Half A Creature From The Sea

by David Almond

A diverse collection of stories from the author of the internationally award-winning Skellig, deftly interwoven with illuminating autobiographical pieces on the inspirations behind the fiction. David Almond says of this unique volume, "Stories on the page are so beautifully neat. All that lovely black print; those lovely straight lines and paragraphs and pages. But stories are living things, creatures that move and grow in the imaginations of writer and reader. They must be solid and touchable, like the land, and must have fluid half-known depths, like the sea. These stories take place in a real world – but in fiction, real worlds merge with dreamed worlds. Real people walk with ghosts and figments. Earthly truth goes hand-in-hand with watery lies."Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.

Genres: Short Stories, Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Book Club, Anthologies

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2014

About the author

David Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction before finding his niche writing literature for young adults.

His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.

His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.

He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.

Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.

Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).

Reviews

[Ruby Granger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and nostalgic collection of short stories. Almond has this wonderful ability to write incredibly believable and detailed characters, whilst also making them familiar and reminding you of your own child. I didn't like all of the stories, but really liked three and LOVED Half a Creature from the Sea. It was lyrical, unique and I love the idea that everything in the world can be a story.

[Abbie | ab_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this little collection to make such an impact on me, but instead it became one of my favourite reading experiences of 2019! It combines eight short stories with anecdotes about Almond’s inspiration behind the stories, and you can really sense how much this man loves books and storytelling, it shines through the pages. The stories vary from a poltergeist terrorising a council estate and a girl who’s more at home in the sea than on land, to discovering what it means to stand up for what you believe in and always choosing to be good and kind.
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The stories are literally set where my grandma still lives, where I grew up, where my nana lived, where we go on holiday, where I played, where I went to school... and the feeling I had reading them was a mix of nostalgia, love, and pride at this little corner of the world being represented in this way. The news about this part of the world can often be bleak: council cuts, crime, poverty, but Almond peels back those layers and finds the magic. Kids playing out until their mams shout them back in for tea, the wild and rugged coastline, the pit villages filled with history, the people with hearts of gold... and he injects a good dollop of actual magic for good measure, until fantasy and reality become indistinguishable. His style is simple yet effective, calling the setting to mind instantly even if you haven’t been there.
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I already knew representation mattered across all nationalities, races, genders and ages but this really hit the point home. Everyone should have the chance to have an experience like this, of seeing their slice of life printed on a page. My rating might be based more on my personal experience with it, but isn’t that the whole point of reading? I hope that if any of you do read it, you can find some of the magic that I did, and see the North East of England in a new light

[Renee Godding · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the titular story, but unfortunately didn’t care for the other 7 of them.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Almond has been one of my favorite, go-to authors for a long time now. He always manages to write stories that seem to be about the ordinary until he peels the ordinary away and reveals the extraordinary in life. Each one of his works has a distinctive voice and perspective and I have often wondered where or how Almond comes up with his ideas. I think you will agree that novels like Skellig and The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean Telt by Hisself, and his latest, A Song for Ella Grey, are all riveting and unique.

Well, I thought to myself, wonder no more as I read the introduction and the eight short stories that make up Half a Creature from the Sea. In the book's main autobiographical Introduction, Almond writes "I'll start with things I can hardly remember, things I've been told about, things that are like fragments of a dream." From there, he goes on to introduce the reader to Felling-on-Tyne, the town where he grew up and the one he uses in his writing for "it's landscape, it's language, it's people" and rgwb procedes to show the reader just how he makes the ordinary extraordinary.

Each of the eight short stories that follow the Indroduction are also preceded with their own substantial autobiographical prologue. In them, Almond explains where his idea first came from, and gives enough background information to not only make the story richer for the reader, but also to give us a way of seeing how Almond's writing process happens.

The character's in each story come to life, in a way that is difficult to master in so short a space, but everyone in these Almond stories feels real and full-bodied, even the ghost in "The Missing Link." Almond's descriptions on which each of the landscapes his stories unfold become just as important, just as realistic as his characters, to the point where they become characters in their own right. As the stories wander around this North-East area of England that Almond knows and seems to love so well, you can almost smell the salt in the air in the story "Half a Creature from the Sea" and taste those wonderful meat pies from Myer's pork shop from "Slog's Dad."

And Eleanor Taylor's black and white illustrations throughout the book compliment and enhance the hauntingly mysterious stories. I especially liked the illustrations showing the ordinariness of Felling-on-Tyne as Almond introduced readers to it.

Half a Creature from the Sea offers readers a brillant peek at an author's inspiration and writing process supported by eight superbly crafted short stories. If you are already a fan of David Almond's or even if you are new to his work, you are in for a rare treat, and you will totally understand why he won the 2015 Guardian's Children's Fiction Prize recently.

I should mention that there some bullying, some violence and a lot of cursing and it can be raw, but not ever gratuitous.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having picked this up on a whim (needed a white covered book for a reading challenge) I didn't really know what to expect, and to be honest I'm still not sure what to make of it. Almond has an intriguing writing style that flows beautifully but I found most of his stories a little weird and it felt as if there was something else hidden behind the words that I couldn't quite uncover. Each story has been inspired by a moment or event in Almond's life, as written in the short introduction for each one, and each is supported by sketches and illustrations that give this a lighter, more mysterious feel. But even with that some of the stories were confusing and unclear, while others were a delight to read. This may be one that needs a few re-reads before it really comes into its own.

[ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What am I? Body, brain, soul, or all of these? Infant, boy, man, or all of those things together? Or nothing, just nothing at all?"

Alternative Titles Created By Me:
- Perhaps Ghosts Are Real: A Life in Tales
- I Was A Rude Preteen: A Life in Stories
- 1950's-60's Scottish Slang Is Difficult To Read: A Life of Confusion

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Let me just say that the first story of the collection was terribly weak. I almost DNF'ed only 15 pages in. I was confused and bored and confused once more. I thought this book was to be a memoir of sorts, but instead it turned out to be half childhood anecdote / half alternate fantasy.

Some of the tales were actually rather good, whereas others were not. As mentioned above, there was a very fine line between real and unreal within these stories. I was unable to tell what actually happened and what was imagination, and that took away from the content.

To be honest, I only picked this up from the library because of the cover.

[Niesha Steube · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book! Short stories made the book easy to divide into readable sections per sitting. The reflection of the author on his upbringing combined with his imagination to turn real-life and fantasy into something magical and possible in your mind is incomparable.

[Matthew McDonough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written; uncluttered prose.

I found I enjoyed the non-fiction story intros even more than the stories themselves, and I also found I liked the stories more when I read the intros *after* finishing the accompanying story.

[Rizkana · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Go on. Run and play. Those that can run should run, those that can play should play.”

“Places to go,” she sighs. “People to see. A life to live.”

I love David Almond’s approach toward short stories. He regards stories as living things, they must be solid and touchable. He creates stories based on ordinary places and sew them into extraordinary. The result? These 8 short stories is easy to read, begins with ordinary situation and characters and end with touching lessons—about how important hope is, how compassion and being kind could save and give freedom to someone’s live, how bittersweet memories are, how to sincerely love and accept someone’s dear in your life.

I also love how Almond tells his short stories with a touch of magical thing—a spirit that coming back after he died, mysterious creatures, a God who came to a garden, a haunting ghost that still want to be understood, a mermaid (or seaman?), an angry husband that send an angry ghost, and a poltergeist in our own self.

At first, I bought this book simply because of its lovely covers but, turn out after finishing this book, I love it. I love all of these short stories, but my favourite one is Harry Miller’s Run. I get a sweet spot for a story based on memory 😂 also, this story makes me want to try to participate in a marathon (just the 5 km, of course, I’m not that optimistic for the 10 km). So, let me close this review with what Harry Miller said, “Divent get old, son. Promise us that. Stay eleven for ever.”

[Laura D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almond's writing is haunting. This collection of short stories explores elements of magical realism in everyday environments; snippets of autobiographical prose intersperse the stories to give a well informed observation of the following tale.
The language is beautiful and often brings goosebumps and sometimes a few tears. This is a collection that will stay with you long after the final page.
Sometimes the written dialect is a little jarring, but Almond's imagery more than makes up for it.
Be sure to check out "Harry Miller's Run" and the namesake story "Half a Creature from the Sea". They are beautiful, mesmerising even.
Dealing with religion, death, war and other poignant subjects, the collection offers an intelligent, engaging discourse that really just works.

[Michael Earp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intros to each short story really add to the whole reading experience. I really enjoyed it.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eight short stories, some of which worked better than others, interspersed with autobiographical notes, which I very much enjoyed. A beautifully written mixed bag.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of everything David Almond, Half a Creature from the Sea was an absolute pleasure. I wonder how much a reader unfamiliar with his stories would get out of this little book of short stories based on his childhood near Newcastle. I'd like to think a reader would still experience the magic of his simple, magical tales, of his sparse yet expressive style. Like his young fiction, these stories cross many boudaries. They contain the gritty realism of a Ken Loach movie and stir it up in a pot of mythical ingredients: British folktales, Greek mythology, magical realism, ghost stories, Catholic imagery. They remind me of children telling each other tales to make each other shiver. It's the madman whoses garden you shouldn't enter, it's the homeless troubadour who scares the locals, it's all the different people on the edges of society and the way we see them. You can trace his influences and motifs in the content of these stories - disabilities, homelessness, football, ghosts and spirits, the thin membrane between the worlds of the living and of the dead. His characters come from a stock - old people from dying generations, tramps, artists, circus crews, outcasts, people with physical differences that live between reality and fantasy. This book is like a catalogue of Almond's inspirations.

Each story is prefaces by lovely autobiographical pieces that explain the origins and flesh out the image of life for Almond growing up. It's interesting how many parallels there are between Almond's youth and my own, also in Northern England, albeit thirty years later. There is the sense of time having stood still. There is much to celebrate in these memories, much magic, creativity and joy, but there is also a sense of a decrepid underbelly of society, of a people forgotten. What is certainly different is the influence of religion. Here it is prevalent whereas thirty years later it was a much more minor influence. The connections between people's religious beliefs and their ghostly supersitions is the framework of many of the stories. It is tied tightly to beliefs about death and the afterlife - some of the stories revolve around ghostly apparitions from beyond the grave. Most of these are benevolent but there is threat and anger there. They are stories that deal with a child's attempt to understand death, to begin to understand a grieving process, but they also speak to a child's lack of understand, the fear of the unknown.

The first story, Slog's Dad, captures this ghostly visitation brilliantly, but Joe Quinn's Poltegeist is a story with more tension. May Malone is one of a few to contain doubting priest characters, a touching tale of a woman who bore a child out of wedlock and shuts herself away from society. Half a Creature from the Sea is a similar tale, a watery girl out of Heaven's Eyes and a romance from far way. The Missing Link picks up themes of education and evolution from Skellig and tells of school yard bullying and name calling while Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads is a story about cultural understanding and history in which a German refugees tries to adapt to life in Newcastle and stand up to school bullies. When God Came to Cathleen's Garden is a mystical tale about a circus man who is mistaken for a deity - it echoes so many of Almond's strange, half-magical old men in his novels. Harry Miller's Run is the most simple, a touching tale of reminiscense about the Great North Run. There isn't a weak story here and they all compliment each other well, allowing you a peak into David Almond's past and the origins of his stories. For fans of his work, you can't go wrong.

[Los libros de Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Al igual que los ojos de un bebé se sorprenden ante las luces que parpadean o los pájaros al vuelo, los míos quedaron sorprendidos con la imprenta...y mi amor por ésta sería para siempre. Quizás empecé a ser escritor aquél día, en aquella pequeña imprenta...". (Una criatura del mar y otros cuentos, fragmento, p. 7).

Cuentos. La sola palabra me hace soñar. Son ocho magníficos cuentos los que David Almond nos ofrece en este libro. Todos ellos contienen valiosas enseñanzas. Con una mezcla de acontecimientos personales y de ficción, el autor nos presenta historias absorbentes. Antes de comenzar a leer cada cuento, Almond enriquece la experiencia con un comentario previo, una especie de prólogo en el cual nos revela su inspiración y nos adentra un poco en los hechos que sí sucedieron en su vida.

En estos relatos leeremos acerca de temas profundos: pérdidas, nostalgia, recuerdos, racismo, prejuicios, maldad; pero siéntete tranquilo, todos esos temas que duelen, encontrarán elementos que los contrarrestarán. Así es como, la amistad, el entendimiento, la ayuda, el saber escuchar y el sanar, harán acto de presencia para aportar ese destello de luz al final de cada relato. Esa luz que todos tanto necesitamos.

Me permito enlistar los cuentos en mi orden particular, iniciando con el que más me gustó:

1. La carrera de Harry Miller
2. May Malone
3. El papá de Slog
4. Klaus Vogel y los chicos malos
5. Una criatura del mar
6. El poltergeist de Joe Quinn
7. Cuando Dios llegó al jardín de Cathleen
8. El eslabón perdido

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

80%

"Tell me something with a better truth in it, something that works out the puzzle of me....aye, turn me into a tale."

A fantasized memoir - based on real-life memories and infused with whimsical artistic license. There was a hint of the Twilight Zone in it, often leaving you wondering where the border of reality and magic within the stories lie. The written-in Northern English accent made my brain tickle in a most enjoyable way.

In order of enjoyment:
1.) Harry Miller's run
2.) Slog's dad
3.) when God came to Cathleen's garden
4.) half a creature from the sea
5.) May Malone
6.) Joe Quinn's poltergeist
7.) Klaus Vogel & the bad lads
8.) the missing link

"We just laugh and take the apples and run on cos we're still full o' beans and it's great to be together on a summer's day."

"Fictionalizing a life can make it seem more real, and can make difficult experiences more bearable."

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deze aanwinst uit een buurtbiebje was niet volledig aan mij besteed maar wel de moeite waard. De verhalen worden afgewisseld door autobiografische inleidingen die uitleggen hoe de jeugd van de schrijver doorschemert in de karakters, gebeurtenissen en plaatsen. Eerst vond ik dat heel leuk, maar soms vond ik het hierdoor moeilijk om het verhaal in te komen en was ik meer bezig met hoe de auteur dit verhaal schreef.
Het inkijkje in Noord-Oost Engels leven en spreken was toevallig iets waar ik al geïnteresseerd in was de laatste tijd. De voetbalstukjes en spooky elementen dan weer minder.
Daarnaast zijn de illustraties echt prachtig, maar vind ik de stijl dan weer niet zo passen bij het boek...?
Ik vond het in ieder geval leuk om de beschreven plekken op te zoeken op Maps, waardoor je de sfeer nog beter proeft.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbling into the writing of David Almond has been one of my very happiest accidents as a reader in recent years, and delving deeper into his work has proved to be an ever-shifting and constant joy and surprise. Half a Creature from the Sea is a short story collection and memoir and ars poetica wrapped in one; filled with the sorts of sharp delights, unexpected turns of narrative, and bald, unflinching admissions that make Almond's often fantastical work seem so genuine and immediate. One gets a sense of discovery reading these stories, and it's clear to me that Almond shares in the surprises he shares as much as we do. Brilliant, brilliant book that makes you glad to be alive, and makes you feel alive in your mind as you read it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

These reflective stories based on the author's childhood are infused with magic and fantasy, much like his wonderful novels (Skellig is my favorite so far). I enjoyed them, but taking the YA perspective, I don't think many of the teen readers I know would gravitate towards the book. Also, some young readers (if they're American) may have trouble reading the English vernacular. But it is a good collection of vignettes about growing up, being rooted in a particular place and time, and making sense of a nonsensical world. I really like the brief introductions to each story that put the narratives in context. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars.

[Sara Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories building out from David Almonds childhood experiences of in Tyne and Wear in the 60s, his catholicism and playing on the streets with his gang of friends. It’s a bit of a bitter sweet mix of nostalgia for times gone by and a reminder of how cruel children can be. Some worked better than others (my favourite was Harry Miller’s run), but each was thought-provoking in its own way.

Before each story there is a short explanation of how it ties autobiography with imagination. I loved the sense that out of this David Almond became an author - that would give hope to a child anywhere with dreams of writing.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Almond is definitely a unique author.

This book is a collection of short stories based on Almond's own childhood, mixed in with anecdotes of his own experiences. Like most of Almond's writing, there is a very strange magic realism throughout these stories.

The stories are all based in Felling-on-Tyne, but Almond notes how he altered the setting to fit his stories. The characters are also a mix of fictional and real people.

Religion was clearly a big part of Almond's upbringing, and he envelopes tht in his writing. However, the stories aren't particularly religious at all. It's more the daily routine of the young boys and how religion is incorporated into this.

I'm a big fan of short stories. This collection was really good, though they were all very similar in atmosphere/genre. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, but I do like a bit of variety.

Almond's writing is fantastic, as always. Descriptive enough, but still leaving some details to the reader's own imagination. It was easy to just sit and read this book without needing to put it down. 3.5 stars.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. This collection of short stories were based on the author's real life and then with a twist of imagination he made them into fiction short stories. They were peculiar and mostly dull in my opinion. Most of these were about death or religion. I am a fan of his other works like Skellig and My Name is Mina but these just didn't appeal to me. They were well written and easy enough to read. The best two from the collection in my opinion were the missing link and the half creature from the sea.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realise that this was a children's book. I felt conflicted listening to it as I could see that it was well-written and is clearly a "good" book but it didn't grab me. However, I'm not a fan of short stories and these were a mixed bunch. Some of them were hard to grasp with their mix of the real and fantastical while others were an interesting study in human nature. I'd advise reading/listening to them yourself and seeing what you think.

[Ramya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book at the Durham Book Festival in 2017. I picked it up during lockdown and read the short stories sporadically over the past few months. I really enjoyed reading this, it was so nostalgic. It took me back to the North East. There was a bit of a disconnect with Uni students and the locals (the Durham bubble), I’m so glad this book was set in other beautiful areas in the county and not centred around the university.

[Paulinlong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this selection of short stories and David Almond's fabulous introductions. They evoke so clearly that time when you're working out what's real and what isn't; what's true and what's false; what is good disguised as evil and evil disguised as good; and so often they're the same thing. I recognise how accurately the influence of Catholicism is drawn - the refuge and torment of so many.

[Marie Leonard hullis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading David Almond's stories to my children when they were younger. It was fascinating to read this collection of stories and memoir because they provide some insight to the inspiration and vision a truly original writer. Harry Miller's Run made me cry.

[Tia Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I can't quite say that I enjoyed it, but I appreciated it for what it was, as something that I wouldn't usually read. I liked the 'Half a Creature from the Sea' story, on which the book was titled, the most.

[Evelyn Kenrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked it up looking at the beautiful sea images on the front. I was not dissatisfied. This book is a masterpiece of supernatural splendour. Powerful stories of free children with cute anecdotes of his personal connections. Well done David.

[Inês Valentim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro maravilhoso e tocando sobre a vida do autor! Os capítulos "O Klaus Vogel e os Mais Rapazes" e "A corrida do Harry Miller" são os meus favoritos enquanto que o "O Elo Perdido" é na minha opinião o mais triste.

[Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant, parochial little gem - deeper than one would expect; thoughtful and stirring.

[Claire O'Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with Prison Reading Group as part of the Durham Book Festival Big Read. A pleasant enough read.