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Devoured
1973.
Swallow's Farmhouse in deep, rural Norfolk is home to Your People, a commune of free-thinkers and poets seeking a better way. But beneath the veneer of a nurturing, alternative lifestyle, an atmosphere of jealousy and threat is pushing utopia towards the brink of its inevitable collapse.
Raising herself amidst the chaos is a twelve year old survivor, desperately preoccupied with her transition into womanhood. With her mute sister, beloved dog and the re-defining force of her emerging appetites, she marches resolutely towards her future, venturing - with hilarious and horrifying results - through the minefield of an adult world built on hypocrisy and misplaced ideals.
Swallow's Farmhouse in deep, rural Norfolk is home to Your People, a commune of free-thinkers and poets seeking a better way. But beneath the veneer of a nurturing, alternative lifestyle, an atmosphere of jealousy and threat is pushing utopia towards the brink of its inevitable collapse.
Raising herself amidst the chaos is a twelve year old survivor, desperately preoccupied with her transition into womanhood. With her mute sister, beloved dog and the re-defining force of her emerging appetites, she marches resolutely towards her future, venturing - with hilarious and horrifying results - through the minefield of an adult world built on hypocrisy and misplaced ideals.
328 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2018
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306 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 13, 2018
A commune, rural England, a young girl coming of age... You know those books where the premise sounds *literally* perfect for you, and then the execution just doesn’t really do it for you? This is one of those books for me.
There was a point early on where I wasn’t even sure I wanted to carry on, but I’m glad I finished it. I did love the story, but I just didn’t gel with the way it was told.
This is definitely written in a style that takes a while to get used to. Some will love it straight away, and others will feel like they are wading through black treacle in trying to read it.
It’s written in second person, but in a preteen's stream of consciousness style. Reminded me very much of both ‘A Girl is a Half Formed Thing’ and ‘Peach’ in style, but was harder to consume as this novel is twice the length. By the end I felt I had a good grasp of the characters, but I can’t say I ever felt them fully formed and couldn’t truly picture this commune in my mind until the last quarter of the novel.
Stephen Fry pegs it as ‘equal parts hilarious and terrifying’ and I find I quite agree with this assessment. Trigger warnings for foul language, sexual and emotional abuse, and just generally a pretty toxic environment to raise children in. The humour comes from just how very deluded and hopeless these people are, despite the simplest and possibly purest of intentions. There’s also some haphazardly noted recipes jotted throughout giving it a little ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ vibe which, ironically, are some of the easiest parts to follow.
Essentially, Devoured is a compellingly experimental novel about the minefield that is youth, the conflicts of community and ultimately the need for belonging. The bones of this story will appeal to many, but beware that the muddied writing style may make for a frustrating read.
There was a point early on where I wasn’t even sure I wanted to carry on, but I’m glad I finished it. I did love the story, but I just didn’t gel with the way it was told.
This is definitely written in a style that takes a while to get used to. Some will love it straight away, and others will feel like they are wading through black treacle in trying to read it.
It’s written in second person, but in a preteen's stream of consciousness style. Reminded me very much of both ‘A Girl is a Half Formed Thing’ and ‘Peach’ in style, but was harder to consume as this novel is twice the length. By the end I felt I had a good grasp of the characters, but I can’t say I ever felt them fully formed and couldn’t truly picture this commune in my mind until the last quarter of the novel.
Stephen Fry pegs it as ‘equal parts hilarious and terrifying’ and I find I quite agree with this assessment. Trigger warnings for foul language, sexual and emotional abuse, and just generally a pretty toxic environment to raise children in. The humour comes from just how very deluded and hopeless these people are, despite the simplest and possibly purest of intentions. There’s also some haphazardly noted recipes jotted throughout giving it a little ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ vibe which, ironically, are some of the easiest parts to follow.
Essentially, Devoured is a compellingly experimental novel about the minefield that is youth, the conflicts of community and ultimately the need for belonging. The bones of this story will appeal to many, but beware that the muddied writing style may make for a frustrating read.
May 20, 2018
This is a strange tale told in a strange way, and I loved it. Sometimes a bit of originality is just what I hanker for.
It’s the tale of a commune in 1970s Norfolk. Beth owns a big farmhouse, which she has opened up to a raggedy crew of hippies from around the UK and the US. She and her partner are raising their two daughters in true New Age style: no school, treated like adults when it comes to chores and conversation topics, encouraged to be artistic in every way.
The novel is told from the perspective of the older daughter, but it is not narrated by her. The narration is in the 2nd person, addressing the older daughter. It’s also told in mostly incomplete sentences, a sort of stream of consciousness. It’s never quite clear if this is meant to be the 12-year-old girl addressing herself from the future or an unusual take on the omniscient narrator.
