La ballena varada

by Elizabeth O'Connor, Javier Calvo Perales (translator)

Una pequeña isla frente a las costas de Gales. Un país bajo la amenaza de otra guerra. Una joven de la comunidad que se enfrenta al choque entre una forma de vida que desaparece y un mundo nuevo que viene a través del mar.

En 1938, una ballena aparece muerta en las costas de una remota isla galesa en la que apenas habitan doce familias. Para Manod, una joven que ha pasado toda su vida allí, es tanto un presagio de fatalidad como un símbolo de lo que puede haber más allá de sus costas, y aviva su deseo de explorar la vida más allá de esa hermosa pero durísima isla que su familia ha llamado hogar durante generaciones.

  En ese sentido la llegada de Edward y Joan, dos etnógrafos ingleses que esperan estudiar la cultura de la isla, le parece una bendición y una forma de evadirse al comenzar a trabajar para ellos como secretaria y traductora, dado que pocos miembros de la comunidad hablan inglés. A medida que los aldeanos se sienten atraídos por la curiosidad hacia la ballena, que se convierte en un lugar de juego para niños y un santuario para la bestia en descomposición, Manod cae bajo el influjo de Joan y Edward por distintos motivos y tiene que tomar algunas decisiones difíciles sobre la vida que quiere llevar, al tiempo que se acrecientan sus sospechas de que su comunidad puede estar siendo peligrosamente malinterpretada y exotizada.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Historical, Coming Of Age, Book Club

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Elizabeth O’Connor lives in Birmingham. Her short stories have appeared in The White Review and Granta, and she was the 2020 winner of the White Review Short Story Prize. She holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Birmingham, specialising in the modernist writer H.D. and her writing of coastal landscapes.

Her debut novel, WHALE FALL, was published in 2024 by Picador in the UK and Pantheon in the US and will be published in eleven other territories. It was chosen as one of the Observer's ten best debut novels of the year.

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set on a fictional Welsh island in 1938, Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor revolves around eighteen-year-old Manod Llan, a lifelong islander, who dreams of a life different from the one expected of girls her age in her community. She yearns for a future that would take her away from the island yet feels a deep attachment to the small community (fifteen men, twenty women, and twelve children), her father and her younger sister Llinos whom she has been taking care of ever since the death of their mother. When a beached whale washes ashore, their isolated island catches the attention of outsiders among whom are two ethnographers who visit the island to study the way of life of the islanders. Manod is a bright girl, well versed in both Welsh and English and thus a natural choice for a translator who could assist Joan and Edward in communicating with the islanders and transcribing their notes. Joan’s friendship and worldliness inspire Manod and Edward’s promises give her hope. But as she follows their research, she is disillusioned by their inauthentic representation of the community she holds dear and is compelled to doubt their motives.

With its exquisite writing, vivid imagery and immersive setting, Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor is a compelling read that I found hard to put down. Manod is an endearing protagonist and I was invested in her story from the very first page. This is a quiet novel, the kind that won’t surprise you because most of us know that people can be exploitative, opportunistic and self-serving, but unfortunately, young girls like Manod who have led a sheltered existence in a close-knit community are not well versed in the ways of the world. We can see what lies ahead for Manod but are unable to look away. The author does not let you. She keeps you engrossed in stories of the islanders, the songs they sing, their traditions and their folklore, not to say their fascination with the beached whale. Manod’s pain, longing and internal conflict are palpable and her love for her sister and community will strike a chord in your heart. Needless to say, this is an emotionally impactful read and you'll need to go in knowing that it will be difficult to remain unaffected. However, despite the bleakness, the author does end this story on a hopeful note for which I am grateful.

Overall, I found this to be an evocative novel - a memorable read that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. I simply could not believe that this was the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this talented new author in the future.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quietly lovely historical coming of age tale, set in pre-WWII, a glimpse into another place and time, a small island where the population is dwindling as those who are able move to the mainland. Manod is close to her family, while at the same time, searching for more without knowing exactly what it is she wants for herself, her life. Life on the island is routine, for the most part, but somewhere inside of her is a desire for more, even if she hasn’t yet determined what it is that she wants for her future. Torn between wanting a life that would offer her more than she will ever have on this island, while her heart reminds her of the things she loves about this place, her loyalty to family and how that extends to home and history, all her memories are tied to this place. And yet, still, she is torn.

When a whale washes up on their shore it naturally attracts attention, not only from the locals, but as time passes it draws in others who come from the mainland and beyond. Soon a man and woman arrive on a boat, and seemingly befriend her for a time, but their motives prove to be questionable.

A beautifully written, quietly lovely story that was impossible to put down and one I won’t soon forget.


Pub Date: 07 May 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon

[Henk · Rating 4 out of 5]

An island with just 12 families and a few miles across is vividly brought alive. An 18 year old daughter and her family find out that visitors from the main land does not just offer supplies and potentially escape, but also risk
It is hard to know how the world works when you are so far away from it here

An assured debut by Elizabeth O'Connor that brings a fictional island to life. We follow an older sister and a widowed father. He mainly hunts for lobster while she takes care of her little sister. Conditions are hard, doctors are a 5 to 10 mile boat ride away, depending on the weather. A mondaine English Oxford educated woman and man start to document the island life, which more and more feels like fabrication to our partially complicit narrator.

Soon she discovers she wears 20 year old clothes from the perspective of the visitors (You look just like queen Victoria is shouted to her when her mom visits a doctor on the mainland). Conditions are harsh; if no fish is reeled in people eat from cans and having an indoor toilet is the highest mark of sophistication someone who has gone over to the mainland to marry can put in her letters. These letters take months to arrive, news is in scarce supply, even with the Second World War brewing within the novel.

The main character’s voice in the book is excellently done, belligerent at times, stubborn, incredulous and naive but also very perceptive at times. Her relationships with the mainlanders change as does her relationship with moving away from the island or not. The opportunity for female alliance, in getting an education and opportunity is well drawn, even if gulfs and rifts, and awakening sexuality play a part just as well.
Relationships are icky and shifting, and our main character seems to have the weaker hand regardless. And then there is the matter of fascism in England and the rationing of critical supplies, including whale blubber left from the event which gives the novel its name.

For a short novel Whale Fall is impressive, I normally am not super keen on historical settings in fiction but here I felt emerged and almost sprayed under by the rough waves, and I gladly round up my 3.5 stars!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re telling me this is a debut?? Whale Fall had some of the best writing I’ve read in a debut in ages. I truly believe that it is much more impressive to be able to tell your story in a short, succinct way as opposed to a long, meandering way and Elizabeth O’Connor does it so so so we’ll. It feels like every word she picked was carefully chosen and in just around 200 pages she was able to capture the feelings of longing, grief, and heartbreak so vividly. This was a joy to read and I absolutely recommend.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Whale Fall,” two closely linked events disrupt the rhythm of an island off the Welsh coast. The first disruption occurs when, in 1938, a dead whale washes onto the island’s shores.This event attracts two English ethnographers who are intent on writing a book about the island’s customs and culture. The intersection of these two vastly different visitors triggers actions that alter the arc of island life.

Manod Llan,the eighteen year old first person narrator, is the centerpiece of the novel.Her family is one of twelve that live on the island.She lives with her lobsterman father and younger sister and serves as the family matriarch after the death of her mother several years earlier. Her world is one of uncertainty and transition, as World War Two approaches and young people leave the island in search of less constricting opportunities.Manod occupies an uncertain emotional space that teeters between adherence to island traditions and pursuit of more wide ranging aspirations.She is fluent in both Welsh and English. She dreams of an existence that is not totally defined by marriage and children on an island struggling to preserve its way of life.

The beached whale is a harbinger of change for Manod and her community. The locals wonder if the whale is an omen that portends future disruptions.Soon thereafter, the two ethnographers, Joan and Edward, arrive and embark on their study of the island. They need a translator to communicate with the residents and Manod is an obvious choice to fill the role.

The relationship between Manod and the outsiders is grounded in extremely divergent expectations for each side. Manod is initially entranced by the ethnographers’ sophistication and views the relationship as an avenue to leave the island and explore the outside world.Joan and Edward have much less lofty motives. The dynamics of this three sided relationship eventually reveal the consequences of conflicting expectations that culminate in cultural exploitation and appropriation.

The novel is told in concise, spare prose that combines Manod’s inner thoughts with the folktales and rhythms of the island’s life, creating an aura that shimmers between lush and stark. The metaphorical and actual presence of the dead whale hovers throughout, serving as a reminder of life, decay, change and uncertainty.These elements combine to create a portrait of a young girl and her community that are struggling to discover a viable path to survive a world on the cusp of great change.4.5 stars

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the year of 1938 on a small island off the coast of Wales resides a young woman of eighteen named Manod,who struggles between her feelings of leaving her family and isolated existence on the island to finding a better life for herself and to see what the world is really like and not just from just from things she has read.about the outside world.

Never any excitement on the island until the day a whale washes up on their beach Day in day out many of the islanders visit the whale especially the children who talk to him or play games around it. Soon after more excitement comes about when two fancy people come to the island to study the inhabitants and their way of life. Since all the residents speak mainly Welsh, the couple hires Manod to be an interpreter for them as they visit the people in their homes and work. Manod is attracted to the couple's worldliness and mannerisms as well as they style of dress. Soon Manod is seduced by the couple's glamor and stories of their travels as they encourage her that she is capable of enhancing her own life if she would leave her island. As time goes on Manod begins to see and understand that the couple may have had ulterior motives that could harm the naive, hardworking community in many ways that none of them could have foreseen except for the foreigners who only had their own interests at heart.


This was a lovely although bleak story told through Manod's eyes. Strictly a fishing island, the men and women work from sunrise to sunset from the men out in their fishing boats to the children collecting mollusks and clams while the women clean all the aquatic life to prepare to be sold to the mainland. The author Elizabeth O'Connor does a wonderful job in her atmospheric writing of the sights, sounds, smells and in showing the isolated and droll life that the islanders face and accept every day of their lives. The population decreases every year due to many of the teenagers who leave for the mainland after they graduate school from their small little classroom. I enjoyed the character of Manod very much but I wish she was a little less robotic with her thoughts and actions.

The parts I did not like were the paragraphs were not separated and I would find times and days confusing since some thoughts seemed incomplete and then I would be in a different place or time of day and that was annoying to me since it took away quite a bit of the fluidity of the storytelling which was very interesting and I just felt disconnected at times. I also enjoyed all the characters especially Manod's spitfire of a little sister. A little folklore and superstitions were blended in well and all in all this was a very engaging, dark, gloomy and emotional book that many people will enjoy.

I want to thank the publisher "Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor" and Net galley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 3 1/2 BLEAK AND MOROSE 🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender, liminal portrait of a community imperiled by modernity. Elizabeth O'Connor imagines a small island off the coast of Wales, a fictional setting reminiscent of Ireland's Blaskets or Scotland's Kilda archipelago, whose residents seem caught in a bygone century. She lands Whale Fall in 1938, when Europe is poised on the brink of war. The island's population, already decimated as its young men flee to the mainland in search of opportunity, is made up of veterans from the Great War who fish the roiling Atlantic, widows who regularly lose their husbands to those waves, and a handful of young ones like eighteen-year-old Manod and her little sister, who sense the world outside is coming for them.

Two anthropologists arrive on the island, seeking to record the traditions and folklore of this remote outpost. Manod, who has learned English from ladies' magazines, is tapped by the exotic mainlanders to serve as their research assistant. Their arrival coincides with a whale washed up on shore, an event that seems to want to serve as a larger metaphor. In the end, it is simply a sad, natural event that is a harbinger of doom. Perhaps its rotting flesh is meant to coincide with the revelation that these researchers, who claim to want to honor the island's unique culture, are themselves corrupt from within.

It is a stretch to call Whale Fall a novel. It is brief in length, limited in aspect, and offers little resolution. It reads more like an extended short story, a snapshot of lives at a time when tragedy looms darkly and drastic change is inevitable. O'Connor's writing is delicate and lyrical, lending a sense of haunting melancholy to the claustrophobic setting and poignant plot. A memorable debut.

[Anna Avian · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Whale Fall" by Elizabeth O'Connor presents a melancholic tale set against the backdrop of a remote and harsh island. The narrative follows Manod, a young islander who becomes entangled with two English ethnographers studying the island's way of life for a forthcoming publication.

O'Connor's prose, while contemplative and vivid, struggles to maintain a cohesive narrative thread, resulting in a fractured storyline. The plot lacks substantial depth, failing to fully engage the reader throughout. The island itself is depicted as both stunningly beautiful and perilously remote—a fitting metaphor for the characters' isolated existences.

Manod's initial fascination with the scholars' exotic perspectives quickly gives way to disillusionment as their research methods prioritize aesthetics over accuracy. As rumors of war stir on the mainland, the islanders face a precarious future, torn between tradition and the allure of modernity.

"Whale Fall" skillfully explores the theme of vanishing island lives, but ultimately falls short of captivating the reader with a compelling storyline. O'Connor's descriptive skill vividly captures the island's rugged landscapes and the characters' internal conflicts, yet the novel as a whole lacks the gripping narrative cohesion needed to leave a lasting impact.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The remote Welsh island setting of O’Connor’s debut novella was inspired by several real-life islands that were depopulated in the twentieth century due to a change in climate and ways of life: Bardsey, St Kilda, the Blasket Islands, and the Aran Islands. (A letter accompanying my review copy explained that the author’s grandmother was a Welsh speaker from North Wales and her Irish grandfather had relatives on the Blasket Islands.)

Eighteen-year-old Manod Llan is the older daughter of a lobster fisherman. Her sweetheart recently left to find work in a mainland factory. It’s 1938 and there are vague rumbles about war, but more pressing is the arrival of strangers here to study a vanishing culture. Anthropologists Edward and Joan learn snatches of Welsh and make recordings of local legends and songs, which are interspersed with the fragmentary narrative. Manod, star-struck, seeks the English researchers’ approval as she helps with translation and other secretarial duties, but becomes disillusioned with their misinterpretations and fascist leanings.

The gradual disintegration of a beached whale casts a metaphorical shadow of decay over the slow-burning story. I kept waiting for momentous events that never came. More definitive consequences? Something to do with Manod’s worries for her little sister, Llinos? A flash-forward to the abandoned island’s after-years? Or to Manod’s future? As it is, the sense of being stuck at a liminal time makes it all feel like prologue. But O’Connor’s writing is quite lovely (“The milk had formed a film over the surface and puckered, like a strange kiss”; “All of my decisions felt like trying to catch a fish that did not exist until I caught it”) and the book is strong on atmosphere and tension. I’ll look out for her next work.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whale Fall is a debut novel from Elizabeth O’Connor set on a small island off the coast of Wales during the late 1930s. We learn of life there through the eyes of Manod a late teenage girl who is now feeling the trap that island life can be, with its limited expectations and possibilities. Manod lives with her father and younger sister in a small home that is constantly damp. Everything on the island is damp and most often cold. It’s a difficult life for the men who work at sea and the women who work on land.

The whale washing up on the island’s shore marks a change in routine for everyone, child or adult, and is also a wonder. Some question if it may be an omen of some kind. Then there is the arrival of the English man and woman, come to study the island and its people, how they live, what they think. Here is Manod’s chance to become familiar with people who live “over there” and have been to university, have lived some of her dreams.

The prose is spare like the island but so captures the emotion, the color of nature and wildlife, the life of the sea and weather. And the culture of the island is slowly revealed in word, song and story. This is a quiet novel with quickly passing moments of happiness, lingering sadness. Recommended .

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Olivia (Stories For Coffee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love an introspective, meandering tale, this one lacked intrigue entirely for me.

[Ellery Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that this beautifully written novel is the author's debut. Thanks to @praudio, I was able to listen to this gem, and I highly recommend this format as the narrators sing these haunting Welsh folk songs, and they add to the already-pronounced atmosphere of the narrative. On this isolated island, nature rules the lives of the few islanders who haven't left for the mainland. Our protagonist, Manod, is an old teenage soul. Motherless, she raises her younger sister while dreaming of a life beyond fish and folklore. This is a quiet, lyrical book, which might not appeal to those looking for dramatic scenes, but I was lost in the writing and setting and would happily read anything produced by Ms. O'Connor's pen.

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

1938, een klein eiland, amper 5 km lang, voor de rotsige kust van Wales. Er wonen nog maar 12 gezinnen, waarvan de meeste mannen of zijn omgekomen in de Grote Oorlog, verdronken zijn tijdens de visvangst of vertrokken zijn naar het vaste land om te werken. Door de ogen van de 18-jarige Manod kaart Elizabeth O'Connor de thema's van die tijd aan. De kloof tussen de stad, de gestudeerde elite, arbeiders en het nog geheel zelfvoorzienende leven van de laatste eilanders. Hoe subjectief de antropologie uitgeoefend werd, de nieuwe mogelijkheden voor vrouwen, kleine vrijheden. De dreiging van een nieuwe oorlog.
Het naderende einde van een manier van leven van de eilanders staat naast Manods verlangen naar en de hoop op een ander kleurrijker leven.

Erg zorgvuldig en ingetogen geschreven novelle, de natuur is bijna tastbaar aanwezig, ik kon de wind aan me voelen trekken, de zilte smaak ervan bijna proeven. En toch nergens te veel woorden, dat is bijzonder knap.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a remote island off the coast of Wales, eighteen-year-old Manod lives with her father, a lobster fisherman, and younger sister, Llinos. The population is dwindling as more people leave to find work on the mainland. The year is 1938 and there are rumors of a coming war. The storyline features two prominent events: 1) a beached whale appears on the shore, and 2) two anthropologists arrive to study the island’s vanishing culture.

