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English Animals
When Mirka gets a job in a country house in rural England, she has no idea of the struggle she faces to make sense of a very English couple, and a way of life that is entirely alien to her. Richard and Sophie are chaotic, drunken, frequently outrageous but also warm, generous and kind to Mirka, despite their argumentative and turbulent marriage. Mirka is swiftly commandeered by Richard for his latest money-making enterprise, taxidermy, and soon surpasses him in skill. After a traumatic break two years ago with her family in Slovakia, Mirka finds to her surprise that she is happy at Fairmont Hall. But when she tells Sophie that she is gay, everything she values is put in danger and she must learn the hard way what she really believes in. English Animals is a funny, subversive, poignant and beautifully written novel about a doomed love affair, a certain kind of Englishness and prejudice.
359 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2017
15 people are currently reading
2798 people want to read
About the author
Laura Kaye
1 book35 followersLaura is a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths and did a further year of study under the mentorship of M.J. Hyland at Manchester University. In 2014 she completed her first novel, 'English Animals' which will be published by Little, Brown in 2017.
Apart from writing, Laura has spent the last 10 years working on music and arts documentaries for the BBC - including Flamenco: Gypsy Soul, Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany and Songs of the South. She joined the BBC Music TV Department in 2005 to work on Brasil, Brasil after graduating from Cambridge University with MPhil specialising in Brazilian music and has been there on and off for most of her television career.
She lives in Hackney, speaks Spanish and Portuguese, likes going for long solitary walks with her dog Frank and making pots.
(From author's website About page)
Apart from writing, Laura has spent the last 10 years working on music and arts documentaries for the BBC - including Flamenco: Gypsy Soul, Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany and Songs of the South. She joined the BBC Music TV Department in 2005 to work on Brasil, Brasil after graduating from Cambridge University with MPhil specialising in Brazilian music and has been there on and off for most of her television career.
She lives in Hackney, speaks Spanish and Portuguese, likes going for long solitary walks with her dog Frank and making pots.
(From author's website About page)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 6, 2017
Kaye’s impressive debut novel is a fresh take on themes of art, sex, violence and belonging. It has particular resonance in the wake of Brexit, showing the apparent lack of a cohesive English identity in spite of sometimes knee-jerk nationalism.
The novel takes place within roughly a year and is narrated by Mirka Komárova, a 19-year-old Slovakian who left home suddenly after an argument with her parents and arrives in the English countryside to work for thirty-somethings Richard and Sophie Parker. She doesn’t know what to expect from her new employers: “Richard and Sophie sounded like good names for good people. But they could be anything, they could be completely crazy.”
It’s a live-in governess-type arrangement, and yet there are no children – Mirka later learns that Sophie is having trouble getting pregnant. Instead Mirka drives the volatile Parkers to the pub so they can get drunk whenever they want, and also helps with their various money-making ventures: cooking and cleaning for B&B guests and the summer’s wedding parties, serving as a beater for pheasant shoots, and assisting with Richard’s taxidermy business. Her relationship with them remains uncertain: she’s not a servant but not quite an equal either; it’s a careful friendship powered by jokes with Richard and cryptic crossword clues with Sophie.
At first Mirka seems disgusted by Sophie’s shabby family home and the many animals around the place, both living and dead. Initially squeamish about skinning animal corpses, she gets used to it as taxidermy becomes her artistic expression. Taking inspiration from whimsical Victorian portraits of dead animals in costume, she makes intricate modern tableaux with names like Mice Raving, Freelance Squirrels and Rats at the Office Party. When her art catches the eye of a London agent, she starts preparing her pieces for an exhibit and is the subject of a magazine profile. The interviewer writes this about her:
I loved the level of detail about Mirka’s work – it’s rare to encounter such a precise account of handiwork in fiction, as opposed to in nonfiction like Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes and David Esterly’s The Lost Carving; Kaye herself is a potter, which might explain it – and I appreciated the many meanings that dead animals take on in the novel. They’re by turns food, art objects and sacrificial victims. Taxidermy is a perfect juxtaposition of physicality and the higher echelons of art, a canny way of blending death and beauty.
But of course the human residents of this community also fall into the title’s category: Many of them are what you might call ‘beastly’, and the threat of violence is never far away given Richard and Sophie’s argumentativeness. A promiscuous blonde, Sophie reminded me of Daisy in The Great Gatsby, so often described as careless: “You are a dangerous person, Sophie,” Mirka says. “Don’t say that. I didn’t mean to hurt anything.” Mirka replies, “You don’t care about other things. Everything is a game. Everyone is a toy for you to play with.”
The two different blurbs I’ve seen for the book both give too much away, so I will simply say that there’s an air of sexual tension and latent hostility surrounding this semi-isolated home, and it’s intriguing to watch the dynamic shift between Richard, Sophie and Mirka. I felt that I never quite knew what would happen or how far Kaye would take things.
I did have a few minor misgivings, though: sometimes Mirka’s narration reads like a stilted translation into English, rather than a fluent outpouring; there’s a bit too much domestic detail and heavy-handed symbolism; and the themes of xenophobia and homophobia might have been introduced more subtly, rather than using certain characters as overt mouthpieces.
All the same, I read this with great interest and curiosity throughout. It’s a powerful look at assumptions versus reality, how we approach the Other, and the great effort it takes to change; it’s easier to remain trapped in the roles we’ve acquired. I’d recommend this to readers of Polly Samson, Francesca Segal and even Rachel Johnson (the satire Shire Hell). In particular, I was reminded of Shelter by Jung Yun and Little Children by Tom Perrotta: though suburban in setting, they share Kaye’s preoccupations with sex and violence and the ways we try to hide our true selves beneath a façade of conformity.
