are no neat endings to any of the story arcs in this novel. Answers are given, yet more questions are posed for the reader to explore. You feel as if the characters are continuing beyond the final pages, they still have lives to live even if you’re no longer party to what happens next. I loved this approach, as this is realistic writing – there can’t always be nice, tidy happy endings in life.
Jane Rusbridge weaves the past, both ancient and recent, into the present by creating images for the reader using all senses. At times I could almost smell the approaching tide and hear the screech of rooks. Her writing is reminiscent of the early novels from Penelope Lively and the poetic narrative style of Helen Dunmore. Reading this it did feel as if every sentence had been a labour of love for the author.
Nora rescues and nurses a fledgling rook with the help of Harry, a local handyman and artist. Harry is a quiet, understated character throughout the story, yet he is the solid, dependable hero who always seems to appear for Nora and Ada whenever disaster strikes. He’s almost an echo of the noble, Saxon warriors who haunt the beginning and end of the book.
The legend and myths of the Bosham church are also woven into the novel, along with theories on the Bayeux tapestry and the grave of Harold II (famously killed at the Battle of Hastings). A pushy TV documentary producer, who initially seems to help Nora bury the ghost of an influential ex-lover, stirs up and divides the local community with his obsession to dig up the church and open ancient tombs in search of the truth. Triggering Ada to remember the original excavation by her famous archeologist husband and his tragic death.
Gently and sensitively the tightly held secrets of both Nora and Ada become exposed, almost as if we (the readers) are archeologists prising them loose from the pages. We learn the poignant significance of Rook in Nora’s life and understand why saving him was so important to her. And we realise why she abandoned her music and previous life so dramatically. We also learn the truth about Ada and her past, which she never fully shares with Nora.
There are no neat endings to any of the story arcs in this novel. Answers are given, yet more questions are posed for the reader to explore. You feel as if the characters are continuing beyond the final pages, they still have lives to live even if you’re no longer party to what happens next. I loved this approach, as this is realistic writing – there can’t always be nice, tidy happy endings in life.
August 12, 2012
Rook is a novel about a community with buried secrets, figuratively and literally. In it, Jane Rusbridge (author of The Devil’s Music) has woven together threads of historical fact, and local folklore, into a fabric of subtle colours and closely observed details.
Life in the village of Bosham is disrupted when a TV documentary maker arrives, and makes a case to exhume the remains of an eleventh century king purported to be at rest under the floor of the parish church. The village has links to the Battle of Hastings, and is mentioned in the Bayeux Tapestry. While the ghosts of the Norman conquest are still in a sense present, the real conflict takes place between a modern day mother and daughter, Ada and Nora.
Ada is a woman in her declining years with an unravelling grip on reality. Her fragmented memories run through the whole novel, giving the reader skewed glimpses of the family’s history. Her daughter, Nora, is a cellist who has apparently abandoned her destiny to play at international concert venues in favour of teaching music to schoolchildren. Nora’s abrupt return to Creek House is unwelcome as far as her mother is concerned, and one of the real virtues of this novel is the almost unbearable tension which develops between them: there’s hardly any arguing, just a pattern of disapproval and festering resentments.
Nora takes on several projects to occupy her, such as long-distance running, and volunteering in the village, but her main preoccupation is the adoption of a baby bird, Rook, who she attempts to nurse back to health. Rook is an adorable creation, fragile, volatile and weird-looking; at the same time he’s the eerie embodiment of spirits of the past. The attachment between Nora and Rook, her foundling, potentially redeems them both.
Where this novel really flies is in the evocation of environments, of spring tides, flooded roads, rookeries, archaeological digs, battle grounds, and vast skies. The landscapes which emerge from this novel are vivid, even cinematic. Equally impressive is the way Rusbridge’s prose sweeps down to the smallest detail, to a painted glass jar, the ridges of a scallop shell, or the lining inside a coat.
Father figures are also important and recurring – idolised, substituted, lamented and often unattainable – the legendary kings, Cnut and Harold, occupy a space in the imagination, as do the masculine ex-lover, and the beloved absent parent.
You feel the author’s deft touch on every page. Rook is a novel of layers and textures, patiently crafted, and beautifully finished.