That description risks making the book sound a little tough to read, and it’s not at all. It was a delight reading this. I particularly love the recipes peppered through the narrative, mostly adaptations of Elizabeth David, perfectly reflecting Beth’s middle-class status while she and her friends play-act at being poor artists who scrimp and save.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2018/05/...
It’s the tale of a commune in 1970s Norfolk. Beth owns a big farmhouse, which she has opened up to a raggedy crew of hippies from around the UK and the US. She and her partner are raising their two daughters in true New Age style: no school, treated like adults when it comes to chores and conversation topics, encouraged to be artistic in every way.
The novel is told from the perspective of the older daughter, but it is not narrated by her. The narration is in the 2nd person, addressing the older daughter. It’s also told in mostly incomplete sentences, a sort of stream of consciousness. It’s never quite clear if this is meant to be the 12-year-old girl addressing herself from the future or an unusual take on the omniscient narrator.
That description risks making the book sound a little tough to read, and it’s not at all. It was a delight reading this. I particularly love the recipes peppered through the narrative, mostly adaptations of Elizabeth David, perfectly reflecting Beth’s middle-class status while she and her friends play-act at being poor artists who scrimp and save.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2018/05/...
July 6, 2020
This is one of those reviews where I sort of give you all the reasons why normally I wouldn't like this book and then tell you that actually all these aspects made this a stonkingly great read. What can I say; I'm a complex kind of human...
I quite unexpectedly enjoyed this. First things first - the writing style is odd. Much of it is written in disjointed, fragmented sentences and is in a stream of consciousness style. It definitely takes some getting used to but by the second chapter I had been absorbed enough by the story that the writing style no longer bothered me. In fact, I liked that the style evoked the strong feeling of confusion and detachment we see mirrored in our central character. We never really know whose viewpoint the story is written from which allows us to feel distanced from the action, like a fly on the wall.
Another reason I shouldn't like this book is that there's not a huge amount of plot! Most of the action focuses on a particular period of a few months and actually, there are relatively few events to mark the passing of time. But actually, it focuses on this pivotal moment in a young girl's transition into womanhood and there is a sense that all of the events that do happen are going to affect her deeply and in the end will forever shape the way she perceives the world.
It's clear that there are blurred lines about what is deemed acceptable in this communal living arrangement and whilst the two children are clearly loved to a degree, there is this whole feeling throughout of a childhood not being properly lived. Somehow, this book manages to be both acerbically funny and a tad melancholic at the same time. The adults in this story are so ridiculously earnest sometimes in wanting to pursue their alternative lifestyle, that they cannot see their own hypocrisy. The fact that they secretly resent each other is always bubbling away under the surface, often to comic effect.
Often we know more about what is going on than the children do, as we are able to understand the context behind events that confuse our protagonist (for example that there is an awful lot of bed swopping going on in this house!) Our protagonist sees herself as worldly, but in the end what is most heart wrenching, is her naivety at the behaviour of the adults around her and how she doesn't realise until too late that she is being taken advantage of.
What this book really did, is make me care about the two children in it. I was desperate to know how life turned out for them and their journey kept me hooked. Normally I wouldn't love a book that is so experimental in style, but I am glad that I got it in my surprise bundle from The Book Hive, as I never would have discovered it otherwise.
I quite unexpectedly enjoyed this. First things first - the writing style is odd. Much of it is written in disjointed, fragmented sentences and is in a stream of consciousness style. It definitely takes some getting used to but by the second chapter I had been absorbed enough by the story that the writing style no longer bothered me. In fact, I liked that the style evoked the strong feeling of confusion and detachment we see mirrored in our central character. We never really know whose viewpoint the story is written from which allows us to feel distanced from the action, like a fly on the wall.
Another reason I shouldn't like this book is that there's not a huge amount of plot! Most of the action focuses on a particular period of a few months and actually, there are relatively few events to mark the passing of time. But actually, it focuses on this pivotal moment in a young girl's transition into womanhood and there is a sense that all of the events that do happen are going to affect her deeply and in the end will forever shape the way she perceives the world.
It's clear that there are blurred lines about what is deemed acceptable in this communal living arrangement and whilst the two children are clearly loved to a degree, there is this whole feeling throughout of a childhood not being properly lived. Somehow, this book manages to be both acerbically funny and a tad melancholic at the same time. The adults in this story are so ridiculously earnest sometimes in wanting to pursue their alternative lifestyle, that they cannot see their own hypocrisy. The fact that they secretly resent each other is always bubbling away under the surface, often to comic effect.
Often we know more about what is going on than the children do, as we are able to understand the context behind events that confuse our protagonist (for example that there is an awful lot of bed swopping going on in this house!) Our protagonist sees herself as worldly, but in the end what is most heart wrenching, is her naivety at the behaviour of the adults around her and how she doesn't realise until too late that she is being taken advantage of.
What this book really did, is make me care about the two children in it. I was desperate to know how life turned out for them and their journey kept me hooked. Normally I wouldn't love a book that is so experimental in style, but I am glad that I got it in my surprise bundle from The Book Hive, as I never would have discovered it otherwise.