This is one of the most striking debut novels I’ve encountered in recent years; it’s left me eager to see what Laura Kaye will do next.
Originally published with images on my blog, Bookish Beck.
The novel takes place within roughly a year and is narrated by Mirka Komárova, a 19-year-old Slovakian who left home suddenly after an argument with her parents and arrives in the English countryside to work for thirty-somethings Richard and Sophie Parker. She doesn’t know what to expect from her new employers: “Richard and Sophie sounded like good names for good people. But they could be anything, they could be completely crazy.”
It’s a live-in governess-type arrangement, and yet there are no children – Mirka later learns that Sophie is having trouble getting pregnant. Instead Mirka drives the volatile Parkers to the pub so they can get drunk whenever they want, and also helps with their various money-making ventures: cooking and cleaning for B&B guests and the summer’s wedding parties, serving as a beater for pheasant shoots, and assisting with Richard’s taxidermy business. Her relationship with them remains uncertain: she’s not a servant but not quite an equal either; it’s a careful friendship powered by jokes with Richard and cryptic crossword clues with Sophie.
At first Mirka seems disgusted by Sophie’s shabby family home and the many animals around the place, both living and dead. Initially squeamish about skinning animal corpses, she gets used to it as taxidermy becomes her artistic expression. Taking inspiration from whimsical Victorian portraits of dead animals in costume, she makes intricate modern tableaux with names like Mice Raving, Freelance Squirrels and Rats at the Office Party. When her art catches the eye of a London agent, she starts preparing her pieces for an exhibit and is the subject of a magazine profile. The interviewer writes this about her:
Mirka is someone who understands the philosophical nature of her art. How, in our strange condition of being simultaneously within and outside the animal kingdom, we invest taxidermy with our longing for permanence.
I loved the level of detail about Mirka’s work – it’s rare to encounter such a precise account of handiwork in fiction, as opposed to in nonfiction like Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes and David Esterly’s The Lost Carving; Kaye herself is a potter, which might explain it – and I appreciated the many meanings that dead animals take on in the novel. They’re by turns food, art objects and sacrificial victims. Taxidermy is a perfect juxtaposition of physicality and the higher echelons of art, a canny way of blending death and beauty.
But of course the human residents of this community also fall into the title’s category: Many of them are what you might call ‘beastly’, and the threat of violence is never far away given Richard and Sophie’s argumentativeness. A promiscuous blonde, Sophie reminded me of Daisy in The Great Gatsby, so often described as careless: “You are a dangerous person, Sophie,” Mirka says. “Don’t say that. I didn’t mean to hurt anything.” Mirka replies, “You don’t care about other things. Everything is a game. Everyone is a toy for you to play with.”
The two different blurbs I’ve seen for the book both give too much away, so I will simply say that there’s an air of sexual tension and latent hostility surrounding this semi-isolated home, and it’s intriguing to watch the dynamic shift between Richard, Sophie and Mirka. I felt that I never quite knew what would happen or how far Kaye would take things.
I did have a few minor misgivings, though: sometimes Mirka’s narration reads like a stilted translation into English, rather than a fluent outpouring; there’s a bit too much domestic detail and heavy-handed symbolism; and the themes of xenophobia and homophobia might have been introduced more subtly, rather than using certain characters as overt mouthpieces.
All the same, I read this with great interest and curiosity throughout. It’s a powerful look at assumptions versus reality, how we approach the Other, and the great effort it takes to change; it’s easier to remain trapped in the roles we’ve acquired. I’d recommend this to readers of Polly Samson, Francesca Segal and even Rachel Johnson (the satire Shire Hell). In particular, I was reminded of Shelter by Jung Yun and Little Children by Tom Perrotta: though suburban in setting, they share Kaye’s preoccupations with sex and violence and the ways we try to hide our true selves beneath a façade of conformity.
This is one of the most striking debut novels I’ve encountered in recent years; it’s left me eager to see what Laura Kaye will do next.
Originally published with images on my blog, Bookish Beck.
December 20, 2016
I loved everything about this book from the start: the cool and uncluttered writing; the complex characterisation; the subtlety and nuance throughout. Kaye has a fine eye for social observation, and she seems to attribute this skill to Mirka, her key character, who creates hipster taxidermist scenes that function like a kind of anthropology of modern urban life.
It's a hard task to make characters simultaneously violent and kind, cruel and funny, yet Kaye pulls this off with Richard. His wife Sophie, too, is both careless and empathetic, so that like Mirka we're slightly disoriented within the moral compass of the book, a situation which makes it even more intriguing.
Though the surface only has a vague plot direction of Mirka's coming of age, there's so much else happening beneath: issues of prejudice and suspicion, of tradition and change, of the contrasts between the country and London (and Mirka's brief visit to London fizzes with excitement and possibilities). The natural cruelty of animals is contrasted with the conscious cruelty of people, and more than one character has a beastly nature though even that is somewhat satirised in the bad taste fancy dress party. A particularly haunting moment is when Mirka digs a grave for slaughtered pheasants, a scene which subtly reminds us of the mass graves of human acts of genocide.
Yet for all the serious things being said in this book, it's also light-hearted, funny and joyful in parts: Mirka is a delight throughout, and those moments where she laughs with Richard and Sophie make us, often, laugh along with them.
A clever, nuanced and emotionally mature book that has important things to say about the way we live now.
Review from an ARC via Amazon Vine
It's a hard task to make characters simultaneously violent and kind, cruel and funny, yet Kaye pulls this off with Richard. His wife Sophie, too, is both careless and empathetic, so that like Mirka we're slightly disoriented within the moral compass of the book, a situation which makes it even more intriguing.
Though the surface only has a vague plot direction of Mirka's coming of age, there's so much else happening beneath: issues of prejudice and suspicion, of tradition and change, of the contrasts between the country and London (and Mirka's brief visit to London fizzes with excitement and possibilities). The natural cruelty of animals is contrasted with the conscious cruelty of people, and more than one character has a beastly nature though even that is somewhat satirised in the bad taste fancy dress party. A particularly haunting moment is when Mirka digs a grave for slaughtered pheasants, a scene which subtly reminds us of the mass graves of human acts of genocide.
Yet for all the serious things being said in this book, it's also light-hearted, funny and joyful in parts: Mirka is a delight throughout, and those moments where she laughs with Richard and Sophie make us, often, laugh along with them.
A clever, nuanced and emotionally mature book that has important things to say about the way we live now.
Review from an ARC via Amazon Vine
November 15, 2019
I was in the middle of the biggest reading slump I've ever had when I started reading this book and not even that managed to ruin it.
I just loved it so much I can't even mkay???
I just loved it so much I can't even mkay???
December 10, 2021
I listened to this and it was definitely an interesting reading experience. It was written so well and I was so invested in the characters even though I didn't like anyone except the protagonist. I found my self cussing at no one in particular as they made one stupid decision after another. Why would you do that? Was a current state of mind listening to this and it wasn't exactly a calming listen even though it was more of a character study than anything else. I'm not sure if I dislike how it all ended or if it was just the perfect one for how the story had been overall and the characters development. Would have given it 5 stars if it didn't feel like my stress levels went over the roof listening to it. But it was nice to be so invested in a story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2019
I picked this book up solely based on the raving reviews it got from some of my favorite booktubers –primarily my beloved Jen Campbell. As you can imagine my expectations were quite high and I am a little sad to say that the book fell a little bit short of them. That is not to say that the book is not enjoyable or well-written, but rather that I needed something more, something more… impactful.
This is a character driven story through and through. The plot is quite a simple and predictive one, allowing the focus to be solely on the characters: Mirka, a Slovakian immigrant to UK , trying to find her place in the world, while working odd jobs here and there and who finds herself working for an English couple, Richard and Sophie Parker , helping them with a variety of jobs, from running a BnB to taxidermy and hunting. Along the way we meet other people that are part of the Parkers’ lives, that all have their significance in the story, no matter how small their part is.
For many readers, the character study in this novel was its strongest element. I do agree up to a point. I have found that the author did a great job in portraying the Parkers and their complicated relationship. Richard Parker in particular was my favorite character –albeit troubled and violent. My real struggle was with Mirka, the protagonist. The reader should have been able to really sympathize with her, especially given that the whole story is narrated from her perspective. But I never felt like I really knew who Mirka was, what she was feeling and why. Unless it was clearly spelled out on the page I could not figure out when she was happy and when she was sad or furious. Her voice was so flat and devoid of emotion that at parts I got really frustrated with her. It almost felt like she was used only as a spyglass to look at the world rather be an active part of it. The potential for her to be a memorable character was right there but it never got fulfilled . The rest of the people surrounding the main trio were interesting and further developed the themes examined in the story, although I could not help but think that some of them felt a little bit caricatur-ish.
One of the things that I really appreciated in this book was how successfully it delivered what it promised in the title, to talk about Englishness and animals . As far as someone non-english like me can say, the story held all the elements needed to describe it as an ode to Englishness, may it be rural, urban or domestic. The detailed and accurate descriptions of the various places and of the everyday life really helped build this sense. The “animal” part was the one I was most frightened about. I knew going into this book that taxidermy was a huge part of the story and being as squeamish as I am I thought that I would not be able to read through these portions without feeling sick. I was so surprised to realize that not only I did not mind reading about the taxidermical procedure, but I found myself quite interested in the art and thought that goes behind it. Laura Kaye has done an in-depth research and it showed.
In “English animals”, the author is set to examine identity and belonging, passion, love, devotion and marriage, sexuality, homophobia and racism, abuse and violence, conformity and the comfortability in succumbing to it . These are perhaps too many issues to tackle in one book with success so it is not a surprise that some were barely explored. Even the themes that had more developing room did not come to full fruition. I expected a crescendo full of violence or a full mental breakdown of some sorts by the end of the book that would irrevocably bring all the aforementioned issues on the cruel spotlight, but sadly what we got was a mild, predictable ending that offered no real impact.
So to sum up this long review, read this book for its writing and its exploration of the English character and life, for the look into a crumbling marriage and the nature of sexuality, for the symbolisms and the fun ride into taxidermy, but do not expect fireworks and sleepless nights thinking about what you have read.
This is a character driven story through and through. The plot is quite a simple and predictive one, allowing the focus to be solely on the characters: Mirka, a Slovakian immigrant to UK , trying to find her place in the world, while working odd jobs here and there and who finds herself working for an English couple, Richard and Sophie Parker , helping them with a variety of jobs, from running a BnB to taxidermy and hunting. Along the way we meet other people that are part of the Parkers’ lives, that all have their significance in the story, no matter how small their part is.
For many readers, the character study in this novel was its strongest element. I do agree up to a point. I have found that the author did a great job in portraying the Parkers and their complicated relationship. Richard Parker in particular was my favorite character –albeit troubled and violent. My real struggle was with Mirka, the protagonist. The reader should have been able to really sympathize with her, especially given that the whole story is narrated from her perspective. But I never felt like I really knew who Mirka was, what she was feeling and why. Unless it was clearly spelled out on the page I could not figure out when she was happy and when she was sad or furious. Her voice was so flat and devoid of emotion that at parts I got really frustrated with her. It almost felt like she was used only as a spyglass to look at the world rather be an active part of it. The potential for her to be a memorable character was right there but it never got fulfilled . The rest of the people surrounding the main trio were interesting and further developed the themes examined in the story, although I could not help but think that some of them felt a little bit caricatur-ish.
One of the things that I really appreciated in this book was how successfully it delivered what it promised in the title, to talk about Englishness and animals . As far as someone non-english like me can say, the story held all the elements needed to describe it as an ode to Englishness, may it be rural, urban or domestic. The detailed and accurate descriptions of the various places and of the everyday life really helped build this sense. The “animal” part was the one I was most frightened about. I knew going into this book that taxidermy was a huge part of the story and being as squeamish as I am I thought that I would not be able to read through these portions without feeling sick. I was so surprised to realize that not only I did not mind reading about the taxidermical procedure, but I found myself quite interested in the art and thought that goes behind it. Laura Kaye has done an in-depth research and it showed.
In “English animals”, the author is set to examine identity and belonging, passion, love, devotion and marriage, sexuality, homophobia and racism, abuse and violence, conformity and the comfortability in succumbing to it . These are perhaps too many issues to tackle in one book with success so it is not a surprise that some were barely explored. Even the themes that had more developing room did not come to full fruition. I expected a crescendo full of violence or a full mental breakdown of some sorts by the end of the book that would irrevocably bring all the aforementioned issues on the cruel spotlight, but sadly what we got was a mild, predictable ending that offered no real impact.
So to sum up this long review, read this book for its writing and its exploration of the English character and life, for the look into a crumbling marriage and the nature of sexuality, for the symbolisms and the fun ride into taxidermy, but do not expect fireworks and sleepless nights thinking about what you have read.
February 23, 2020
The selfishness of some people…
February 3, 2019
4.5 Stars.
This was really, really good. Not for the faint of heart as taxidermy is main part of the book. The scenes are very descriptive and detailed so I would stay away if you are squeamish about that sort of thing. I actually found it super interesting and I learned an awful lot.
The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is that I felt like the plot got away from itself at times. It felt a little too drawn out. Other than that though it was fantastic. I was surprised at how much it made me laugh. I don't know what that says about me, but I found it wry and darkly humourous. I think the points it makes on social behaviour and acceptance are subtle but impactful.
I've heard that this author is writing a second book and I must say that I'm really interested in seeing what her next book holds. Her writing was so easy to read and yet full of creativity. It was so easy to imagine everything described, it played out like a film in my head. I would highly recommend this book. If you can handle the blood and guts that is.
This was really, really good. Not for the faint of heart as taxidermy is main part of the book. The scenes are very descriptive and detailed so I would stay away if you are squeamish about that sort of thing. I actually found it super interesting and I learned an awful lot.
The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is that I felt like the plot got away from itself at times. It felt a little too drawn out. Other than that though it was fantastic. I was surprised at how much it made me laugh. I don't know what that says about me, but I found it wry and darkly humourous. I think the points it makes on social behaviour and acceptance are subtle but impactful.
I've heard that this author is writing a second book and I must say that I'm really interested in seeing what her next book holds. Her writing was so easy to read and yet full of creativity. It was so easy to imagine everything described, it played out like a film in my head. I would highly recommend this book. If you can handle the blood and guts that is.
June 14, 2024
I was drawn to this purely by the gorgeous fox on the cover, and then I read the synopsis and this sounded like my sort of book. Posh people being appalling and outrageous to themselves and each other in an enormous house with a very thin thread of dark comedy.
October 14, 2019
4.5 🌟
February 17, 2018
Laura Kaye’s debut has an old-fashioned air to it that belies the startling relevance of its plot. With its claustrophobic Englishness, its interest in the traditional cruelty of the countryside and the privilege of the upper classes, it’s a Virago classic in modern clothing. But it has a piercing modernity to it too, confronting homophobia, casual racism and isolation.
We meet 19 year old Mirka, a Slovakian migrant, as she arrives at Fairmount Hall, home to Sophie and Richard. They are hard-up thirty-somethings trying to make ends meet with the usual stately home money-making schemes: weddings, B&B, shooting. Mirka thinks she is being employed to help with these things, but quickly becomes involved with Richard’s most eccentric business idea - taxidermy. Disgusted at first she quickly shows an aptitude for it, and begins to design elaborate pieces that find a market in the trendy London design world. At the same time she becomes close to Richard and Sophie, in very different ways, both attracted and repelled by these ‘english animals’.
The novel is told in a flat, straightforward first person prose that grated on me initially. I’ve seen some people suggest that it’s tantamount to ‘bad writing’ but I disagree. It’s the expression of Mirka’s forensic and clear sighted way of observing and dissecting the world. As a cultural and linguistic outsider she is often struggling to understand the basic interactions she experiences. She is painfully honest to the point of bluntness about what she sees and feels, and it seems right that her voice is clipped and plain.
As a result the novel wears its themes very close to the surface. Kaye is constantly exposing the emotional and cultural hypocrisy that characterises English attitudes towards difference and diversity. It’s discomforting and, at times, brilliant. I do have some reservations though, particularly about the way the novel approached domestic violence. By its nature it’s a very unresolved sort of story, an observation piece that takes no responsibility for change or action. I feel as though Kaye could have taken us further than that. I very much hope she does as her style and work develops.
We meet 19 year old Mirka, a Slovakian migrant, as she arrives at Fairmount Hall, home to Sophie and Richard. They are hard-up thirty-somethings trying to make ends meet with the usual stately home money-making schemes: weddings, B&B, shooting. Mirka thinks she is being employed to help with these things, but quickly becomes involved with Richard’s most eccentric business idea - taxidermy. Disgusted at first she quickly shows an aptitude for it, and begins to design elaborate pieces that find a market in the trendy London design world. At the same time she becomes close to Richard and Sophie, in very different ways, both attracted and repelled by these ‘english animals’.
The novel is told in a flat, straightforward first person prose that grated on me initially. I’ve seen some people suggest that it’s tantamount to ‘bad writing’ but I disagree. It’s the expression of Mirka’s forensic and clear sighted way of observing and dissecting the world. As a cultural and linguistic outsider she is often struggling to understand the basic interactions she experiences. She is painfully honest to the point of bluntness about what she sees and feels, and it seems right that her voice is clipped and plain.
As a result the novel wears its themes very close to the surface. Kaye is constantly exposing the emotional and cultural hypocrisy that characterises English attitudes towards difference and diversity. It’s discomforting and, at times, brilliant. I do have some reservations though, particularly about the way the novel approached domestic violence. By its nature it’s a very unresolved sort of story, an observation piece that takes no responsibility for change or action. I feel as though Kaye could have taken us further than that. I very much hope she does as her style and work develops.
July 5, 2023
Baš sam razočarana. Mislila sam da će ovo biti za moju "silent threat" policu i sve vreme sam čekala da se nešto desi, ali ceo slow pace je bio uzalud, bez ikakve nagrade na kraju. Radnja se jedva nazire, što može da bude okej da je Laura Kaye bolji pisac. Sve metafore nam prosto nabija u facu. Ok, we get it, they are the animals.
January 31, 2019
(6.5/10)
This was a nice read. Very easy to get through. It explores some interesting themes but at the same time I found some aspects of the story difficult to believe.
This was a nice read. Very easy to get through. It explores some interesting themes but at the same time I found some aspects of the story difficult to believe.
November 30, 2022
3.5 rounded up
When your reading schedule is dominated by fate (I have a TBR jar) , there are times when I think that the jar has a cruel sense of humour. Many times after a big chunky novel, a dense book crops up or a book by that same author but this time, the jar did a great job as English Animals came after a big slog of a novel. The topic is one that interested me, it was easy to read and I liked the way the book progressed.
Mirka is a Slovakian immigrant who is hired by eccentric country couple, Richard and Sophie, as an assistant taxidermist (unbeknownst to her – she thinks it’s just helping with housework). She discovers that she’s pretty good at it and develops her talent. As she fits in the household, she falls in love with Sophie. which is reciprocated. As the crush deepens it does put Mirka in an uncomfortable position and may affect her place in the household. The question is who are the real animals?
English Animals is a study of human relationships and the complexities which may arise. Each character views love differently and it makes an interesting mix. Also there are hints of racism and intolerance towards the LBGTQ+ community – not only in Britain but in Europe as well. In a way there is a nudge to Brexit but the book proves that bigotry is not only limited to one place.
The novel is not perfect, sometimes it’s a bit soap opera-ish but it’s not in great doses so that didn’t irritate me so much. I was going to be in a slump and English Animals pulled me out of it so that’s definitely a good thing.
When your reading schedule is dominated by fate (I have a TBR jar) , there are times when I think that the jar has a cruel sense of humour. Many times after a big chunky novel, a dense book crops up or a book by that same author but this time, the jar did a great job as English Animals came after a big slog of a novel. The topic is one that interested me, it was easy to read and I liked the way the book progressed.
Mirka is a Slovakian immigrant who is hired by eccentric country couple, Richard and Sophie, as an assistant taxidermist (unbeknownst to her – she thinks it’s just helping with housework). She discovers that she’s pretty good at it and develops her talent. As she fits in the household, she falls in love with Sophie. which is reciprocated. As the crush deepens it does put Mirka in an uncomfortable position and may affect her place in the household. The question is who are the real animals?
English Animals is a study of human relationships and the complexities which may arise. Each character views love differently and it makes an interesting mix. Also there are hints of racism and intolerance towards the LBGTQ+ community – not only in Britain but in Europe as well. In a way there is a nudge to Brexit but the book proves that bigotry is not only limited to one place.
The novel is not perfect, sometimes it’s a bit soap opera-ish but it’s not in great doses so that didn’t irritate me so much. I was going to be in a slump and English Animals pulled me out of it so that’s definitely a good thing.
January 19, 2017
This is an absolutely stunning literary debut that hooked me from page one, as Mirka approaches her new life in England. Landing in the midst of a strange environment, with an eccentric English couple she finds herself surrounded by tension, temptation and Taxidermy. The prose is both delicate and insightful as the author has chosen a protagonist who does not speak English as her first language. Sophie and Richard manage to make Mirka feel welcome yet an outsider; helpful but surplus to requirement and yet she blends in like a piece of their quirky furniture. Creaky floorboards, dripping taps and rusty taps are balanced out with diverse personalities and a sense of claustrophobia. The art of taxidermy is Mirka's escape from the craziness and yet Sophie is a constant drug, flowing through her veins.
This is a debut that deserves a lot of attention. Sublime storytelling from a new literary voice. Highly recommended.
This is a debut that deserves a lot of attention. Sublime storytelling from a new literary voice. Highly recommended.
April 5, 2018
3.5 stars.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book and was convinced I was going to give it a four or five star rating. I liked the character development of our main character, Mirka, and I appreciated how the author was able to make the subject of taxidermy interesting (as I know little about the topic). Unfortunately the last half was a bit boring, somewhat predictable and was further dragged down by too much domestic detail.
However I'd still recommend English Animals for those looking for a decent domestic drama and I'll definitely be checking out Kaye's future novels.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book and was convinced I was going to give it a four or five star rating. I liked the character development of our main character, Mirka, and I appreciated how the author was able to make the subject of taxidermy interesting (as I know little about the topic). Unfortunately the last half was a bit boring, somewhat predictable and was further dragged down by too much domestic detail.
However I'd still recommend English Animals for those looking for a decent domestic drama and I'll definitely be checking out Kaye's future novels.
August 9, 2018
I’ve chosen to give up on reading this due to the writing style rather than the plot. I understand that the matter-of-fact and rather simplistic prose is supposed to reflect the fact that English is protagonist Mirka’s second language, but it felt stilted and awkward to me. I read the first chapter before deciding not to progress.
January 24, 2019
Htela sam da ovo bude više "Sve ptice pevaju" od Ivi Vajld, ali je ova knjiga mlađa sestra "Pogrebnih običaja" Hane Kent.
April 15, 2018
Laura Kaye’s novel, English Animals, is an impressive debut. A domestic drama set in the English countryside that gives a fresh perspective on art, belonging, temptation and sex, physical and emotional violence, and cultural differences. Mirka is a Slovakian woman who believes she has accepted a job as an au pair for Sophie and Richard, but upon arriving learns that she will be Richard’s taxidermy assistant while also helping Sophie run their many business ventures as their estate is used as a B&B, wedding venue, and gathering spot for shooting parties.
Told through the protagonist, Mirka’s, perspective, we get an intimate and delicate look into what life is like at Fairmount Hall. English is not Mirka’s first language, and the author did brilliantly at depicting that difficulty of understanding and communicating for a non-native speaker, but also the progress that she makes the further along in the story as time goes on. The style of writing is easy to read, I breezed through this in two sittings. It’s beautifully written in its own simplicity that makes this domestic drama feel like a light read despite the topics and subplots. Sophie and Richard are unconventional, quite toxic in their own ways that seem to feed off of each other, and then there is Mirka, who is complicated and vulnerable but straightforward and observant–and when it comes down to it, trying to discover herself while being in a country that is far different from her homeland. I thought the character development for Mirka was immense by the closing page of the novel, it truly showed her growth despite being in a difficult position that was deceptive and detrimental.
At times it was a bit tedious because of how simple it is written, but it was authentic when it came to seeing this story through Mirka’s perspective, considering she is not a native English speaker. It is a rather slow, character-driven story, which I quite like but some may not. And while this book pulled in all sorts of directions in its short length, in the end, it was a compelling story with complex characters that were engaging and believable.
I do want to note that if you are not comfortable with the animal subject matter, like taxidermy or animal deaths, this may be a book that you want to read. While I do not support either, I was intrigued by the plot to pick it up and I thought it was well handled and done respectfully. It is actually discussed in the novel that Mirka is against taxidermy at first and then throughout as time goes on, she addresses it and tries to come to an understanding.
Told through the protagonist, Mirka’s, perspective, we get an intimate and delicate look into what life is like at Fairmount Hall. English is not Mirka’s first language, and the author did brilliantly at depicting that difficulty of understanding and communicating for a non-native speaker, but also the progress that she makes the further along in the story as time goes on. The style of writing is easy to read, I breezed through this in two sittings. It’s beautifully written in its own simplicity that makes this domestic drama feel like a light read despite the topics and subplots. Sophie and Richard are unconventional, quite toxic in their own ways that seem to feed off of each other, and then there is Mirka, who is complicated and vulnerable but straightforward and observant–and when it comes down to it, trying to discover herself while being in a country that is far different from her homeland. I thought the character development for Mirka was immense by the closing page of the novel, it truly showed her growth despite being in a difficult position that was deceptive and detrimental.
At times it was a bit tedious because of how simple it is written, but it was authentic when it came to seeing this story through Mirka’s perspective, considering she is not a native English speaker. It is a rather slow, character-driven story, which I quite like but some may not. And while this book pulled in all sorts of directions in its short length, in the end, it was a compelling story with complex characters that were engaging and believable.
I do want to note that if you are not comfortable with the animal subject matter, like taxidermy or animal deaths, this may be a book that you want to read. While I do not support either, I was intrigued by the plot to pick it up and I thought it was well handled and done respectfully. It is actually discussed in the novel that Mirka is against taxidermy at first and then throughout as time goes on, she addresses it and tries to come to an understanding.
May 14, 2023
A clever and interesting tale of English country life.
Dark, hilarious, and troubling but always with its finger on the pulse.
Mirka arrives at Fairmont Hall, not knowing what to expect and what she finds changes her life forever.
Dark, hilarious, and troubling but always with its finger on the pulse.
Mirka arrives at Fairmont Hall, not knowing what to expect and what she finds changes her life forever.
July 25, 2017
4.5 stars
I loved this domestic drama set in the English countryside.
Mirka is from Slovakia but moved to London under difficult circumstances and has since decided to start a new life in a big house in the Countryside helping husband and wife Richard and Sophie run their various business ventures including taxidermy, weddings, B&B accomodation and shooting parties.
The story is beautifully written and draws out these wonderfully rich and highly flawed characters.
The setting is perfect for them to create their own fragile little world - this book really had me hooked.
I loved this domestic drama set in the English countryside.
Mirka is from Slovakia but moved to London under difficult circumstances and has since decided to start a new life in a big house in the Countryside helping husband and wife Richard and Sophie run their various business ventures including taxidermy, weddings, B&B accomodation and shooting parties.
The story is beautifully written and draws out these wonderfully rich and highly flawed characters.
The setting is perfect for them to create their own fragile little world - this book really had me hooked.
September 14, 2017
Fearsome and fierce, but not savage depiction of cultural differences. It's the carelessness which grates more than anything. Reminded me a little bit of Tom and Daisy in The Great Gatsby: 'careless people, who smash up things and creatures' - only in this case they hunt and stuff them. Such fun!
March 19, 2017
I would like to see this made into a zany comedy drama, filled with well-known British film stars
August 25, 2017
Sometimes I choose a novel to read for a very random reason and in this case it was for the cover. This approach can be a bit of hit and miss but this time it was a hit. For me, Mirka, Sophie and Richard were characters that seemed so very real and believable, and I engaged with the style of writing and the plot.
February 25, 2019
A beautifully written coming of age story
May 23, 2018
Otto nodded slowly. “And why do you think people like these scenes so much”….
“I think they like the detail. Everyone likes stories about themselves that they can recognise”
“Yeah and I guess animals behaving like humans has always been a thing …”
“Maybe we can see the animals are like us, or we are like animals”
Mirka is a Slovakian 19 year old, who fled her home country after the reaction of her parents when her lesbian affair with her English teacher was discovered. After some initial work at Pret a Manger she joins an agency specialising in jobs in country houses and accepts a role that is advertised as the applicant needing not to be afraid of dead animals. Believing the role to be some form of combined au pair and book role, she finds instead it is an assistant role to a childless 40 year old couple Sophie and Richard, who are trapped into trying to maintain a large country house owned by Sophie’s father through a combination of wedding events, shooting parties, B&B and any other ruses Richard can think of to add to his failed list – the most recent being a poor quality taxidermy business.
Over time Mirka starts helping with the taxidermy business, and quickly develops more skill than Richard, specialising in tableaux of small rodents (mice, rats, squirrels) dressed in costumes and posed on elaborate sets celebrating aspects of English life as she sees it (markets, a rave, office parties, freelancers in a hipster coffee shop) while observing English upper class country life in all of its eccentricities – in both cases fitting the title of the book.
Although Sophie and Richard have a tumultuous marriage (normally making up over alcohol or drugs at the end of each day) Mirka forges a bond with each, sexual in Sophie’s case, and also seems to act as some form of safety release for their relationship. Two other characters are Sophie’s father William (who rants when he finds that Sophie has agreed to host a gay wedding) and Sophie and Richard’s gamekeeper/gardener David (who clearly resents Mirka as an Eastern European immigrant) although both come across rather as characters featuring in one of Mirka’s tableaux showcasing illiberal, pro-Brexit England.
This is a very easy reading and entertaining book – but one lacking any real depth.
March 21, 2019
English Animals by Laura Kaye is a slow paced and descriptive novel set in a country estate in England. We follow a nineteen year old Slovakian girl Mirka, who starts working for a couple with a stormy relationship, Richard and Sophie. She helps with running the house and assists Richard in his various money making schemes, most importantly taxidermy.
The relationships between these three characters are the focus of the story, and they feel compeletely believable as does everything in the novel. The detailed prose never gets boring but gives a deep insight into the characters’ personalities. Psychologically this is truly fascinating.
However, I felt uncomfortable with the taxidermy and hunting scenes and the way animals were seen by the people. I try to think that Kaye was criticising these practices even though I don’t think that’s actually the case. Sometimes it’s good when books to make you feel uneasy, this just wasn’t that kind of uneasiness. Fortunately, apart from this, which is isn’t even due to the novel itself but my personal values, English Animals is a fantastic piece of queer literary fiction.
The relationships between these three characters are the focus of the story, and they feel compeletely believable as does everything in the novel. The detailed prose never gets boring but gives a deep insight into the characters’ personalities. Psychologically this is truly fascinating.
However, I felt uncomfortable with the taxidermy and hunting scenes and the way animals were seen by the people. I try to think that Kaye was criticising these practices even though I don’t think that’s actually the case. Sometimes it’s good when books to make you feel uneasy, this just wasn’t that kind of uneasiness. Fortunately, apart from this, which is isn’t even due to the novel itself but my personal values, English Animals is a fantastic piece of queer literary fiction.
August 27, 2018
Laura Kaye's novel is set in countryside England and begins in a small house where Mirka, a Slovakian young woman who joins the family of two: Richard and Sophie Parker as what she thought at first as a helper around the house. She slowly realises the uniqueness of the couple's lives in this idyllic countryside where she had to work alongside dead animals as a taxidermist for Richard.
This book started off with Mirka finding Richard and Sophie really odd - they were messy and dirty, their relationship with each other are very abusive at times but at other times loving and beautiful. Mirka is the narrator of this book and we can really see from the writing style how the author tries to imitate Mirka's lack of ability to speak in English through simple words and observations. This does not mean though, that the writing is similar to a child's thoughts, or that it is simple and not beautiful. In a unique way I found myself enjoying Mirka's train of thoughts and her feelings, her slowly growing and understanding more phrases and words as she lives with Sophie and Richard.
For me, not only the writing was exceptional, but the characters are what made this book really unique. I think Mirka is a wonderful main character, who is young but not naive, mature for her age, brave and also has her own strong opinions and great decision making. Though her feelings sometimes get in the way, she is a very sensible person and I love reading about her. In addition, Sophie and Richard are also very well-written characters. They are all very flawed and dimensional characters and gave a wonderful insight into marriage.
Plot-wise the story took interesting turns I didn't think it would go to. I enjoyed the fact that Mirka being a lesbian isn't a huge deal in the overall arc and that Mirka is very comfortable with her sexuality. Sexuality is definitely a large theme in this story, but in a way that is very different from a coming of age young adult novel. Other subjects such as social injustice and prejudice are cluttered everywhere in the story, towards the fact that Mirka is a foreigner and considered an immigrant at times. These topics are tackled very subtley and not in a hugely obvious way that it's interesting to ponder about, but also involves other subjects (such as family, love, and ethics) all over the story. Mirka's dilemma nearing the end of the book regarding her love for these two people was wonderful to explore, and the idea of us humans being able to love different people in different ways is examined deeply in this story.
All in all English Animals is more than just a countryside story about a girl who comes into a family's home and changes their lives. It's so much more than what I expected, with unique writing and subtle thought-provoking themes, and excellently written characters. It's not a book for everyone, but if you enjoy quiet, character-study, atmospheric books, this is one for you.
This book started off with Mirka finding Richard and Sophie really odd - they were messy and dirty, their relationship with each other are very abusive at times but at other times loving and beautiful. Mirka is the narrator of this book and we can really see from the writing style how the author tries to imitate Mirka's lack of ability to speak in English through simple words and observations. This does not mean though, that the writing is similar to a child's thoughts, or that it is simple and not beautiful. In a unique way I found myself enjoying Mirka's train of thoughts and her feelings, her slowly growing and understanding more phrases and words as she lives with Sophie and Richard.
For me, not only the writing was exceptional, but the characters are what made this book really unique. I think Mirka is a wonderful main character, who is young but not naive, mature for her age, brave and also has her own strong opinions and great decision making. Though her feelings sometimes get in the way, she is a very sensible person and I love reading about her. In addition, Sophie and Richard are also very well-written characters. They are all very flawed and dimensional characters and gave a wonderful insight into marriage.
Plot-wise the story took interesting turns I didn't think it would go to. I enjoyed the fact that Mirka being a lesbian isn't a huge deal in the overall arc and that Mirka is very comfortable with her sexuality. Sexuality is definitely a large theme in this story, but in a way that is very different from a coming of age young adult novel. Other subjects such as social injustice and prejudice are cluttered everywhere in the story, towards the fact that Mirka is a foreigner and considered an immigrant at times. These topics are tackled very subtley and not in a hugely obvious way that it's interesting to ponder about, but also involves other subjects (such as family, love, and ethics) all over the story. Mirka's dilemma nearing the end of the book regarding her love for these two people was wonderful to explore, and the idea of us humans being able to love different people in different ways is examined deeply in this story.
All in all English Animals is more than just a countryside story about a girl who comes into a family's home and changes their lives. It's so much more than what I expected, with unique writing and subtle thought-provoking themes, and excellently written characters. It's not a book for everyone, but if you enjoy quiet, character-study, atmospheric books, this is one for you.
April 13, 2019
I could hardly bear to be dragged away from this book! From the very first page, I was hooked.
The main character, Mirka, comes to work as a general dogsbody for an english couple who are struggling to keep their country manor afloat. Mirka soon finds herself absorbed into her her new position in some very unexpected ways. She observes without judgement, the goings on in the big house and despite her longing for connection she remains the outside, central to the action yet curiously distant from it.
This novel is full of satire but at the same time it is gentle. It looks at the most ridiculous things that humans the impact that our behaviour has on those around us. We feel the hurt and confusion of Mirka as she struggling to understand her new environment. She is a fish out of water. She made me smile and she very nearly made me cry.
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Genevieve Swallow. The slightly stilted tone of her voice was a perfect choice for this character. I would highly recommend this audio version. I don't want to give it back to the library!
The main character, Mirka, comes to work as a general dogsbody for an english couple who are struggling to keep their country manor afloat. Mirka soon finds herself absorbed into her her new position in some very unexpected ways. She observes without judgement, the goings on in the big house and despite her longing for connection she remains the outside, central to the action yet curiously distant from it.
This novel is full of satire but at the same time it is gentle. It looks at the most ridiculous things that humans the impact that our behaviour has on those around us. We feel the hurt and confusion of Mirka as she struggling to understand her new environment. She is a fish out of water. She made me smile and she very nearly made me cry.
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Genevieve Swallow. The slightly stilted tone of her voice was a perfect choice for this character. I would highly recommend this audio version. I don't want to give it back to the library!
June 17, 2020
Laura Kaye’s debut introduces us to a married couple living out in the English countryside. Their marriage has grown stale, they live in quiet isolation and run a mostly failing business hosting weddings and general B&B for international tourists. More recently, they have started a taxidermy business to bring in more money to stay afloat. Richard and Sophie decide to hire a helping hand with the taxidermy and thus, Mirka arrives. She’s a young, beautiful, Slovakian girl who has only recently moved to England and is looking for her own place to call home. What follows is the evolving relationship between the three of them as Richard, Sophie and Mirka dance around each other and become increasingly entangled.
Full Review: https://curiousreaderr.wordpress.com/...
Full Review: https://curiousreaderr.wordpress.com/...
October 25, 2021
I have a soft spot in my heart for books that shine light on professions which are very little known or commonly thought of.
Laura Kaye proves her merit as a writer and traverses some highly challenging topics of the contemporary world with bravery and determination.
Definitely a must-read if you are looking for an interesting and innovative book.
Laura Kaye proves her merit as a writer and traverses some highly challenging topics of the contemporary world with bravery and determination.
Definitely a must-read if you are looking for an interesting and innovative book.
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