This is both a coming-of-age story and one of cultural loss. The outsiders arrive, intrude upon the lives of the small population, misinterpret many of the customs, and set in motion changes that have a huge impact. Manod tells the story in first person. She has had to become a mother to her sister after their mother died. She has a vague impression that she wants a different life but is unsure how to achieve it. She is a help to the anthropologists, with her knowledge of the island’s history and her ability to speak English and thus can translate for them. She shows them her treasured embroideries, which become a key element in the story and are also symbolic.

At first, she looks up to these outsiders, but starts to feel disillusioned when they view the island from their own cultural background, misinterpreting artifacts, photos, and customs of the local people. Sometimes this misinterpretation seems intentional to tell the story in a way that will lead to greater profits from writing their book about the island’s people and their way of life. It is easy to see the symbolism in the gradual disintegration of the whale’s carcass.

It is a slowly developing story, well-written, and atmospheric in its descriptions of the island’s environment. It is short and poignant. This is Elizabeth O’Connor’s debut, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Issues of exploitation, decline of rural communities, so many lost to the Great War and more young, few left going off to WWII. How outsiders see things but don’t observe or purposefully misrepresent for their own gain.

Follows a young woman on a Welsh island visited by two English university scholars. Everyone has an agenda, but some lose more than others. Quiet, but harsh as the icy windswept shore of winter.

Yes, the “Whale” is a catalyst.

I loved the folk songs and stories and the underlying themes especially as they pertain to women. As bleak as one expects from a literary read. Recommended for those interested.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manod lived on a small island off the coast of Wales. There were twelve families, plus a minister and a lighthouse keeper. The island is austerely beautiful, their traditional life hard and harsh.

Since the death of their mother, she cared for her younger sister. And helped her fisherman father. She was intelligent, had been a good student, and could speak English. She had an offer of marriage, but imagined a different life. Perhaps on the mainland. Perhaps an education and a career. But responsibilities and lack of money and opportunity had kept her on the island.

A whale was beached on the island. And shortly afterwards came two mainlanders, a man and a woman. They brought their notebooks and camera and recording devices to document the islander’s vanishing way of life, the stories they told, and the songs they sang.

Manod was recommended to be their translator.

The strangers lathered praise on Manod, commended her abilities, and told her she could be anything–on the mainland. Women were going to university now. They fussed over her embroidery on handkerchiefs, asked to borrow her work to document.

Manod admired the woman ethnographer. She fell for the man’s golden words. They brought news of the world, the rise of Fascism and war. And hope for a different life.

But as time went on, Manod realized these strangers brought false hope, clearly lying as the staged images of island life, intent on making a splash with their book, using the islanders for their own profit and career.

The writing is gorgeous and detailed, bringing the island and its people to life. Manod is a wonderful character, her internal life driving the story. Inspired by real places and events, the novel captures a moment in time when the future met the past, luring people away from their rich, traditional world to pursue a world of choice and opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I loved Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor and I think this book is for anyone looking to experience some heartfelt emotions. I started reading it late in the evening, planning to only read a little. Two hours later I'd finished after not being able to put the book down. I immediately found myself connecting to the main character Manod. Her experiences and feelings are just so moving, and I certainly felt her emotions very deeply. That's a testament to how believably Elizabeth O'Connor can write real & human stories. I also cannot praise enough how well Manod's home is described. This fictional, remote island was brought to life for me. I don't know how it's possible to describe a location in such a way that I'm absolutely in love while at the same time longing to see what's beyond it for Manod's sake, but that's what happened here. Definitely incredibly done. This wasn't a long read but there is such a rich story here! Whale Fall is an absolutely brilliant debut novel!

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small but perfectly formed. Easily read in one sitting.

Manod lives a hard life with her father and sister on a small island off the Welsh coast. She is 18 and wants more from her life so when two English outsiders arrive to document island life she sees an opportunity.

But the book Joan and Edward are planning describing island life may not be what Manod expects and with war on the horizon she sees her life and that of her peers changing whether they want it or not.

This book was mentioned on BBC2s Under the Covers but it wasn't until a friend recommended it that I bought the audio version.

The narration by Gwyneth Keyworth is excellent with the beautiful Welsh language used liberally (with translation) along with "excerpts" of other islanders' songs and experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio.

Highly recommended.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and evocative piece of writing. Set on a tiny island off the coast of Wales, this is a love letter to a way of life in its dying throes and on the Eve of WWII. Two students come from Oxford come to gather material for their book. Manod, our young protagonist, becomes seduced by the idea of leaving for the mainland and a different type of life. The real stars of the show though, are the nature and creatures which dominate islanders lives, and the old sea faring folk tales. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

[Rubén Sarabia Jofre · Rating 5 out of 5]

La Ballena Varada nos lleva de viaje por la costa de Gales. Todo sucede en el año 1938, a puertas de una nueva Guerra, en una aislada isla galesa habitada por pocas familias, aparece una enorme ballena muerta en la playa. Para Manod, la protagonista, una joven curiosa y soñadora, esto significan distintas cosas: un tortuoso presentimiento cargado de sombras y dudas ante lo que esté por venir en la isla, o la posibilidad de hallar una luz en el horizonte que la ayude a escapar del mundo austero y aburrido en el que vive anclada y encontrar un futuro mejor que la lleve hacia a otro lugar.

Ante eso, es la llegada de dos etnógrafos ingleses, dispuestos a experimentar las costumbres, las creencias y las formas de vida de la zona, lo que abre un nuevo mundo para Manod. Al ser ella una chica inteligente y gran dominadora del inglés, Edward y Joan le ofrecen ser su traductora, algo que le abrirá las puertas a un nuevo mundo aún por conocer. Y he aquí el inicio del juego, en ese análisis de vida y de costumbres galesas. Empiezan las malinterpretaciones culturales por parte de ellos, de los estereotipos y de las falsas creencias. Con el tema de la ballena varada candente entre los pocos habitantes de la isla, Manod deberá tomar decisiones cruciales para ella, para su família y para todos esos vecinos a los que aprecia con todo su corazón.

Ante la premisa de esta novela, nuestra protagonista nos presenta en primera persona su vida junto a su padre y su hermana pequeña, Llinos, por la que siente gran apego y devoción, sobre todo desde la muerte de su madre hace unos años. Es todo ese deber que siente hacia su familia el que hace de ella una chica cargada de responsabilidades y actitud. Entrañable, aplicada y especial, Manod nos lleva de la mano por una historia pausada y tranquila, y hacia su madurez como persona, justo en el momento en el que debe aprender de todo cuanto le sucede y a saber tomar decisiones cruciales para ella y para sus vecinos.

Elizabeth O'Connor nos regala una lectura entrañable, de esas que arropan y encogen, y en la que vamos a aprender muchas cosas. Ante lo duro de la vida en la isla, la soledad e incertidumbre para los más pequeños, la escritora nos ofrece una historia profunda en la que ahonda en las dudas, en las elecciones vitales de vida o sobre la família.

La playa, el mar, la arena, las barcas, la sal, la marejada, el salitre, todo le da un aire de verano increíble al libro. Lo abres, te adentras en él y quisieras que la estancia ahí fuera mucho más larga. Es cierto que se acaba pronto, es un libro corto, pero estoy seguro que estarás encantado de haberte subido a él.

"Después del verano, el frío da media vuelta y se deja caer como una roca. Las aves desaparecen una por una. Abandonan los nidos de los acantilados con los huevos todavía dentro. En el otoño, el mar bulle como una olla al fuego. Los pájaros se van y el verano con ellos."

VALORACIÓN PERSONAL: 9'5/10

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The island that’s in your head. I don’t think it exists.”


Whale Fall, set in 1938 on an island off the Welsh coast, might be called “a tale of two islands.”

One of the tales is from the perspective of 18-year-old Manod, who has spent her life on a sparse island with only 12 other families. There, she watches young and old men trying to make a living from the catches of a capricious sea, and sometimes losing their lives in trying. She cares for her younger sister and tries to get along with her taciturn father, a lobeterman. She dreams of the promise of a better life.

And then two English anthropologists from Oxford, Edward and Joan, arrive at the shore, seeking to document the island’s customs—its ancient tales, superstitions, and fishing habits. Their relationship is murky. They hire Manod as a Welsh translator, and she believes the foreigners may be her way out.

But Manod is young and naïve. Both Joan and Edward willfully misunderstand the island’s inhabitants as inferior beings and, in fact, manipulate scenarios to get what the photos and stories they want. In the afterword, the author cites Man of Aran, a documentary filmed in 1931 that later became notorious for its factual errors and fabricated scenes. They will hardly be her salvation.

Interspersed with all this is a giant whale that becomes stranded on the beach. The image is arresting and gruesome: its stench and decomposition pervades the island. Yet the whale analogy is never fully culled. It could be anything the reader wants it to be – a symbol of decaying island traditions, a hint of a heinous war (allusions are made to the impending WW II), or our gradual separation from what is majestic in nature (at one point, a minister suggests that submarine radar is at fault for the whale’s death). A fast and profound read.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sorry to admit I was quite disappointed with the book. The writing was good, but the story was slow—even for me—and I still don’t really “get” the reason for any of it.🤷‍♀️

It takes place on a tiny Welsh island just before the start of WWII. There are only a handful of families and they live very simply, with little more than what they need to survive. Some fish, others farm, but it’s subsistence living for them all. And they seem content.

One morning a very large dead whale is found beached on the island and, within days, two researchers arrive unexpectedly from England and set up shop to study the islanders and their way of life.

Once they learn that Manod—a clever 18-year-old islander—is fluent in English, as well as Welsh, they ask her to work for them, translating interviews and generally helping with the research. They say they want to know about family customs, old stories, songs and poetry, and anything else the islanders would like to share. This will be compiled, along with various bits of art, embroidery, and other things created by the islanders through the generations. But soon Manod can see their intentions may not be as innocent as first thought. She can see they’ve been “inventing” details, to create a rosier picture of life than what actually exists. The realities and strain of their everyday lives are nowhere to be found in their research notes.

And after a while, they left and the book ended, without any obvious resolution to anything. Kind of a puzzle but not one I cared that much about. I think some might sum it up as "meh".😕

2.5 “Um…-what-was-that?”🤔 stars ⭐⭐⭐

[Corey Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting of this book was intriguing: a remote island off the coast of Wales (with a population of around 40 people) in 1938. I mean, talk about a great setting. However, the writing style is a little highfalutin for me, like it's trying too hard to be LITERATURE. It seemed like the author was more concerned with the STYLE of the writing than the content of the plot. Here are euphemisms for this from the authors who gave praise quotes for the book on the back cover: "...unhurried, unusual debut...", "written with calm, luminous precision...", "...quiet cadences...", "beautiful and restrained...". See what I mean? It's fancy-pants. And don't get me wrong: I love fancy-pants writing WHEN it is matched with incredible storytelling. But the storytelling part is where this book falters. You get the broad strokes of the characters and the plot, but there are a lot of holes and questions that never get answered, which is just irritating. My favorite part of this book is definitely the cover (it's perfection).

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very short book takes place just before WWII on an English island where 12 families continue to try and live. The main character, Manoud, is a very smart 18 year old and is hired as an interpreter of sorts when two anthropologists come to study the island and the inhabitants. I feel like this book could have been really good exploring the life of Manoud and her dreams and hopes she has. Instead it falls short with disjointed writings and many things left unsaid.

[Tuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

İkinci Dünya Savaşı öncesinde İngiliz ana karasının hemen dışında kalan farklı dil ve kültürden minyatür bir adanın az sayıdaki sakini, ansızın karaya vuran bir balinanın sıradan hayatlarına girişiyle sarsılır. Babası ve küçük kız kardeşiyle birlikte yaşayan onsekiz yaşındaki Manod için de hayat bundan sonra eskisi gibi olmayacaktır.

Oxford Üniversitesinden adaya araştırma yapmaya gelen bir çift İngilizcesi iyi olduğu için Manod’a çeviri işi teklif eder. Şehirli ve modern bir kadın olan Joan ile bu süreçte yakın bir ilişki içine girer. Adayı ve ana karayı karşılıklı el aldıkları konuşmaları Manod’un zihninde yepyeni ufuklar açar. Ana karanın pek de umursamadığı bu küçük Galler adasındaki hayatını sorgulamaya açar. Kadınların kent ve köydeki konumlarının kıyaslamaya, geleceğini düşünmeye başlar.

Roman balıkçılık ve çiftçilikle geçinen izole bir topluluğun deniz yoluyla ayrıldığı ana karadan kopukluğunu, dil engelinin bir çok şeye bariyer olduğunu, kadınlar için adada kalmaları halinde kendilerine tek bir seçenek sunulduğunu yalın bir dille anlatıyor. Yalıtılmış toplumların kanmaya hazır olduğu batıl inançları, eski ve ürkütücü masalları hikaye akışını bozmadan aktarıyor. Ayrıca iki farklı toplumun birbirleriyle etkileşimi neticesinde kültürel bir alışverişin mümkün olabileceğinin altını çiziyor.

Balinanın bir bütün olarak karaya vurması, gelgit ve dalgaların onu önce alması sonra tekrar kıyıya çıkarması farklı okumalara açık bir metafor olarak değerlendirilebilir. Tedirgin eden ve ilgi uyandıran devasa bir kütle olarak tüm dikkatleri üzerine çekmesi, durağanlığı nedeniyle ilk etkisini yitirmesi, kurda kuşa yem olarak garip bir et kemik yığınına dönüşmesi, çürüyüp kokuşarak tüm büyüsünün eriyip gitmesi, son kalıntılarının yine ada dışından gelenlerce geri götürülmesi hikayenin akışına benzer bir şekilde gerçekleşir. Merak ve heyecanın kısa sürede sönümlendiği ve fakat umudu temsil eden bir imge olarak belleklere yerleştiği söylenebilir.

Son olarak yazarın; halk şarkılarını, peri masallarını, adanın eski sakinlerinin anılarını hikaye kurgusu içerisine kısa alıntılar halinde taşımasının biçimsel olarak romana nefes aldıran, tarihsel açıdan farklı boyut katan isabetli bir karar olduğu da eklenebilir.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Walvistij" is het debuut van Elizabeth O'Connor, en daarmee schept ze al meteen een hoge standaard voor haar toekomstige werken.

We bevinden ons in 1938 op een eilandje bij Wales, waar het leven lijkt stil te staan. Er zijn nog slechts enkele gezinnen woonachtig op het eiland, en de jongeren trekken steevast naar het vasteland om daar hun geluk te beproeven en een toekomst uit te bouwen.

Manod is 18 jaar, en woont bij haar vader en kleinere zusje. Een moeder is er niet meer, die verdronk enkele jaren geleden. Wanneer er een walvis aanspoelt op het strand, en er daarenboven ook nog eens twee antropologen aankomen op het eiland om de bewoners en hun levensstijl in kaart te brengen, zorgt dit voor commotie en opwinding onder de bewoners. Zeker bij Manod, die voor de keuze staat om op het eiland te blijven, of ook naar het vasteland te gaan.

We volgen Manod enkele maanden mee, van september tot en met december, wat samenvalt met de komst en het vertrek van zowel de walvis als de wetenschappers. O'Connor doet dit in een bijzondere stijl, klein en gemoedelijk, in een traag ritme waarbij ze je lijkt mee te nemen in de cadans van het eiland.

[Corn8lius · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce roman, tres évocateur, aux allures de Nature Writing.

On y suit Manod, une jeune fille vivant avec son père et sa sœur dans un petite maison sur une île, au large de l’Irlande et du pays de Galle, peu avant le début de la seconde guerre mondiale.
Sur cette île, la vie n’est pas simple, mais elle est belle. Bercée par les embruns, le sel de la mer et les changements de saison. Un jour, une baleine vient s’échouer sur la grève, apportant avec elle deux chercheurs universitaires qui viendront étudier les habitants de cette île fascinante.

Si au début de la lecture j’ai eu peur de m’ennuyer, car il se passe assez peu de choses, j’ai rapidement été charmé par la plume de l’autrice, et je me suis beaucoup attaché à Manod.
Et si c’est avant tout un nature writing, l’ouvrage se veut aussi engagé et dresse une critique acerbe de cette fascination malsaine des européens envers des cultures qu’ils jugent « inférieures ».

Bref, un très bon titre !

[Nike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Op een Welsh eiland met uitdunnende bevolking, ruige weersomstandigheden en een beklemmende desolaatheid, woont Manod, 18 jaar en met frisse goesting om te ontsnappen aan die benauwende omgeving. Als een walvis aanspoelt en in zijn zog ook een antropologenkoppel, wordt de rust op het eiland verstoord. Manod wacht vooral ontnuchtering. 

Whale Fall is een stille en terughoudende roman, vol krachtige beelden. Neem zeeën van tijd om dit debuut te lezen en geniet van de ziltige en winderige trip. Elisabeth O'Connor is er eentje om in de gaten te houden, geloof me.

[Katrina Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a little while to get into this but then loved it. The longing and isolation inevitable for someone living on such an island. An island which is an amalgamation of so many British islands that faced migration and harsh lifestyles. The two visitors who studied the people and culture belittle and romanticise the islander's way of life.

#186

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Went to the book launch last week, the second in April for members of my writer’s group.

... Now read this beautiful book, full of gorgeous writing - 'The wind made red meat of us'; (at the morgue) - 'She was not my mother, but a dream of my mother'. The tale of an isolated island population (off the coast of Wales) visited in 1938 by a couple of anthropologists from the mainland and a dead whale, which rots on the beach. Both things change the life of Manod, the 18 year old protagonist who suddenly sees the island through the outsiders' eyes and falls for one of them (Edward). Her awakening and shame (at her and the islanders' ignorance) is poignantly handled, but other themes are cleverly threaded through the book: the set ideas of the ostensibly objective anthropologists (eg they stage photographs of fishing rituals that don't exist); the coming war; fascism; beauty; relentless and brutal nature.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel it is so expertly done and I am not surprised it was chosen by the Observer as one of the best ten debuts of 2024, and has been picking up brilliant reviews everywhere.