Life in the village of Bosham is disrupted when a TV documentary maker arrives, and makes a case to exhume the remains of an eleventh century king purported to be at rest under the floor of the parish church. The village has links to the Battle of Hastings, and is mentioned in the Bayeux Tapestry. While the ghosts of the Norman conquest are still in a sense present, the real conflict takes place between a modern day mother and daughter, Ada and Nora.
Ada is a woman in her declining years with an unravelling grip on reality. Her fragmented memories run through the whole novel, giving the reader skewed glimpses of the family’s history. Her daughter, Nora, is a cellist who has apparently abandoned her destiny to play at international concert venues in favour of teaching music to schoolchildren. Nora’s abrupt return to Creek House is unwelcome as far as her mother is concerned, and one of the real virtues of this novel is the almost unbearable tension which develops between them: there’s hardly any arguing, just a pattern of disapproval and festering resentments.
Nora takes on several projects to occupy her, such as long-distance running, and volunteering in the village, but her main preoccupation is the adoption of a baby bird, Rook, who she attempts to nurse back to health. Rook is an adorable creation, fragile, volatile and weird-looking; at the same time he’s the eerie embodiment of spirits of the past. The attachment between Nora and Rook, her foundling, potentially redeems them both.
Where this novel really flies is in the evocation of environments, of spring tides, flooded roads, rookeries, archaeological digs, battle grounds, and vast skies. The landscapes which emerge from this novel are vivid, even cinematic. Equally impressive is the way Rusbridge’s prose sweeps down to the smallest detail, to a painted glass jar, the ridges of a scallop shell, or the lining inside a coat.
Father figures are also important and recurring – idolised, substituted, lamented and often unattainable – the legendary kings, Cnut and Harold, occupy a space in the imagination, as do the masculine ex-lover, and the beloved absent parent.
You feel the author’s deft touch on every page. Rook is a novel of layers and textures, patiently crafted, and beautifully finished.
November 30, 2012
I loved Jane Rusbridge’s stunning debut , The Devil’s Music and approached her second with some trepidation: afraid it couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations. Well, I needn’t have worried because Rook is another wonderful novel and I enjoyed it even more than the first.
The book is set in the small seaside village of Bosham: a place where the threat of flooding and drowning is as present now as it has been through the ages. Nora, a brilliant cellist haunted by a failed love affair and a secret guilt, has forsaken her career and returned to live with her mother, Ada, in her childhood home. As she struggles with her demons, Nora attempts to provide an anchor for Ada’s wandering mind, but her presence only serves to remind the older woman of her own secrets.
Nora’s long dead father, an archaeologist, called her his Saxon princess because of her white-blonde hair. He excavated the tomb of an illegitimate daughter of King Cnut in Bosham’s little church. Now a TV documentary maker wants to shoot a film about the king and the drowned child he loved so much. The reader already knows there will be more to it than that because the story begins, not in the present, but in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings as King Harold’s lover, Edyth, finds his corpse.
Time swirls and eddies through the novel like the sea around the village or the flights of rooks that Edyth and Nora observe and that are pictured on the book’s gorgeous cover. Although it deals with death and loss, the story is far from gloomy. Rook himself is a tiny bird, rescued and reared by Nora, and as the narrative moves through the seasons he begins to heal. But what makes the whole thing so enriching is the vivid beauty of the writing that captures so well the watery landscape and the sounds of cello music, of the sea, and of course the call of the rooks.
The book is set in the small seaside village of Bosham: a place where the threat of flooding and drowning is as present now as it has been through the ages. Nora, a brilliant cellist haunted by a failed love affair and a secret guilt, has forsaken her career and returned to live with her mother, Ada, in her childhood home. As she struggles with her demons, Nora attempts to provide an anchor for Ada’s wandering mind, but her presence only serves to remind the older woman of her own secrets.
Nora’s long dead father, an archaeologist, called her his Saxon princess because of her white-blonde hair. He excavated the tomb of an illegitimate daughter of King Cnut in Bosham’s little church. Now a TV documentary maker wants to shoot a film about the king and the drowned child he loved so much. The reader already knows there will be more to it than that because the story begins, not in the present, but in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings as King Harold’s lover, Edyth, finds his corpse.
Time swirls and eddies through the novel like the sea around the village or the flights of rooks that Edyth and Nora observe and that are pictured on the book’s gorgeous cover. Although it deals with death and loss, the story is far from gloomy. Rook himself is a tiny bird, rescued and reared by Nora, and as the narrative moves through the seasons he begins to heal. But what makes the whole thing so enriching is the vivid beauty of the writing that captures so well the watery landscape and the sounds of cello music, of the sea, and of course the call of the rooks.