May 6, 2019
This book was about a young girl growing up in a hippy type commune during the 1970’s and was based in Norfolk.
The writing was a stream of consciousness from a little girl’s point of view which I did struggle with slightly but as one of the last books I read was Milkman, this book was definitely slightly easier to read. I must point out the first and last 10 pages of the book seemed to be written in an odd way, I am unsure why though and it did affect my enjoyment of this book.
The majority of the story is bleak and it is building up to a scene that I think every reader will know it is going to happen and when it does, it is horrific!
The characters are okay and there are a few moments of laughter and love in the story but as a whole it is a sad tale of two young girls not being their parents priority which is heartbreaking.
Throughout the story there are a number of recipes for dishes which I enjoyed and it did break up the writing; if you enjoyed milkman I would suggest this book.
The writing was a stream of consciousness from a little girl’s point of view which I did struggle with slightly but as one of the last books I read was Milkman, this book was definitely slightly easier to read. I must point out the first and last 10 pages of the book seemed to be written in an odd way, I am unsure why though and it did affect my enjoyment of this book.
The majority of the story is bleak and it is building up to a scene that I think every reader will know it is going to happen and when it does, it is horrific!
The characters are okay and there are a few moments of laughter and love in the story but as a whole it is a sad tale of two young girls not being their parents priority which is heartbreaking.
Throughout the story there are a number of recipes for dishes which I enjoyed and it did break up the writing; if you enjoyed milkman I would suggest this book.
December 7, 2020
The writing style of this book is original (there are no quotation marks; rather spoken statements are followed by the name of the speaker). I found it hard going at first, but once I got all the characters straight, I found it deeply engrossing. Narrated from the perspective of a child growing up in a hippie commune, some events are quite disturbing, but there is plenty of warmth and humour -- the portrait of one pompous young home schooled lad is hilarious -- and the adults, flawed as they are, are compelling as well. The polyvalent title refers on one level to eating, and the book is crammed with recipes cooked by the precocious girl protagonist.
May 12, 2021
"Like a clown going to a rival clown's funeral."
There's trouble brewing from the start, but this is, for the most part, delicious fun. An authentic voice, a distinctive style, and a shrewd eye for the things that make childhood joyous, sinister, threatening and magical. Crucially, also, what makes adults absurd.
This an absolute joy, the characters feel so real it's a relief when titbits about their future lives beyond the story are revealed, we want to know that these people went on to have lives afterwards, even the ones we may not like. It's a gorgeous novel.
There's trouble brewing from the start, but this is, for the most part, delicious fun. An authentic voice, a distinctive style, and a shrewd eye for the things that make childhood joyous, sinister, threatening and magical. Crucially, also, what makes adults absurd.
This an absolute joy, the characters feel so real it's a relief when titbits about their future lives beyond the story are revealed, we want to know that these people went on to have lives afterwards, even the ones we may not like. It's a gorgeous novel.
August 15, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect from 'Devoured' but I whole heartedlly enjoyed the jaunty writing style, almost stream of consciousness. Despite being held at arms length by the writing style, you really invest in the main character and her sister, and it's really interesting how the narrative sucks you in when you are equally very much an outsider. Really enjoyed this one, it's very different from anything I've read before. A refreshing take.
May 1, 2023
2.5 / 5 stars
Bought this when I was in Norfolk for a wedding and wanted a book set in Norfolk. Didn't really look inside the book but liked the cover. The writing style was just not for me, eventually became accustomed to it and it read easier but quite hard to read at first.
Enjoyed the story somewhat but just sadly was not for me.
Bought this when I was in Norfolk for a wedding and wanted a book set in Norfolk. Didn't really look inside the book but liked the cover. The writing style was just not for me, eventually became accustomed to it and it read easier but quite hard to read at first.
Enjoyed the story somewhat but just sadly was not for me.
July 18, 2018
I struggled a little bit to start with - the narration being stream of consciousness from a pubescent girl, which is a jarringly unusual voice (being way more convincing than the superficial attempts in YA pulp) - but am very glad I persevered and attuned to this.
December 16, 2023
Hated it and this is the first book club book that I couldn’t finish. I found the writing style very difficult to follow and I just couldn’t connect to the characters or even care about them even though you knew something awful was going to happen to one of the little girls
September 3, 2018
Wow! Hard to understand at the beginning but a very powerfully written story. I can’t say I loved the story but I am glad I read it!
November 26, 2018
So so so much to like, but also a little confusing sometimes...
September 28, 2021
Equal parts nostaglic and frightening, I enjoyed the slow paced monotony of the everyday life and resonated with the setting as it was set in my area.
October 22, 2022
Some lovely writing, the glimpses into the characters future lives are especially moving
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March 14, 2024Not for me.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews