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Beastings
Winner of the Portico Prize for Literature and the Northern Writers' Award
'A brilliant, brutal novel' ROBERT MACFARLANE
A girl and a baby. A priest and a poacher. A savage pursuit through the landscape of a changing rural England.
When a teenage girl leaves the workhouse and abducts a child placed in her care, the local priest is called upon to retrieve them. Chased through the Cumbrian mountains of a distant past, the girl fights starvation and the elements, encountering the hermits, farmers and hunters who occupy the remote hillside communities. An American Southern Gothic tale set against the violent beauty of Northern England, Beastings is a sparse and poetic novel about morality, motherhood and corruption.
'A brilliant, brutal novel' ROBERT MACFARLANE
A girl and a baby. A priest and a poacher. A savage pursuit through the landscape of a changing rural England.
When a teenage girl leaves the workhouse and abducts a child placed in her care, the local priest is called upon to retrieve them. Chased through the Cumbrian mountains of a distant past, the girl fights starvation and the elements, encountering the hermits, farmers and hunters who occupy the remote hillside communities. An American Southern Gothic tale set against the violent beauty of Northern England, Beastings is a sparse and poetic novel about morality, motherhood and corruption.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2014
49 people are currently reading
2747 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Myers
35 books1,212 followersBenjamin Myers was born in Durham, UK, in 1976.
He is an award-winning author and journalist whose recent novel Cuddy (2023) won the Goldsmiths Prize.
His first short story collection, Male Tears, was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
His novel The Offing was published by Bloomsbury in 2019 and is a best-seller in Germany. It was serialised by Radio 4's Book At Bedtime and Radio 2 Book club choice. It is being developed for stage and has been optioned for film.
The non-fiction book Under The Rock, was shortlisted for The Portico Prize For Literature in 2020.
Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the world's largest prize for historical fiction. It has been published in the US by Third Man Books and in 2023 was adapted by director Shane Meadows for the BBC/A24.
The Gallows Pole was re-issued by Bloomsbury, alongside previous titles Beastings and Pig Iron.
Several of Myers' novels have been released as audiobooks, read by actor Ralph Ineson.
Turning Blue (2016) was described as a "folk crime" novel, and praised by writers including Val McDermid. A sequel These Darkening Days followed in 2017.
His novel Beastings (2014) won the Portico Prize For Literature, was the recipient of the Northern Writers’ Award and longlisted for a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award 2015. Widely acclaimed, it featured on several end of year lists, and was chosen by Robert Macfarlane in The Big Issue as one of his books of 2014.
Pig Iron (2012) was the winner of the inaugural Gordon Burn Prize and runner-up in The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. A controversial combination of biography and novel, Richard (2010) was a bestseller and chosen as a Sunday Times book of the year.
Myers’ short story ‘The Folk Song Singer’ was awarded the Tom-Gallon Prize in 2014 by the Society Of Authors and published by Galley Beggar Press. His short stories and poetry have appeared in dozens of anthologies.
As a journalist he has written about the arts and nature for publications including New Statesman, The Guardian, The Spectator, NME, Mojo, Time Out, New Scientist, Caught By The River, The Morning Star, Vice, The Quietus, Melody Maker and numerous others.
He currently lives in the Upper Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, UK.
He is an award-winning author and journalist whose recent novel Cuddy (2023) won the Goldsmiths Prize.
His first short story collection, Male Tears, was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
His novel The Offing was published by Bloomsbury in 2019 and is a best-seller in Germany. It was serialised by Radio 4's Book At Bedtime and Radio 2 Book club choice. It is being developed for stage and has been optioned for film.
The non-fiction book Under The Rock, was shortlisted for The Portico Prize For Literature in 2020.
Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the world's largest prize for historical fiction. It has been published in the US by Third Man Books and in 2023 was adapted by director Shane Meadows for the BBC/A24.
The Gallows Pole was re-issued by Bloomsbury, alongside previous titles Beastings and Pig Iron.
Several of Myers' novels have been released as audiobooks, read by actor Ralph Ineson.
Turning Blue (2016) was described as a "folk crime" novel, and praised by writers including Val McDermid. A sequel These Darkening Days followed in 2017.
His novel Beastings (2014) won the Portico Prize For Literature, was the recipient of the Northern Writers’ Award and longlisted for a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award 2015. Widely acclaimed, it featured on several end of year lists, and was chosen by Robert Macfarlane in The Big Issue as one of his books of 2014.
Pig Iron (2012) was the winner of the inaugural Gordon Burn Prize and runner-up in The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. A controversial combination of biography and novel, Richard (2010) was a bestseller and chosen as a Sunday Times book of the year.
Myers’ short story ‘The Folk Song Singer’ was awarded the Tom-Gallon Prize in 2014 by the Society Of Authors and published by Galley Beggar Press. His short stories and poetry have appeared in dozens of anthologies.
As a journalist he has written about the arts and nature for publications including New Statesman, The Guardian, The Spectator, NME, Mojo, Time Out, New Scientist, Caught By The River, The Morning Star, Vice, The Quietus, Melody Maker and numerous others.
He currently lives in the Upper Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
May 20, 2023
Fucking. Hell.
This is billed as an American Southern Gothic story set in Northern England. In fact, it is a work of pure horror and probably the bleakest novel I have ever read. There was truly nothing positive to take from it, and the ending was just... oh god, it was just horrible.
This is billed as an American Southern Gothic story set in Northern England. In fact, it is a work of pure horror and probably the bleakest novel I have ever read. There was truly nothing positive to take from it, and the ending was just... oh god, it was just horrible.
June 3, 2018
Another strikingly memorable novel from the back catalogue of the prolific Myers. Unlike his two most recent books, this one is not set in Yorkshire but in the Lake District. Once again there is plenty of landscape writing but in this one both the precise geography and the time it is set in are only hinted at, though I think it is probably before the First World War, and the pass where its climactic events take place must be Kirkstone.
The three central characters are never named. One is a mute girl brought up in a strict religious institution St Marys, who has been working as a servant for a man, his largely incapacitated wife and their baby. She forms a bond with the baby and runs away with it when she is threatened with dismissal.
She is pursued across the hills by the Priest, who was also responsible for St Marys. He enlists the help of the Poacher and his tracking dog. The Poacher is a natural rebel and an instinctive unbeliever, and Myers extracts quite a lot of humour from their interactions.
As the girl's struggle for survival and freedom and the chase continue, the perspectives of the three characters shift and the chase builds to an inevitably melodramatic conclusion.
The three central characters are never named. One is a mute girl brought up in a strict religious institution St Marys, who has been working as a servant for a man, his largely incapacitated wife and their baby. She forms a bond with the baby and runs away with it when she is threatened with dismissal.
She is pursued across the hills by the Priest, who was also responsible for St Marys. He enlists the help of the Poacher and his tracking dog. The Poacher is a natural rebel and an instinctive unbeliever, and Myers extracts quite a lot of humour from their interactions.
As the girl's struggle for survival and freedom and the chase continue, the perspectives of the three characters shift and the chase builds to an inevitably melodramatic conclusion.
October 3, 2023
Captivating!
I enjoyed Beastings by Benjamin Myers immensely.
This book is so tragic! The story and the characters are unforgettable.
I highly recommend it, if you’re looking for a brutal story that will touch you deeply.
I enjoyed Beastings by Benjamin Myers immensely.
This book is so tragic! The story and the characters are unforgettable.
I highly recommend it, if you’re looking for a brutal story that will touch you deeply.
June 6, 2015
I had to up my rating of Beastings. I'd given it 4 stars upon finishing the book, but I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Or talking about it. So that's not just a 4 star book (in my book).
Highly recommend. Everyone should read this.
Highly recommend. Everyone should read this.
February 13, 2022
Myers has a remarkable aptitude in juxtaposing nature's elegance with the sinister and brutal side of human behaviour. He goes beyond pastoral, so much so nature becomes a character within itself, serving as companion and foe alike.
Put simply, Beastings is a tale of a girl and a baby and a priest and a poacher, culminating in a barbaric chase through England's rural landscape.
A story of abuse, violence, hunger and isolation, it is brutal and pitch-black dark. Yet despite the plot's sinister underbelly and unnerving themes, Myers writes with graceful poeticism.
It's impossible to choose a favourite novel of Myers. An exceptional writer with a superlative portfolio. Definitely recommend.
Put simply, Beastings is a tale of a girl and a baby and a priest and a poacher, culminating in a barbaric chase through England's rural landscape.
A story of abuse, violence, hunger and isolation, it is brutal and pitch-black dark. Yet despite the plot's sinister underbelly and unnerving themes, Myers writes with graceful poeticism.
It's impossible to choose a favourite novel of Myers. An exceptional writer with a superlative portfolio. Definitely recommend.
January 19, 2021
There’s something about Benjamin Myers writing that just draws me into his books. I like the way he manages to juxtapose the beauty of nature and the habits of farming folk with the ugliness of human nature.
The book is about a mute girl on the run through the fens after stealing her owner’s baby. On the chase are a priest and a poacher. The narrative shifts between the girl’s point of view and the priest and the poacher. Occaisonally there’s some back story.
This plot may seem simple but Beastings is a rich novel, mainly due to the characters, especially the priest: a bad tempered, snobbish hypocrite who manipulates religion to suit his needs. The Poacher is a bit shifty, tough and has a ‘take life as it is’ philosophy. The girl is a survivor, especially in this brutal world of men with animal instincts. Then there are the evocative descriptions of woodlife (having lived a long time in the Canadian forests, I could definitely relate to the nature related descriptions)
I saw the book as one of survival: the girl has to battle the elements in order to preserve the baby’s life. She also has to cope with human nature and by the unforgettable conclusion she does survive but at a cost. One could say it’s also about female strength. As I said the males she meets in the book, bar one are all led by a primal desires, which involve a disregard for human dignity.
Beastings also has other themes. The conversations between the priest and the poachers are philosophical, mostly about God’s will. To a certain extent the priest and the poachers’ chats do display the difference in social class, although the priest may intellectualise life, he is no different than the poacher as they both like to take advantage of a situation.
Beastings is a brutal novel which displays the nastier side of human nature. At times violent (and there are quite a few different types of violence so a trigger warning to sensitive readers), at times beautiful, this is an unforgettable novel.
The book is about a mute girl on the run through the fens after stealing her owner’s baby. On the chase are a priest and a poacher. The narrative shifts between the girl’s point of view and the priest and the poacher. Occaisonally there’s some back story.
This plot may seem simple but Beastings is a rich novel, mainly due to the characters, especially the priest: a bad tempered, snobbish hypocrite who manipulates religion to suit his needs. The Poacher is a bit shifty, tough and has a ‘take life as it is’ philosophy. The girl is a survivor, especially in this brutal world of men with animal instincts. Then there are the evocative descriptions of woodlife (having lived a long time in the Canadian forests, I could definitely relate to the nature related descriptions)
I saw the book as one of survival: the girl has to battle the elements in order to preserve the baby’s life. She also has to cope with human nature and by the unforgettable conclusion she does survive but at a cost. One could say it’s also about female strength. As I said the males she meets in the book, bar one are all led by a primal desires, which involve a disregard for human dignity.
Beastings also has other themes. The conversations between the priest and the poachers are philosophical, mostly about God’s will. To a certain extent the priest and the poachers’ chats do display the difference in social class, although the priest may intellectualise life, he is no different than the poacher as they both like to take advantage of a situation.
Beastings is a brutal novel which displays the nastier side of human nature. At times violent (and there are quite a few different types of violence so a trigger warning to sensitive readers), at times beautiful, this is an unforgettable novel.
March 31, 2016
In the past year or so I've become quite a fan of Benjamin Myers' fiction. First with his novel
Pig Iron
, a violently anti-pastoral story of a young man trying to lift himself above of family history and reputation in a region of England provides him belonging and oppression at once. Then it was Myers' novella
Snorri & Frosti
, the story of two woodcutter brothers in which language, plot, character, and place are stripped to Beckettish absurdity and abstraction but — and this is what so impressed me in that short work — in a manner that heightens rather than loses the sense of lives tightly tethered to place and landscape and labor.
Myers' new novel (his fourth, though I haven't yet read his first two) Beastings finds a fertile middle ground of sorts between Pig Iron and Snorri & Frosti. The northern English landscape is richly evoked in all its stark beauty and soggy hardship, as it was it in Pig Iron, while the characters are complex despite in most cases despite being left without names and known only as "the Priest," "the Poacher," "the baby," "the girl." And, as in the novella, that stripping away makes them stand out more sharply rather than less, which is also the case for the novel's vivid yet not-quite-defined place and time. It's a setting given enveloping presence if not always a name:
Beastings is a story of one character's escape — the girl has made off with the baby — and of her pursuit by the Priest and the Poacher. Escape and pursuit through the wild, animal stuff, and evocative of other novels from classics like Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Ian MacPherson's Wild Harbour to the contemporary like Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone and Bonnie Jo Campbell's Once Upon A River. It achieves an impressive weaving of voice, action, and landscape, as the prose becomes more raw and primal (reminding me of a similar technique in James Dickey's Deliverance) as the risk increases and the longer the girl suffers through the wilderness struggling to meet even the most basic needs. She is pared down to pure action, and impulse:
Beastings, like Pig Iron, is a violent novel. Inevitably so, once characters and events are set in motion, but as far off as we might see that violence and brutality coming it always arrives as a shock because, perhaps, of the false sense of pastoral comfort the reader can occasionally slip into as we walk through this sublime landscape via the suffering of others. But there's always a risk in forgetting to take a wild place seriously, and the same goes for wild people and in this case a wild novel, because Beastings is very much that: as capable of shock and surprise and vicarious pain for its reader as the most dangerous of places. It's no escape, this story, no still green place to rest in and no reassuring, predictable tale of outdoor adventure, but it is something much better than that.
Myers' new novel (his fourth, though I haven't yet read his first two) Beastings finds a fertile middle ground of sorts between Pig Iron and Snorri & Frosti. The northern English landscape is richly evoked in all its stark beauty and soggy hardship, as it was it in Pig Iron, while the characters are complex despite in most cases despite being left without names and known only as "the Priest," "the Poacher," "the baby," "the girl." And, as in the novella, that stripping away makes them stand out more sharply rather than less, which is also the case for the novel's vivid yet not-quite-defined place and time. It's a setting given enveloping presence if not always a name:
He walked on behind the Priest listening to the muted melody that the breeze played across the fells and the strange harmonies it created around rocks and he heard the screech of a bird — a kestrel by the look of it — high above them. He thought he could hear running water somewhere too and then the insistent bleating of a sheep and then a few few moments later the satisfied guttural groan of a cow a long way ahead of them and then a little while after that the screech of two crows first quarreling and then tumbling together and beneath it all — undercutting it all — the scrape and swish of his oilskin; the panting of the dog and reedy raspy breathing of the Priest.
There’s no silence out here Father he finally said but because it was uttered so quietly and the Priest offered no response the Poacher wondered whether he had even spoken the words out loud at all.
Beastings is a story of one character's escape — the girl has made off with the baby — and of her pursuit by the Priest and the Poacher. Escape and pursuit through the wild, animal stuff, and evocative of other novels from classics like Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Ian MacPherson's Wild Harbour to the contemporary like Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone and Bonnie Jo Campbell's Once Upon A River. It achieves an impressive weaving of voice, action, and landscape, as the prose becomes more raw and primal (reminding me of a similar technique in James Dickey's Deliverance) as the risk increases and the longer the girl suffers through the wilderness struggling to meet even the most basic needs. She is pared down to pure action, and impulse:
Broth for the baby. Potato for herself.
Then she swapped it and gave some of the cooked potato to the baby and took some soup for herself.
Potato for the baby, broth for herself.
Potato then broth. The fire crackling.
Potato then broth. Blowing on the embers.
When the potato was done she folded the skin and put it away for later. They finished the broth.The girl scraped the tin. Contorted her tongue. Lapped at it.
The girl threw bracken onto the fire to kill the glow but not the heat.
It started smoking then but she liked the smell it made so left it a while even though it was making her eyes water.
The baby belched.
So did she.
The baby slept.
So did she.
Beastings, like Pig Iron, is a violent novel. Inevitably so, once characters and events are set in motion, but as far off as we might see that violence and brutality coming it always arrives as a shock because, perhaps, of the false sense of pastoral comfort the reader can occasionally slip into as we walk through this sublime landscape via the suffering of others. But there's always a risk in forgetting to take a wild place seriously, and the same goes for wild people and in this case a wild novel, because Beastings is very much that: as capable of shock and surprise and vicarious pain for its reader as the most dangerous of places. It's no escape, this story, no still green place to rest in and no reassuring, predictable tale of outdoor adventure, but it is something much better than that.
April 21, 2019
Categorically not one for the faint-hearted, this spare and dark story of abuse, loneliness, hunger and desperation, but brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
A mute foundling flees a loveless life of violence and drudgery, taking the baby of her employer’s with her. She sets out into the hills of the Lake District, heading for an imagined paradise where she can build a safe life for herself and the child. She’s resourceful, smart and utterly determined, underestimated by everyone around her.
Following close behind is the Priest, who has overseen the girl’s upbringing in the local orphanage, and the Poacher, who is commissioned to track her. Both men loom sinister but the Father most of all, with his intense and raging obsession with finding and punishing his prey. Readers of Myer’s other novels will recognise his type, a barely human predator fuelled by maniacal compulsive self-interest.
The atmosphere of the northern hills is conjured in supple, precise prose. What I love best about Myer’s work is always this, the deep past that resonates through landscapes that are at once beautiful and sinister, often inhospitable, always indifferent, infused with centuries of stories
A mute foundling flees a loveless life of violence and drudgery, taking the baby of her employer’s with her. She sets out into the hills of the Lake District, heading for an imagined paradise where she can build a safe life for herself and the child. She’s resourceful, smart and utterly determined, underestimated by everyone around her.
Following close behind is the Priest, who has overseen the girl’s upbringing in the local orphanage, and the Poacher, who is commissioned to track her. Both men loom sinister but the Father most of all, with his intense and raging obsession with finding and punishing his prey. Readers of Myer’s other novels will recognise his type, a barely human predator fuelled by maniacal compulsive self-interest.
The atmosphere of the northern hills is conjured in supple, precise prose. What I love best about Myer’s work is always this, the deep past that resonates through landscapes that are at once beautiful and sinister, often inhospitable, always indifferent, infused with centuries of stories
September 7, 2022
“And don’t look back. Because behind you is the past and that is fixed; that has happened and cannot be changed but in front is a future waiting to be shaped.” p130.
Benjamin Myer’s Beastings is truly a sobering and grim read and I am left somewhat rattled come the truly shocking culmination of events that take place right up to the very last word. This is truly a story of power, control, abuse, terror and urgency as the girl and the baby are pursued relentlessly by the priest with the aid of the poacher.
Myers has crafted a tale that builds in momentum and agitation. I found myself dealing with increased feelings of stress throughout the book, feeling the sense of pursuit, willing the hunted to not be outwitted by the hunter. Employing a really unique writing style, Myers uses only capital letters and full stops in terms of punctuation. There are no commas, quotation marks or question marks. I loved the way that this added to the flow of the words and didn’t detract remotely but gave the writing a richness and depth. Myers is a beautifully descriptive writer employing vivid imagery in his words that enabled me to be so present throughout. Set in the Cumbrian fells somewhere in the late 19th century (only one clue is given as to the time period), this is historical fiction at its descriptive best.
As a reader I found myself having to fill in some gaps insofar as to the circumstances around the main characters. Some of these gaps were filled a little throughout the book whereas others were still unknown by the end. What did become totally obvious however was the abuse of power underpinning the entire story. The way Myers interspersed passages from scripture throughout to reinforce various thoughts was very judicious and gave the story an edge of austerity that added to the grimness that was evident on every page.
Myers is an eloquent writer. This is a hard hitting and brutal read. It moved me.
Benjamin Myer’s Beastings is truly a sobering and grim read and I am left somewhat rattled come the truly shocking culmination of events that take place right up to the very last word. This is truly a story of power, control, abuse, terror and urgency as the girl and the baby are pursued relentlessly by the priest with the aid of the poacher.
Myers has crafted a tale that builds in momentum and agitation. I found myself dealing with increased feelings of stress throughout the book, feeling the sense of pursuit, willing the hunted to not be outwitted by the hunter. Employing a really unique writing style, Myers uses only capital letters and full stops in terms of punctuation. There are no commas, quotation marks or question marks. I loved the way that this added to the flow of the words and didn’t detract remotely but gave the writing a richness and depth. Myers is a beautifully descriptive writer employing vivid imagery in his words that enabled me to be so present throughout. Set in the Cumbrian fells somewhere in the late 19th century (only one clue is given as to the time period), this is historical fiction at its descriptive best.
As a reader I found myself having to fill in some gaps insofar as to the circumstances around the main characters. Some of these gaps were filled a little throughout the book whereas others were still unknown by the end. What did become totally obvious however was the abuse of power underpinning the entire story. The way Myers interspersed passages from scripture throughout to reinforce various thoughts was very judicious and gave the story an edge of austerity that added to the grimness that was evident on every page.
Myers is an eloquent writer. This is a hard hitting and brutal read. It moved me.
February 23, 2022
(Review originally published on my blog, January 2015)
At the beginning of Beastings, I enjoyed the narrative for all the reasons I expected to: its rawness, the sparse and visceral language, and a cold and bleak and painful evocation of the English landscape, portrayed with greater emphasis on its harshness and wildness than its beauty. For several chapters it's near-impossible to tell what time period the story is taking place in: could be medieval times, could be a post-apocalyptic future. Adding to the folkloric feel, the characters remain nameless.
'The girl', having taken 'the baby' from a family she was working for, is on the run. Fleeing across open ground with few provisions, she relies largely on the shelter and food provided by nature in order to survive - she receives help from a handful of strangers, but she is mute, and so unable (as well as unwilling) to forge a connection with anyone she meets. In pursuit of her are 'the Priest' and 'the Poacher'. The Priest is a corrupt man, without conscience or pity, determined to capture the girl for reasons far beyond her abduction of the child; the Poacher simply hired to help him, with little investment of his own in their mission.
The girl's history is revealed in fragments as she remembers scenes from her life before this escape; more shards of pain than real memories, with barely a scrap of happiness to provide relief. The Priest's story, and his motivation, is made clearer during his terse conversations with the Poacher. None of the characters are spared any discomfort; violence is never far away. There's little punctuation, and speech intermingles with the rest of the text, enhancing the unique presence of the landscape in the story and constantly shifting the reader's focus back to simple instincts and actions. The title, 'beastings', refers to the first milk drawn from a mother's breast, but the word 'beast' and its variations appear frequently throughout the book, and the way the story concentrates on its characters' animalistic behaviour - whether performed out of necessity or by choice - is impossible to ignore.
Is it awful to admit I didn't like this book as much as I could have because I could not have cared less what happened to the girl and the baby? It didn't matter to me whether they were caught by the Poacher and the Priest, or whether they died or what. The girl and the Poacher annoyed me, and that only left the almost comically evil Priest. Scenes ostensibly demonstrating the girl's ingenuity failed to make an impact on me because she never seemed like anything more than a symbol; a foil of purity and good intentions to offset the maliciousness of the Priest. As the story wore on, I found myself hoping the Priest would survive and succeed purely because his presence provided the only spark of real interest among the characters.
I don't intend to discuss certain events towards the end - - in any detail. I'll just say I felt they were unccessary and I didn't see what message the author was trying to convey here.
Beastings is well-crafted; admirable in its use of stripped-down language and sharp, minimal dialogue. In several ways it reminded me of Katherine Faw Morris's Young God . The story may be very different, but the narrative is equally bare and muscular, and here again is the tale of a young, abused girl trying to survive on her own. Unlike Young God, this novel has a tragic ending, but it's similarly shocking, abrupt, desolate. 'Like an American Southern Gothic tale set against the violent beauty of Northern England', says the blurb - and it's accurate: but Beastings joins the ranks of books I admired rather than liked.
At the beginning of Beastings, I enjoyed the narrative for all the reasons I expected to: its rawness, the sparse and visceral language, and a cold and bleak and painful evocation of the English landscape, portrayed with greater emphasis on its harshness and wildness than its beauty. For several chapters it's near-impossible to tell what time period the story is taking place in: could be medieval times, could be a post-apocalyptic future. Adding to the folkloric feel, the characters remain nameless.
'The girl', having taken 'the baby' from a family she was working for, is on the run. Fleeing across open ground with few provisions, she relies largely on the shelter and food provided by nature in order to survive - she receives help from a handful of strangers, but she is mute, and so unable (as well as unwilling) to forge a connection with anyone she meets. In pursuit of her are 'the Priest' and 'the Poacher'. The Priest is a corrupt man, without conscience or pity, determined to capture the girl for reasons far beyond her abduction of the child; the Poacher simply hired to help him, with little investment of his own in their mission.
The girl's history is revealed in fragments as she remembers scenes from her life before this escape; more shards of pain than real memories, with barely a scrap of happiness to provide relief. The Priest's story, and his motivation, is made clearer during his terse conversations with the Poacher. None of the characters are spared any discomfort; violence is never far away. There's little punctuation, and speech intermingles with the rest of the text, enhancing the unique presence of the landscape in the story and constantly shifting the reader's focus back to simple instincts and actions. The title, 'beastings', refers to the first milk drawn from a mother's breast, but the word 'beast' and its variations appear frequently throughout the book, and the way the story concentrates on its characters' animalistic behaviour - whether performed out of necessity or by choice - is impossible to ignore.
Is it awful to admit I didn't like this book as much as I could have because I could not have cared less what happened to the girl and the baby? It didn't matter to me whether they were caught by the Poacher and the Priest, or whether they died or what. The girl and the Poacher annoyed me, and that only left the almost comically evil Priest. Scenes ostensibly demonstrating the girl's ingenuity failed to make an impact on me because she never seemed like anything more than a symbol; a foil of purity and good intentions to offset the maliciousness of the Priest. As the story wore on, I found myself hoping the Priest would survive and succeed purely because his presence provided the only spark of real interest among the characters.
I don't intend to discuss certain events towards the end - - in any detail. I'll just say I felt they were unccessary and I didn't see what message the author was trying to convey here.
Beastings is well-crafted; admirable in its use of stripped-down language and sharp, minimal dialogue. In several ways it reminded me of Katherine Faw Morris's Young God . The story may be very different, but the narrative is equally bare and muscular, and here again is the tale of a young, abused girl trying to survive on her own. Unlike Young God, this novel has a tragic ending, but it's similarly shocking, abrupt, desolate. 'Like an American Southern Gothic tale set against the violent beauty of Northern England', says the blurb - and it's accurate: but Beastings joins the ranks of books I admired rather than liked.
June 2, 2022
I was left stunned by this one. I got drawn in from the start but the horrors and intensity kept increasing until the very last page. I need a long lie down now!
July 21, 2015
Beautifully written. Couldn't put down. Got my heart beating very fast at times. Will be looking out for more from Benjamin Myers.
January 27, 2021
Holy shit. This novel is fucking brutal... what happens to the poacher, to the girl at the end... shit is so fucked up...
January 1, 2015
like a better cormac mccarthy, but rendered in distinctly english tones - just look at this dialogue!
...and then he spoke.
I will leave your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass, he said.
Yeah said the Poacher.
I will water the land with what flows from you and the river beds shall be filled with your blood.
The Poacher nodded.
He will and all.
When I snuff you out I will cover the heavens and all the stars will darken said the Priest.
And that'll learn you.
the subtlety, too - the way it's formatted with no speech marks - who's talking here, at the end? another interjection from the poacher? a break in tone from the priest? authorial interjection? there's no way to know and it's fucking glorious.
myers almost lulls you in, sweetening the human horror with anonymous characters and pastoral scenery; by the last third the nightmare's descended it's all as visceral and brutal and violent as the wild landscape can truly be.
this is rich, gripping stuff, and the ending is a punch in the fucking face. happy new year!
...and then he spoke.
I will leave your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass, he said.
Yeah said the Poacher.
I will water the land with what flows from you and the river beds shall be filled with your blood.
The Poacher nodded.
He will and all.
When I snuff you out I will cover the heavens and all the stars will darken said the Priest.
And that'll learn you.
the subtlety, too - the way it's formatted with no speech marks - who's talking here, at the end? another interjection from the poacher? a break in tone from the priest? authorial interjection? there's no way to know and it's fucking glorious.
myers almost lulls you in, sweetening the human horror with anonymous characters and pastoral scenery; by the last third the nightmare's descended it's all as visceral and brutal and violent as the wild landscape can truly be.
this is rich, gripping stuff, and the ending is a punch in the fucking face. happy new year!
August 24, 2018
In the dead of night a teenage girl lifts the baby she is caring for out of the cot and walks out of the house and up into the Cumbrian Hills. Her desire to be far far away from that place drives her and she has taken very little possessions and almost no protection against the elements.
When the householder discovers her absence he heads to speak to the local priest, as she came from the workhouse under his charge. The incensed priest calls on the services of the local poacher and his dog to help him track the girl down.
She walks up into the hills, sleeping rough, staying out of sight, getting help from those that can see a vulnerable girl in need. Living on almost nothing the child and her begin to suffer. She takes risks, some of which pay off. All to put distance between her and the baby and the man she knows will be following.
Poacher and priest march on relentlessly. Seeking, tracking, following trails and finding where they slept. They are wary of each other though, constantly battling through their dialogue. The priest claims the moral high ground, the poacher goading, before getting a glimpse of what obsesses the priest.
Two Benjamin Myers books in a week is a baptism by literary fire. Thought the Gallows Pole was brilliant, but this is another level of intensity again. The sparse prose emerges deep from within the landscape they are traversing and it seeks into your psyche capillary style. The characters are not two dimensional, rather they are stark and raw like a grainy black and white picture. I thought that the juxtaposition between who you would perceive as good and who actually was, was really cleverly done. It deals with some very dark disturbing themes, as one pair chase the other across the hills and the ending does not pull any punches at all.
Shocking. Brilliant. If you liked the Wasp Factory, this is another book like that.
When the householder discovers her absence he heads to speak to the local priest, as she came from the workhouse under his charge. The incensed priest calls on the services of the local poacher and his dog to help him track the girl down.
She walks up into the hills, sleeping rough, staying out of sight, getting help from those that can see a vulnerable girl in need. Living on almost nothing the child and her begin to suffer. She takes risks, some of which pay off. All to put distance between her and the baby and the man she knows will be following.
Poacher and priest march on relentlessly. Seeking, tracking, following trails and finding where they slept. They are wary of each other though, constantly battling through their dialogue. The priest claims the moral high ground, the poacher goading, before getting a glimpse of what obsesses the priest.
Two Benjamin Myers books in a week is a baptism by literary fire. Thought the Gallows Pole was brilliant, but this is another level of intensity again. The sparse prose emerges deep from within the landscape they are traversing and it seeks into your psyche capillary style. The characters are not two dimensional, rather they are stark and raw like a grainy black and white picture. I thought that the juxtaposition between who you would perceive as good and who actually was, was really cleverly done. It deals with some very dark disturbing themes, as one pair chase the other across the hills and the ending does not pull any punches at all.
Shocking. Brilliant. If you liked the Wasp Factory, this is another book like that.
July 31, 2015
This is one of those books difficult to fit into a category. That interests me initially. As the main character is 16 years old it could fit into the 'coming of age' genre. Certainly it is historical, and though the year is never revealed my estimate would be the early 1900's. Also it is dark, so it could go in 'noir'. The fells and weather of the eastern Lake District enhance that mood. Myers spares nothing in his descriptions in the more gruesome scenes, if which there are several.
The setting is appealing, especially to me, living very close the eastern fells. As is the theme of anti-religion which is clear throughout. There are a few novels recently that do this; commentaries on the established church of the day. A few have come out of the US (Donald Ray Pollock amongst several others), but less form the UK.
There is some good humour also. Notably with the character of the Poacher, and his interactions with the Priest. Reminders at times of the humour in the great 'The Sisters Brothers'.
The setting is appealing, especially to me, living very close the eastern fells. As is the theme of anti-religion which is clear throughout. There are a few novels recently that do this; commentaries on the established church of the day. A few have come out of the US (Donald Ray Pollock amongst several others), but less form the UK.
There is some good humour also. Notably with the character of the Poacher, and his interactions with the Priest. Reminders at times of the humour in the great 'The Sisters Brothers'.
November 20, 2016
When I snuff you out I will cover the heavens and all the stars will darken said the priest. And that’ll learn you.
Beastings is a mighty read. Even on a Kindle you can feel the weight of it in your hand. It tells the story of a chase across the Lake District as a priest and his poacher guide attempt to track down a young mute girl and the baby she has taken from its home.
The girl in question is escaping a history of pain and misery in the hands of her pursuer. Her life was destroyed by the priest and she was sent to work as a nanny to a family in a home packed with bitterness, disease and hate. When the baby’s well-being became threatened, the girl decided to take her away to safety. In doing so, she discovers a new meaning to the world and a finds a hope that is as bright and as fleeting as the sunrise. With no resources, she learns to live from the land and to accept the kindness of strangers.
Meanwhile, the priest enlists the help of a poacher and sets of in pursuit. The motives for the chase are entirely self-centred as the priest needs to keep his abuses in the home for girls quiet. He’s even scared to sleep in the presence of others as he talks in his sleep and can’t afford to let any clues about his life slip from his mouth. He’s dark to the core and ranks up there with the most unpleasant characters I’ve ever met on the page. The fact that he is a man driven by his religious zest and who can articulate his philosophies to his own end make him even more frightening than even his actions suggest. His steady decline as he indulges in his addiction for the marching powder that fuels his zeal only adds further to his menace. His conversations with the poacher are intoxicating. The poacher is at one with the landscape and sees the world through practical eyes. He’s a great contrast to the priest and the pair’s arguments are extremely entertaining. They also highlight the bleak and sparse writing style of the book, one that echoes the rugged and stony terrain in which they travel. The humour is pointed as flint, the priest’s lack of emotion as cold as exposed Cumbrian rock.
The material of the book makes it difficult at times and it certainly isn’t for the faint hearted. To me, the harrowing nature of many aspects of the story simply made it more enticing. The chase itself is gripping, but there’s so much more to hold your attention than that. The dialect is superb. The dialogue is a treat to experience. The description of the area and of the way humans interact with it is beautiful. The battle between the nascent hope and the poisonous power of the inevitable is compelling. The climax was a total surprise to me and tattooed itself on the inside of my brain when I reached the end.
Beastings is a gem. It’s a book that deserves to be read and appreciated. There are many flavours to the writing and I suspect there are a host of literary and poetic influences which Myers collects and shakes to create a cocktail that is all of his own.
Highly recommended.
Beastings is a mighty read. Even on a Kindle you can feel the weight of it in your hand. It tells the story of a chase across the Lake District as a priest and his poacher guide attempt to track down a young mute girl and the baby she has taken from its home.
The girl in question is escaping a history of pain and misery in the hands of her pursuer. Her life was destroyed by the priest and she was sent to work as a nanny to a family in a home packed with bitterness, disease and hate. When the baby’s well-being became threatened, the girl decided to take her away to safety. In doing so, she discovers a new meaning to the world and a finds a hope that is as bright and as fleeting as the sunrise. With no resources, she learns to live from the land and to accept the kindness of strangers.
Meanwhile, the priest enlists the help of a poacher and sets of in pursuit. The motives for the chase are entirely self-centred as the priest needs to keep his abuses in the home for girls quiet. He’s even scared to sleep in the presence of others as he talks in his sleep and can’t afford to let any clues about his life slip from his mouth. He’s dark to the core and ranks up there with the most unpleasant characters I’ve ever met on the page. The fact that he is a man driven by his religious zest and who can articulate his philosophies to his own end make him even more frightening than even his actions suggest. His steady decline as he indulges in his addiction for the marching powder that fuels his zeal only adds further to his menace. His conversations with the poacher are intoxicating. The poacher is at one with the landscape and sees the world through practical eyes. He’s a great contrast to the priest and the pair’s arguments are extremely entertaining. They also highlight the bleak and sparse writing style of the book, one that echoes the rugged and stony terrain in which they travel. The humour is pointed as flint, the priest’s lack of emotion as cold as exposed Cumbrian rock.
The material of the book makes it difficult at times and it certainly isn’t for the faint hearted. To me, the harrowing nature of many aspects of the story simply made it more enticing. The chase itself is gripping, but there’s so much more to hold your attention than that. The dialect is superb. The dialogue is a treat to experience. The description of the area and of the way humans interact with it is beautiful. The battle between the nascent hope and the poisonous power of the inevitable is compelling. The climax was a total surprise to me and tattooed itself on the inside of my brain when I reached the end.
Beastings is a gem. It’s a book that deserves to be read and appreciated. There are many flavours to the writing and I suspect there are a host of literary and poetic influences which Myers collects and shakes to create a cocktail that is all of his own.
Highly recommended.
November 30, 2015
It's a dark and visceral novel this. Earthy and elemental - it's so entrenched in its landscape that by the end you feel as though you have dirt under your fingernails and twigs in your hair. A gripping horror story - it's not for the faint-hearted...
September 3, 2022
An absolute gut punch of a novel. Incredible.
June 15, 2025
This book put a spotlight on the abuse and brainwashing that is committed in the church and I am ALWAYS down for that.
June 1, 2022
I needed to catch my breath before writing down my thoughts on this dark, visceral, unnerving book. This is my second book by Benjamin Myers, who I am discovering will likely be among my favorite writers.
Beastings is a timeless tale of evil. It opens with a priest and a poacher in a woods so dark they can't see their hands in front of their faces and the preacher certain he hears an infant crying, but it's not a baby, the poacher assures him, it's the awful sound of foxes mating. This unsettling sound and confusion in the pitch black of night sets the tone of the book.
We next meet the runaway and the infant with whom she is escaping. We learn of the girl's hope of making it to an island where she heard there are no serpents, where she and the baby can be safe and happy. Over the course of the story we learn more about the why the girl ran and why she took the child. Mostly we learn the depths of depravity to which a man can descend and how he justifies it, and what it does to a child when a whole town turns a blind eye.
There are only a few clues as to when this book is set, which not only added to feeling of being lost and disoriented, but also spoke to the nature of evil, which is universal and timeless.
Ben Myers' prose borders on poetic, and, as in The Gallows Pole, I felt that I was no longer in my suburban home; Mr Myers puts one in the scene; I felt that I was struggling, hungry, exhausted, and desperate through the woods and over fells.
This is not a light read, it is suspenseful, unsettling, at times ugly, and only a few times times hopeful, but I highly recommend it. Now I'm going to read Pig Iron by Benjamin Myers.
Beastings is a timeless tale of evil. It opens with a priest and a poacher in a woods so dark they can't see their hands in front of their faces and the preacher certain he hears an infant crying, but it's not a baby, the poacher assures him, it's the awful sound of foxes mating. This unsettling sound and confusion in the pitch black of night sets the tone of the book.
We next meet the runaway and the infant with whom she is escaping. We learn of the girl's hope of making it to an island where she heard there are no serpents, where she and the baby can be safe and happy. Over the course of the story we learn more about the why the girl ran and why she took the child. Mostly we learn the depths of depravity to which a man can descend and how he justifies it, and what it does to a child when a whole town turns a blind eye.
There are only a few clues as to when this book is set, which not only added to feeling of being lost and disoriented, but also spoke to the nature of evil, which is universal and timeless.
Ben Myers' prose borders on poetic, and, as in The Gallows Pole, I felt that I was no longer in my suburban home; Mr Myers puts one in the scene; I felt that I was struggling, hungry, exhausted, and desperate through the woods and over fells.
This is not a light read, it is suspenseful, unsettling, at times ugly, and only a few times times hopeful, but I highly recommend it. Now I'm going to read Pig Iron by Benjamin Myers.
September 1, 2015
Benjamin Myers’ Beastings follows the pursuit of a young mute girl and the baby she abducted by a vengeful priest and the poacher who acts as his guide through the bleak mountains of Northern England. The writing, like the landscape the novel is set in, is bare. Most characters are unnamed. The priest is “the Priest”, the poacher “the Poacher”. The girl’s name pops up at some stage, but she remains “she”, or “the girl” all the same. Likewise, we can gather that the action takes place sometime in the late nineteenth century, but clues are few and far between, and much of the book could well be set a century earlier or later.
This careful vagueness gives the story an almost fairy tale-like atmosphere, if fairy tales were that graphic and relentless. The characters, those already mentioned and a couple more who appear for a few pages, are starkly drawn. Myers’ great achievement is how vividly he manages to show them and their past, their motivations, making us believe in the inevitability of the brutal events we witness (Beastings is anything but a feel-good book) and of the tough choices they make. The girl and the baby face starvation while fleeing from the obsessed, psychopathic Priest and there are many violent episodes, but the reader (this one, anyway) is compelled to read on.
Landscape is another of Beastings’ characters, and Myers has to be praised for casting it in such a prominent role, for doing for the Cumbrian mountains what is more often done by American writers and film-makers.
This is beautiful writing, and a very confident voice that will definitely make me look for more Myers on bookshop shelves.
[Review originally posted in The Prairie Schooner's Briefly Noted]
This careful vagueness gives the story an almost fairy tale-like atmosphere, if fairy tales were that graphic and relentless. The characters, those already mentioned and a couple more who appear for a few pages, are starkly drawn. Myers’ great achievement is how vividly he manages to show them and their past, their motivations, making us believe in the inevitability of the brutal events we witness (Beastings is anything but a feel-good book) and of the tough choices they make. The girl and the baby face starvation while fleeing from the obsessed, psychopathic Priest and there are many violent episodes, but the reader (this one, anyway) is compelled to read on.
Landscape is another of Beastings’ characters, and Myers has to be praised for casting it in such a prominent role, for doing for the Cumbrian mountains what is more often done by American writers and film-makers.
This is beautiful writing, and a very confident voice that will definitely make me look for more Myers on bookshop shelves.
[Review originally posted in The Prairie Schooner's Briefly Noted]
October 5, 2015
Loved this book. The narrative style with lack of punctuation makes if compelling reading and encourages reading at pace, it also adds to the strangeness of the story. Although some descriptions in the story suggest it's set in the last century, this feels like an ancient tale, as old as the hills it so brilliantly brings to life. The girl in the story could be a sheep, lost in the fells, desparately trying to find shelter but aware of the fox on its tail. The writing is visceral, and brutal in places with the violence coming suddenly, though not unexpectly as there's tension from the start. I was gripped throughout. Not a book for the squeamish though.
November 7, 2014
This year I've read *so* many good books (not least because I'm basing my reading on recommendations made by writers on twitter) and in a year of great books this is one that really stood out (the other being The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth - which I read because Benjamin Myers was enthusing about it!)
I live in the Lake District and this book captures the language and the landscape of this area vividly. The writing draws you in - such that my reactions to some of the events were almost physical.
A powerful , brilliant book - deserves to be widely read.
I live in the Lake District and this book captures the language and the landscape of this area vividly. The writing draws you in - such that my reactions to some of the events were almost physical.
A powerful , brilliant book - deserves to be widely read.
October 5, 2023
Tog med denna som semesterläsning i England och hann läsa en del under ett pubbesök i väntan på tåget, men sedan har den blivit liggande. När jag återupptog läsningen kunde jag inte lägga ner den.
Det finns hela tiden en naturlig och brådskande framåtrörelse i boken eftersom protagonisten bokstavligen är jagad och aldrig kan stanna på samma plats för länge.
Folk jämför den med southern gothic och det förstår jag verkligen. Så. Jävla. Mörkt. Stilen är precis som i The Gallows Pole (vad jag minns) avskalad och utan kommatecken. Han använder dialogen skickligt för att visa karaktärernas motiv och idéerna de representerar, stundtals blir det väldigt roligt (prästens och tjuvjägarens religiösa "diskussioner"). Välbehövligt i en i övrigt så pass tröstlös och våldsam bok. Wow, måste läsa fler av hans grejer nu genast.
Det finns hela tiden en naturlig och brådskande framåtrörelse i boken eftersom protagonisten bokstavligen är jagad och aldrig kan stanna på samma plats för länge.
Folk jämför den med southern gothic och det förstår jag verkligen. Så. Jävla. Mörkt. Stilen är precis som i The Gallows Pole (vad jag minns) avskalad och utan kommatecken. Han använder dialogen skickligt för att visa karaktärernas motiv och idéerna de representerar, stundtals blir det väldigt roligt (prästens och tjuvjägarens religiösa "diskussioner"). Välbehövligt i en i övrigt så pass tröstlös och våldsam bok. Wow, måste läsa fler av hans grejer nu genast.
May 4, 2025
The Priest in this is probably the most vile character I’ve ever read! A tense cat and mouse tale that reads like a bounty hunter western set in the Lake District. Love the way Myers captures the way nature can be both a sanctuary and a place of menace. The ending was probably even darker than I anticipated. The only reason it’s not 5 star for me is I didn’t feel completely gripped by the central female character. But still, Myers doing his folk noir thing exceptionally.
March 18, 2024
CWs: institutional abuse, child sexual abuse, drug use, domestic violence, rape
September 10, 2024
3.5 stars
Really well-written, exceptionally bleak! It would have been a 4, but towards the end I was getting a little tired of the whole chase. The ending definitely stopped me in my tracks though!
Really well-written, exceptionally bleak! It would have been a 4, but towards the end I was getting a little tired of the whole chase. The ending definitely stopped me in my tracks though!
October 30, 2024
Holy. Shit.
I've found my new favourite genre: grim as fuck historic British fiction where cruel shit happens to desperate people.
After hugely enjoying the sheer scrungy rawness of The Gallows Pole and His Bloody Project, I wanted to keep in the zone of this newly discovered vein of historic British bleakness. Beastings takes that terrain of historical brutality and cranks the tension even higher, delivering a story that feels like a slow, relentless nightmare. Where The Gallows Pole and His Bloody Project were looking to justify their protagonists' crimes, Beastings is an even more visceral plunge into human darkness. It doesn't just explore misery—it revels in it.
Essentially this is Cormac McCarthy's wretchedly grotesque Outer Dark set in the Lake District. An air of ruin permeates this bleak tale of abandonment and desperate flight. Strong echoes of the Southern Gothic horror film Night of the Hunter: dark woods, strange noises in the night, danger at every turn and a deranged priest hellbent on finding his quarry dead or alive.
But the terror and desperation of the young girl's flight is juxtaposed by a reverence for the poetic beauty of the natural landscape through which the young girl is fleeing. Myers' Lake District is a character in itself, a rural idyll that is beautiful and sinister, both saviour and executioner, and at times can be as harsh and unforgiving as the demented priest chasing his quarry.
The narrative is both poetic and propulsive. I felt like I was chewing my way through the pages, immediately hooked by the raw struggle for survival and the slow rot of hope as we watch the girl journey into the deepest recesses of despair. Myers has crafted a story that may not offer redemption, but it is unforgettable.
A brutal, dark, desolate novel, devoid of all hope. Should I be concerned at how much I loved it?
I've found my new favourite genre: grim as fuck historic British fiction where cruel shit happens to desperate people.
After hugely enjoying the sheer scrungy rawness of The Gallows Pole and His Bloody Project, I wanted to keep in the zone of this newly discovered vein of historic British bleakness. Beastings takes that terrain of historical brutality and cranks the tension even higher, delivering a story that feels like a slow, relentless nightmare. Where The Gallows Pole and His Bloody Project were looking to justify their protagonists' crimes, Beastings is an even more visceral plunge into human darkness. It doesn't just explore misery—it revels in it.
Essentially this is Cormac McCarthy's wretchedly grotesque Outer Dark set in the Lake District. An air of ruin permeates this bleak tale of abandonment and desperate flight. Strong echoes of the Southern Gothic horror film Night of the Hunter: dark woods, strange noises in the night, danger at every turn and a deranged priest hellbent on finding his quarry dead or alive.
But the terror and desperation of the young girl's flight is juxtaposed by a reverence for the poetic beauty of the natural landscape through which the young girl is fleeing. Myers' Lake District is a character in itself, a rural idyll that is beautiful and sinister, both saviour and executioner, and at times can be as harsh and unforgiving as the demented priest chasing his quarry.
The narrative is both poetic and propulsive. I felt like I was chewing my way through the pages, immediately hooked by the raw struggle for survival and the slow rot of hope as we watch the girl journey into the deepest recesses of despair. Myers has crafted a story that may not offer redemption, but it is unforgettable.
A brutal, dark, desolate novel, devoid of all hope. Should I be concerned at how much I loved it?
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