January 21, 2013
Nora, a concert Cellist, returns home after an incident a year earlier which has left her broken and unable to play. She is haunted by the memory of a man, older than she, with whom she had an affair which, we believe, ended badly.
Her mother, obsessed with the glamour of her past and making the most of her fragility to take advantage of all who would help her, is less than welcoming.
One day Nora comes upon an injured fledgling rook by the side of the road and feeling a bond between the injured bird and herself, takes him home to care for.
Burial - whether physical or metaphorical - is a theme which runs through the book: whether it is Nora attempting to bury the past by running daily and caring for Rook, her mother trying to hide aspects of her earlier life and loves or the young documentary maker who visits Nora’s village to investigate the location of the buried daughter of King Cnut.
Birth in another recurring theme - Rook is a baby, Nora’s friend has a young child and is pregnant with her second. These themes complement each other beautifully and handled with Rusbridge’s expertise, they are the structure which holds this beautiful and haunting tale together.
The author’s light, descriptive prose is a delight to read. Her descriptive passages are prose poems which bring to life a countryside with which she is obviously very intimate.
As I read the book I was unaware just how well the author weaved the various elements of her book together until the shocking and heartbreaking end.
Ms. Rusbridge leaves us with hope for Nora and her future and it is a tribute to the author that I cared about this character enough to want her to have a happy and more fulfilled future.
I loved this book and found myself shedding a few tears at the end. I couldn’t recommend Rook more highly.
Her mother, obsessed with the glamour of her past and making the most of her fragility to take advantage of all who would help her, is less than welcoming.
One day Nora comes upon an injured fledgling rook by the side of the road and feeling a bond between the injured bird and herself, takes him home to care for.
Burial - whether physical or metaphorical - is a theme which runs through the book: whether it is Nora attempting to bury the past by running daily and caring for Rook, her mother trying to hide aspects of her earlier life and loves or the young documentary maker who visits Nora’s village to investigate the location of the buried daughter of King Cnut.
Birth in another recurring theme - Rook is a baby, Nora’s friend has a young child and is pregnant with her second. These themes complement each other beautifully and handled with Rusbridge’s expertise, they are the structure which holds this beautiful and haunting tale together.
The author’s light, descriptive prose is a delight to read. Her descriptive passages are prose poems which bring to life a countryside with which she is obviously very intimate.
As I read the book I was unaware just how well the author weaved the various elements of her book together until the shocking and heartbreaking end.
Ms. Rusbridge leaves us with hope for Nora and her future and it is a tribute to the author that I cared about this character enough to want her to have a happy and more fulfilled future.
I loved this book and found myself shedding a few tears at the end. I couldn’t recommend Rook more highly.
August 20, 2012
Jane Rusbridge has absolute mastery of the written word, exhibited again in Rook, her second novel. Every sentence is beautifully crafted leaving this reader breathless with the pictures painted and the multidimensional characters who unfold and twist and turn across the pages. Nora, a cellist with a fathomless and broken heart, has returned to her mother, Ada, in Bosham. For me, the string of the story I loved most was Nora's interest in rooks, a bird I was not familiar with but very much enjoyed finding out more about. But there are so many other stories here too - the past and present of the tensions within Nora's family, the unpeeling and reconstruction of Nora's sensitive heart, the history of this part of the Sussex coast - the Bayeux Tapestry and King Canute. Warning: once you have picked it up, you will find it very difficult to put down.
January 8, 2014
Not sure what to say about this book really, apart from the fact that I didn't enjoy it very much.
What started off as an apparently elegiac sensibility, slowly (of course) became a dull and very unsatisfying read.
I had the sense that the author had "done" a creative writing course, and put in as much creativity as she could manage. I found the characters unengaging, many story lines unfinished - what did happen to Nora and her mother after their boat was upturned? What happened to significant characters who were unnecessarily shadowy? Was there anything wrong with Eves baby? Did I really care? Not really.
The only part of the story that I found vaguely intriguing was the historical aspect, although even this proved to be going nowhere.
As for the Rook.........
Had this been other than a book chosen for my book club I would never have chosen it, let alone read it.
What started off as an apparently elegiac sensibility, slowly (of course) became a dull and very unsatisfying read.
I had the sense that the author had "done" a creative writing course, and put in as much creativity as she could manage. I found the characters unengaging, many story lines unfinished - what did happen to Nora and her mother after their boat was upturned? What happened to significant characters who were unnecessarily shadowy? Was there anything wrong with Eves baby? Did I really care? Not really.
The only part of the story that I found vaguely intriguing was the historical aspect, although even this proved to be going nowhere.
As for the Rook.........
Had this been other than a book chosen for my book club I would never have chosen it, let alone read it.
August 27, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Rusbridge's wonderful debut, The Devil's Music, but her second novel is absolutely stunning. I envy those of you who have yet to taste its delights; you have such a treat ahead. While I echo the sentiment expressed by some readers that they could not put the book down, I'd add that I forced myself to do precisely this. Rook is a novel worth reading slowly, worth savouring. The prose is lyrical and evocative, the characters delicately drawn, the stories intricate, but it is the emotional impact that lingers longest. I finished Rook over a week ago, but find myself unable to start another novel yet (unusual for me). The world Jane Rusbridge has created lives on in my heart; it will for a long time to come.
November 25, 2013
No idea what the point of this book was!
November 25, 2021
I found this a confusing book to read: one minute beautifully written and poignant and the next overly flowery, obtuse and depressing. There were many interesting topics (King Harold, the Bayeux Tapestry’s hidden meanings, rooks) but many ‘secrets’ remained unresolved or the meaning was so vague that I didn’t understand what the author was getting at. Despite moments of magic and intrigue I found it a disappointing read.
February 15, 2023
Probably only enjoyed it because its set locally in Bosham. Although she takes liberty with the geography you can really visualise the setting. The big reveal came as a surprise as I wasn't aware there was really a mystery, other than whether King Cnut is buried in Bosham Church.
January 2, 2019
I was riveted by this book
April 12, 2019
Even when this book ends not all the secrets have been revealed. Beautifully paced, insightful and withholds until the end.
July 25, 2019
4.5.
Just finished and I feel a bit sad, empty. Loved the story. Very emotion filled.
Just finished and I feel a bit sad, empty. Loved the story. Very emotion filled.
February 27, 2020
A page turner, good book.
March 20, 2022
I thought this had great potential for a story, but in its execution was muddled.
November 22, 2024
An intriguing story premise and especially lovely for me as I know the Sussex Downs. However, I found the switching of past & present flashbacks/memories to jar the flow of the story.
August 31, 2025
A pretty good book. Has good prose, but the story is not as great as I anticipated.
November 13, 2012
Rook, Jane Rusbridge’s second novel, tells the story of Nora, once an internationally famous cellist, whose life has fallen apart. I’m not going to reveal the whole of the story; to do so would be to deprive a reader of the pleasure of discovering what really happened, revising assumptions about Nora’s life and how she came to be what she is, and where she is.
It’s an emotionally moving story, sometimes almost unbearable. I read it twice, finding meanings and significance on the second reading that I hadn’t found the first time.
The characters are portrayed so well. Each of them is distinct, with his or her own traits. The character list is long, but re-encountering them, we never have any doubts about who they are. The male characters are particularly well described, although Jane Rusbridge has left them ambiguous, as enigmas. Andy, a damaged character in her earlier novel The Devil’s Music, speaks and acts just how a man like that would, not that the reader understands him completely. The two men, Harry and Jonny, in Nora’s life in Rook are gradually revealed for what they are, and we gradually develop our understanding, although they’re also left as enigmas, even at the end. Nora finds an injured rook, nurses him back to life, and, as Rook, he has a well-developed character of his own. Rook is a metaphor himself, imprinting himself on Nora, and we learn about Nora’s need for Rook.
Nora lives with her mother, Ada, another enigmatic character nearing the end of her life, and the conflicts between mother and daughter illuminate the characters of both of them.
Jane Rusbridge knows how much to spell out and how much to leave unexplained, to be revealed or guessed at later. The modern-day story is paralleled by accounts of the death of a young girl, possibly the illegitimate, much loved, daughter of Cnut, Danish King of England from 1016. She was drowned in Bosham Creek in 1020, aged eight and was buried in Bosham Church, where the story is set. The sense of place is so strong. Even if you’ve never been to that part of the coast, the creeks and marshes are vividly present, the sea a constant presence, and a constant menace.
Jonny is a TV documentary producer, and the eleventh century events are brought to life by his attempts to create a film that explores the possibility that King Harold, slain on the battlefield in 1066, is also buried in Bosham church. The way that Jonny attempts to manipulate everyone to achieve his aim also reveals his character.
Rook is a wonderful story. It’s not an easy read, but it is so rewarding.
It’s an emotionally moving story, sometimes almost unbearable. I read it twice, finding meanings and significance on the second reading that I hadn’t found the first time.
The characters are portrayed so well. Each of them is distinct, with his or her own traits. The character list is long, but re-encountering them, we never have any doubts about who they are. The male characters are particularly well described, although Jane Rusbridge has left them ambiguous, as enigmas. Andy, a damaged character in her earlier novel The Devil’s Music, speaks and acts just how a man like that would, not that the reader understands him completely. The two men, Harry and Jonny, in Nora’s life in Rook are gradually revealed for what they are, and we gradually develop our understanding, although they’re also left as enigmas, even at the end. Nora finds an injured rook, nurses him back to life, and, as Rook, he has a well-developed character of his own. Rook is a metaphor himself, imprinting himself on Nora, and we learn about Nora’s need for Rook.
Nora lives with her mother, Ada, another enigmatic character nearing the end of her life, and the conflicts between mother and daughter illuminate the characters of both of them.
Jane Rusbridge knows how much to spell out and how much to leave unexplained, to be revealed or guessed at later. The modern-day story is paralleled by accounts of the death of a young girl, possibly the illegitimate, much loved, daughter of Cnut, Danish King of England from 1016. She was drowned in Bosham Creek in 1020, aged eight and was buried in Bosham Church, where the story is set. The sense of place is so strong. Even if you’ve never been to that part of the coast, the creeks and marshes are vividly present, the sea a constant presence, and a constant menace.
Jonny is a TV documentary producer, and the eleventh century events are brought to life by his attempts to create a film that explores the possibility that King Harold, slain on the battlefield in 1066, is also buried in Bosham church. The way that Jonny attempts to manipulate everyone to achieve his aim also reveals his character.
Rook is a wonderful story. It’s not an easy read, but it is so rewarding.
December 20, 2013
A thousand year old mystery and a modern woman with her own demons, the synopsis is reminiscent of Carcassonne by Kate Mosse. Unfortunately Rook fails to deliver, giving us flat characters and no chance to develop an attachment to any of them. Both our main character, Nora, and her mother, Ada, have secrets. Nora's secret is gradually revealed but not dealt with while Ada's is never revealed to other characters so we don't get to follow this thread anywhere.
Nora is in a major depression due to her circumstance and while this is represented well in Rusbridge's descriptions of the bleak countryside and the lack of interest Nora has her friends and surroundings, it doesn't lend itself to a gripping story. The idea behind the mystery of a Saxon grave could've been further developed and I would have loved to have heard more from Elsa, whose research into the Saxon princess was the most interesting area of the book.
Occasionally I found that the descriptions were forced, as in 'she tips the straw-like remnants of a bird's nest from a Startrite shoe-box.' Or 'she gulped down the delicious, icy concoction.' The villagers, when we meet them, come across as if let out from a Vicar of Dibley church service. Eve and Steve have potential to be interesting characters if they had been explored further. Near the end, Rook gets riled and shits on someone's shoes. This is the most action that occurs in the book and one of the only bits that didn't drag.
Overall, I felt that the ideas and setting were strong, and Nora's relationship with Rook was great, but the novel was let down by the underdeveloped characters and unfinished threads of story. I wanted to like Rook, as I live Iocally to the setting and have an interest in King Harold but I'm afraid to say I was disappointed by the focus on the less original sides and the failing to delve into the genuinely interesting ideas and themes around the history of the area.
Nora is in a major depression due to her circumstance and while this is represented well in Rusbridge's descriptions of the bleak countryside and the lack of interest Nora has her friends and surroundings, it doesn't lend itself to a gripping story. The idea behind the mystery of a Saxon grave could've been further developed and I would have loved to have heard more from Elsa, whose research into the Saxon princess was the most interesting area of the book.
Occasionally I found that the descriptions were forced, as in 'she tips the straw-like remnants of a bird's nest from a Startrite shoe-box.' Or 'she gulped down the delicious, icy concoction.' The villagers, when we meet them, come across as if let out from a Vicar of Dibley church service. Eve and Steve have potential to be interesting characters if they had been explored further. Near the end, Rook gets riled and shits on someone's shoes. This is the most action that occurs in the book and one of the only bits that didn't drag.
Overall, I felt that the ideas and setting were strong, and Nora's relationship with Rook was great, but the novel was let down by the underdeveloped characters and unfinished threads of story. I wanted to like Rook, as I live Iocally to the setting and have an interest in King Harold but I'm afraid to say I was disappointed by the focus on the less original sides and the failing to delve into the genuinely interesting ideas and themes around the history of the area.
May 28, 2013
This was an incredibly well-written book, a beautiful tapestry in itself with descriptions so wonderfully lucid, It reminded me of poetry! It was easy to become quickly absorbed in the atmospheric setting of this story, from the early historic battle scenes to the present day scenario across the coastal plains of Sussex. The characters too had a depth you could feel, with highly charged emotions which reveal the complexity of human nature - most poignant of all for me, was Nora's nurturing instinct to care for the fledgling ‘Rook’ - a deep bonding, combined with a maternal drive, which was not fully explained until right at the end of the book, (which for me was a real 'Eureka' moment.)
Although she was described as 'a fragile, bitter woman' in the synopsis, I took a shine to Nora's Mum, Ada - she struck me as being rather sweet, a little confused maybe, but with an eccentric personality which endeared her to me. I was more disappointed by Nora's lovers, both of whom came across as men who were shallow and vain - where even 'Rook' himself seems to have sussed out the egocentric Jonny, the one character determined to dredge up the secrets of Bosham church to make his TV documentary! But I did develop a soft spot for the straight-talking Harry, a loyal friend to both women.
The link between history (portrayed in both the Bayeux Tapestry and the mysterious tomb in Bosham church) is an enthralling storyline in itself which kept me wanting to turn the pages. If I had the time, I would gladly read this all over again, this is how much the author captivated me. A wonderful book for anyone, especially those familiar with Sussex and the beaches around Bosham. Very well done!
Although she was described as 'a fragile, bitter woman' in the synopsis, I took a shine to Nora's Mum, Ada - she struck me as being rather sweet, a little confused maybe, but with an eccentric personality which endeared her to me. I was more disappointed by Nora's lovers, both of whom came across as men who were shallow and vain - where even 'Rook' himself seems to have sussed out the egocentric Jonny, the one character determined to dredge up the secrets of Bosham church to make his TV documentary! But I did develop a soft spot for the straight-talking Harry, a loyal friend to both women.
The link between history (portrayed in both the Bayeux Tapestry and the mysterious tomb in Bosham church) is an enthralling storyline in itself which kept me wanting to turn the pages. If I had the time, I would gladly read this all over again, this is how much the author captivated me. A wonderful book for anyone, especially those familiar with Sussex and the beaches around Bosham. Very well done!
April 9, 2014
After the wonderful, The Devils Music, I couldn't wait to read ROOK, Jane Rusbridge' second novel. I pre-ordered it from Amazon and cleared the decks for its arrival.
When it finally arrived I tore it from the parcel and found inside this beautiful book. The front cover has a picture of a girl, must be the main character Nora, standing amongst a building of rooks, on a grassy windswept landscape. Yes building, I looked it up. There are rooks in the air all around her.
The story begins with Nora, who has returned to Creek House, the family home, next to the village of Bosham, on the Sussex coast. Nora rescues an injured rook, which she finds and nurses back to heath, she names him Rook. Her mother Ada lives in the house and is a bitter old woman with a secret. Nora has been away from home. She is a gifted cellist and while at collage, then performing, has had an affair with her older and charismatic teacher. Nora has secrets too.
There is so many wonderful layers to this book, from the opening scene of the Sussex coast and a mid eleventh century battlefield, to the same ground in the twenty first century and Jonny, an outsider who wants to make a documentary about King Cnut and an attempted archaeological dig in the little church of Bosham. The characters are all wonderfully written and the family story of Nora, her sister Flick, Felicity and their parents is revealed as the book reaches its end. This has been a hard review to write, no matter what I say about ROOK, it couldn't with my limited skill, do it Justus. I think Jan Rusbridge is something special and we may look back in years to come and realise this. I hope she writes many more books and gets the acclaim she deserves.
Footnote. You can also have a parliament of rooks, I like building.
When it finally arrived I tore it from the parcel and found inside this beautiful book. The front cover has a picture of a girl, must be the main character Nora, standing amongst a building of rooks, on a grassy windswept landscape. Yes building, I looked it up. There are rooks in the air all around her.
The story begins with Nora, who has returned to Creek House, the family home, next to the village of Bosham, on the Sussex coast. Nora rescues an injured rook, which she finds and nurses back to heath, she names him Rook. Her mother Ada lives in the house and is a bitter old woman with a secret. Nora has been away from home. She is a gifted cellist and while at collage, then performing, has had an affair with her older and charismatic teacher. Nora has secrets too.
There is so many wonderful layers to this book, from the opening scene of the Sussex coast and a mid eleventh century battlefield, to the same ground in the twenty first century and Jonny, an outsider who wants to make a documentary about King Cnut and an attempted archaeological dig in the little church of Bosham. The characters are all wonderfully written and the family story of Nora, her sister Flick, Felicity and their parents is revealed as the book reaches its end. This has been a hard review to write, no matter what I say about ROOK, it couldn't with my limited skill, do it Justus. I think Jan Rusbridge is something special and we may look back in years to come and realise this. I hope she writes many more books and gets the acclaim she deserves.
Footnote. You can also have a parliament of rooks, I like building.
February 16, 2013
I haven't (yet) read Jane Rusbridge's first novel, but ordered this one as it was so highly recommended by another author whose writing I love (Isabel Ashdown). And the recommendation was worth following up because this book is absolutely beautiful. Just my cup of tea! (She says while supping a welcome camomile & spiced apple...)
The story centres around Nora, a concert cellist who returns to her Sussex home after events in her life means she no longer has the heart to play concerts. Here she lives an uneasy existence with her elderly mother, whose grip on reality is fading and whose fractured memories add to the atmosphere of the novel, and a baby rook that she finds laying in a ditch and brings home to look after. (And I love this little bird - I could picture every last detail - finding its voice, spitting guano, burying food around the house, & I loved its first attempt at flying!).
The book itself weaves together a number of different elements: the history of the village of Bosham, archaeological digs, King Cnut, the birthplace of Harold, Saxon warriors, Nora trying to piece her life back together, and the tightly knit community, to name a few. But the real star of this book is the atmosphere and landscape, which is so beautifully written, and the musical aspects. It's almost difficult to sum it up and do it proper justice. Just read it!
The story centres around Nora, a concert cellist who returns to her Sussex home after events in her life means she no longer has the heart to play concerts. Here she lives an uneasy existence with her elderly mother, whose grip on reality is fading and whose fractured memories add to the atmosphere of the novel, and a baby rook that she finds laying in a ditch and brings home to look after. (And I love this little bird - I could picture every last detail - finding its voice, spitting guano, burying food around the house, & I loved its first attempt at flying!).
The book itself weaves together a number of different elements: the history of the village of Bosham, archaeological digs, King Cnut, the birthplace of Harold, Saxon warriors, Nora trying to piece her life back together, and the tightly knit community, to name a few. But the real star of this book is the atmosphere and landscape, which is so beautifully written, and the musical aspects. It's almost difficult to sum it up and do it proper justice. Just read it!
March 30, 2015
Rook has many things going for it that lift it above the fray of contemporary novels with a romance theme: a strong sense of place (West Sussex’s Chichester and Bosham), lovely prose, an interesting archaeological element (TV documentary writers’ search for King Harold II’s and King Cnut’s daughter’s graves), an undercurrent of cello music, and the main character’s attempt to raise a fledgling rook. As a bird lover, I was delighted to see Rusbridge acknowledge a conscious debt to Esther Woolfson’s memoir of living with rescued corvids, Corvus: “Tucked into the back pocket of his jeans is a paperback he quotes from constantly, a book written by a woman who has lived for years with a pet rook called Chicken.”
For me the novel is most reminiscent of Sarah Moss’s Night Waking, which also has an archaeology subplot, an intense feeling of place, and the mystery of a baby’s bones. By far the least interesting aspect of Rook is the love triangle (or is that a quadrangle?) surrounding Nora: she must choose between Isaac, her much older cello teacher, Jonny the hotshot (married) London film director, and Harry the unassuming handyman.
For me the novel is most reminiscent of Sarah Moss’s Night Waking, which also has an archaeology subplot, an intense feeling of place, and the mystery of a baby’s bones. By far the least interesting aspect of Rook is the love triangle (or is that a quadrangle?) surrounding Nora: she must choose between Isaac, her much older cello teacher, Jonny the hotshot (married) London film director, and Harry the unassuming handyman.
September 24, 2012
First of all I enjoyed Rook, Jane Rusbridge cleverly uses short chapters to keep the book pacing along. The various strands of the story are cleverly knitted together into a convincing narrative, albeit a bit too neatly in places, to my taste.
I maybe wanted to hear a bit more about the agony Nora must have felt and using the stormy weather or sea as a metaphor didn’t work totally for me although it is wonderfully done.
The story is really about the (broken) relationship between daughter (Nora) and mother (Ada). I started out sympathising mostly with Nora though Ada grew on me as I read on, which is great thing for an author to archive.
What about rook? He was utterly adorable but not being into rooks, he could have been a dog, and I wouldn’t have noticed. Although you couldn’t have had one of the closing scene between Harry and Nora and that would have been a shame, so I rest my case.
An utterly enjoyable read, just a tiny itsy comment that I like to be challenged a little bit more.
I maybe wanted to hear a bit more about the agony Nora must have felt and using the stormy weather or sea as a metaphor didn’t work totally for me although it is wonderfully done.
The story is really about the (broken) relationship between daughter (Nora) and mother (Ada). I started out sympathising mostly with Nora though Ada grew on me as I read on, which is great thing for an author to archive.
What about rook? He was utterly adorable but not being into rooks, he could have been a dog, and I wouldn’t have noticed. Although you couldn’t have had one of the closing scene between Harry and Nora and that would have been a shame, so I rest my case.
An utterly enjoyable read, just a tiny itsy comment that I like to be challenged a little bit more.
August 4, 2013
c2012: FWFTB: Bosham, Canute, cello, documentary, bitter. I seem to be staying well clear of contemporary novels lately but decided this one would be worth the risk seeing as it is by a 'local' author and the location is also 'local'. Drat! I found it to be a very depressing book - why is it that all modern stories seem to involve family secrets, angst, dotty parents and miscarriages/abortions/adoptions and the like. Yeah - the writing was 'deft' (as per the comments of Girl Reading) but can not agree with Marika Cobold's comment that this is a 'mesmerising and multi-layered story.'. But here's the thing about secrets. A secret is charged with the pressing urge to tell. Sharing a secret bestows a gift - and think, a secret of such magnitude! Thus secrets, information, a little changed or elaborated may pass between loved ones.' I must mix in the wrong circles as I have never had an intimate conversation with a friend using the word 'thus'. Unfortunately, I do not think that any member of my normal crew would enjoy this book so unable to recommend.
October 19, 2015
Some of the sentences are like literary jewels. But as is the case with so many books written beautifully, the story is lacklustre at best.
It's a very female book, if that makes sense. The two main protagonists are female, the feel of the narrative is womanly and it's focused on emotions and feeling. Which in itself is no bad thing if you're into that kind of thing, but I felt it lacked backbone or any real bite.
I couldn't find much in Nora or Ada to keep myself engaged with either of them. It felt too middle class, painfully little England and all so very neat and tidy. It reminded me of something you'd hear at a creative writing course. Cello players, cottages by the sea, gardeners and amateur historians pottering about with leaflets and theories just don't really do it for me.
This book is meant to be a homage to the Sussex landscape, and that's probably the best way to describe it rather than a novel of any real narrative weight.
It's a very female book, if that makes sense. The two main protagonists are female, the feel of the narrative is womanly and it's focused on emotions and feeling. Which in itself is no bad thing if you're into that kind of thing, but I felt it lacked backbone or any real bite.
I couldn't find much in Nora or Ada to keep myself engaged with either of them. It felt too middle class, painfully little England and all so very neat and tidy. It reminded me of something you'd hear at a creative writing course. Cello players, cottages by the sea, gardeners and amateur historians pottering about with leaflets and theories just don't really do it for me.
This book is meant to be a homage to the Sussex landscape, and that's probably the best way to describe it rather than a novel of any real narrative weight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews