Nothing But Grass

by Will Cohu

In the summer of 1875, two travelers walk south across the Lincolnshire Wolfs to a village thick with secrets. When Norman Tanner kills his workmate on a cold February morning a century later, he thinks he’s got away with murder. But Norman doesn’t know about the workmate’s girlfriend, or the child that will come back to haunt him; and how he is caught up in a story that stretches back to that Victorian summer. For some in the village of Southby and its nearby grand estate, man is master of his fate, and the world is full of meaning; for others there is nothing but grass.

Genres: Fiction

408 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Will Cohu was born in Yorkshire in 1964. Educated at Exeter College, Oxford, from 1992 he freelanced as writer, editor and journalist, mostly for the Daily Telegraph. His books include Urban Dog (2001) and Out of the Woods (2007). He has been twice short-listed for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Award. His memoir, The Wolf Pit, was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Prize. He lives in Lincolnshire.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - different individuals stories through to today from the 80s in Lincolnshire, with connections back to Victorian times. It's a bit messy, but people's lives are - the characters are incredibly interesting and I could have read about them for a whole lot longer. Ted is the stand out character - someone you really like by the end of the book. I can imagine this being a film - wonder if anyone had bought the film rights?

[Elizabeth Horton]

Highly recommended. An intricately woven plot and life sized characters, including the setting which is really a character in and unto itself. the characters are realistic, not cliche, but also some of them highly unusual people--or usual people who let their turmoil out in unusual ways. At times funny, at times reflective. Highly recommended.

[Natasha Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

*book club choice*

Changed this from a 3 star to a 4 star after discussing with my book club.

This book has many many storylines running alongside one another and also jumps between time frames quite a lot. At points in the story it was hard to keep track of who was who.

However, the characters were so real and well-described and there were lots of themes covered throughout. Some of the ties between characters were so subtly described that it was easy to miss but they were very clever. This book really grew on me as I read it.

[Magali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a bit ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, the story was superbly written, on the other hand, the to-ing and fro-ing from one decade to another made it difficult to know what was going on (my advice to potential readers would be to take notes about the characters!). I got to the end not knowing what happened to some of the characters or what linked some of the characters, but unsure as to whether it's because the author didn't tell me or because I'd forgotten bits of the story... All in all, confusing but still a good read!

[Maureen Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Definitely in contention for my book of the year. Hard to describe - English Noir possibly. A deep thoughtful book, set in the Lincolnshire Wolds that are brilliantly evoked by the author. Ranges in time from 1800's to present day telling the story of village people with secrets that are unfolded throughout the lives of others in the end. A lovely book well worth reading. I liked the cover too, that made me pick it up in the library.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book with its compelling characters, interwoven and interconnected stories that cross three centuries, and its grounding in the Lincolnshire landscapes that I know so well. I've seen it categorised as a crime novel, but for me it really isn't; it's just an excellent novel of human (and the odd bit of supernatural) strength and weakness

[Len Northfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intelligent, skilfully written, multi-layered book by a writer of great talent. Weaving together several stories, one feels connectedness to the people and the landscape of the Lincolnshire wolds.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Ginni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new author for me, although thinking about it, I’m sure that he wrote a column called ‘Urban Dog’, possibly in the Telegraph? He’s done a book of the columns....
Anyway, I just picked this book up on impulse at the library; I did enjoy it, although I felt it had ‘first novel syndrome’ - not tightly crafted enough, too many characters and corresponding difficulties in following their stories, and some rather convoluted mysteries that were complicated to fathom out. Having said that, I loved the characterisation, especially Ted, Norman, Joe, Frances. The Lincolnshire countryside is the star of the book, and I think the author describes rural life very vividly and without sentimentality or glamour.
There are some good moments of tension and scariness, although I wasn’t sure that the link to the Victorian past worked particularly well. An author to watch.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel really pulls you in with it's evocative Lincolnshire landscape. It starts off in the 1800s but then jumps to the 20th Century and follows the interconnectedness of small town life, following characters from the 1980s to the late 2000s. There is a mystery, but it doesn't dominate. I didn't want it to end, as I was caught up in the ordinary lives of the characters.

[Gillian Poucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Nothing But Grass,’ especially for its evocative portrayal of rural Lincolnshire. The wide cast of well-drawn characters is Dickensian in scope. I found the time transitions a little confusing, but overall the sprawling nature of ‘Nothing But Grass’ made for an immersive and fulfilling read. For a full review, visit my blog: www.gillianpoucherauthor.co.uk.

[Andrew Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely great to read a book entirely set in Lincolnshire. The Wolds is a delightful, unknown part of the country & Cohu describes it very well. Inspiring for me in my constant idea of writing my own book & here is a local story & the local environment ( a place I know) is the star. Unfortunately I didn't really understand the plot which was just too complicated (for me). What was the relevance of the start in the C19th? There were too many characters & hard to keep track. The gaps in years made it jump about. Some delightful writing but......!

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing But Grass has all the ingredients that really appeal to me in a novel: it's multi-stranded, moves between the past and the present, focuses on the lives of ordinary people and has a very strong sense of place. Set in the Lincolnshire Wolds (an area strangely neglected by literature) it is a page turner of a book, never less than gripping and with a large cast of fascinating characters. There are historical mysteries underpinning the bulk of the narrative which moves from the 1980s to the present day. The plot occasionally feels a little baggy, struggling to encompass the rich diversity of life, but that's a fault that this particular reader is more than prepared to live with. Cohu excels at describing dark landscapes and autumn evenings, so much so that the reader really feels immersed in the world he creates - especially when racing through the book on a darkening early December afternoon.

[Joseph Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a trend now where we have 'interlinked stories' but not a narrative whole. Say, 'Olive Kitteridge'. So, any of you who are getting tired of this type of material (me!) may want to give this one a miss. If I had known I would have left it alone. This kind of thing wears me out. I admire the writing, it is very affecting, but the whole thing is a cheat. I always have the sense that the author (who freely admits working on this since 1998!) has had some wonderful AHA! moments and started to write a very sensitive and interesting tale, and then he's run out of steam. What does he do? Take all these gloomy depressing half-tales together (probably what his agent told him), mix them up in a kind of stew, and serve them to the public. A few tweaks to link them, and -- voila!

I might read Cohu again as he had some interesting 'bits'. But he's got to man up and write a whole book.

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really should have written a review of this immediately, as I'm sketchy on details -- but I do remember that I was very impressed by this. (And it's low rating, and few reviews have encouraged me to try to collect my thoughts ...)

A family story, with a mystery twist that reminded me of Hardy--- bleakness and unhappiness, illuminated by occasional flashes of joy. A satisfying solution to the thread of mystery that runs through the novel, and the lives of its characters ...

I'm just going to have to read it again, aren't I ...?

[Daren Kearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there were lots of changing characters and stories within Nothing but Grass, there was a unifying theme of the environment and nature which kept it all together and is very much in vogue at the moment. There was also a touch of the supernatural which, linking to the woodland and digging, felt reminiscent of some MR James stories. It was just a bit too disjointed at times to be a totally engrossing read.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read and review a galley copy of this book.

This is a twisty-turny, engaging, historical fiction. Write on the line between good and great. It was fun but not something that lingered with me. OK for a beach read.

[Jane Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. The loose plot got lost along the way, and was returned to when we'd forgotten all about it. Cohu is a promising writer, so I hope he will have another go.

[Katrin · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I had read this book, I was reminded of why I don't read as much as I used to anymore. This book is extremely boring to read with a lot of side plot you don't really need/wanted to read.

[Lucy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! Really brought the raw Lincolnshire I grew up in life. Fucking beautiful. Eye on the wad.

[Carol Naden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense plot which at first felt a little overwhelming, but thoroughly enjoyable once settled into.
Ted is a star!

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thus was an intriguing story, but I felt that it could have been better edited.