Hollow in the Land

by James Clarke

Out walking Ada Robinson's dog while his wife drinks herself into a forgetful fug, Harry Maiden discovers an intricate system of caves beneath the wind turbines. Over at the Woolpack one night, Rosco re-encounters friendships he thought he'd left behind at the Stubbins paper mill. Mad old Gos leads a mysterious treasure hunt to the Bronze Age burial site at Whitelow Cairn.

This is the Hollow in the Land: a corner of England teeming with mystery and intrigue and filled with real, flesh-and-blood characters, each of them at a different point along life's journey through childhood hopefulness, faded first love and middle-aged disillusionment. Hollow in the Land uncovers the small everyday mysteries of their lives - and ours.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2020

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this novel took ages to get going in my mind its separate stories about people who live in the valley in Lancashire its relatively modern in its outlook and the subjects its looking at.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Clarke’s second offering as soon as I was alerted to its existence, and my first impression was that these were fourteen quite discrete short stories connected by place. There was just a slight inkling of cross-referencing of characters and themes. Unusually, rather than wait twenty five years to return to Hollow In The Land, I went for an almost immediate re-read, to try to join the dots between the chapters and characters, to hard-wire the connections and to see it as a more coherent whole, to which others more observant than me have already alluded.

Despite my determination to savour it slowly, as Clarke’s languid and precise prose demands in both this and The Litten Path, I finally raced through it to allow me to make the connections whilst previous chapters were still in my mind. And there are many – some overt, others clever hints and off-the-cuff allusions. There may be a dull managerial spreadsheet forming to map the relationships.

It’s staggeringly good for a second publication. It gives the feeling, as did The Litten Path, that Clarke has thoughtfully selected every word as he paints his pictures and offers his denouements, and although the author is reportedly working on his third novel, there are enough loose ends left dangling invitingly for a sequel to a collection where, like Hardy’s Egdon Heath and Grassic Gibbon’s Mearns, the land itself is a major character.

Hollow In The Land is a book where there’s almost a need to have all five senses engaged constantly.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

'I walk along the tops to the churr of hovering skylarks, keeping the view in sight, the breeze forcing my unzipped coat open, and I don't care. I negotiate cattle grid, stile and field using the brown mass of the valley as my North Star.'
.
I read this whilst we were away, and even though I hadn't realised each chapter would be distinct - more a collection of short stories than a novel - I enjoyed it. Set in a valley in Northern England, Hollow in the Land moves amongst a tragi-comic set of characters as they carve out a living in the streets, pubs, warehouses and farms of a place shaped by a sense that life is happening elsewhere. Clarke's writing is distinct - darkly funny, sharp but generous, and it was good to read something set in a landscape that contemporary fiction often forgets. 3.5 stars.

[Michael Rumney · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories where nothing much happens. There are no inciting incidents and no definite conclusions to end each Story.
Clarke does give a sense of place to what is the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire, but concentrates on more of the grittier aspects of the area. Even when characters venture into Burnley they end up in the Burnley Wood part of the town which isn't the nicest.
One thing I did struggle with was the lack of speech marks around dialogue, this seems to be a modern trend which I can't agree with.

[Natalie Dodds · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book! This was chosen as my book groups book for the month. I hated every single second.

It is made up of various short stories but they have no purpose at all. Nothing actually happens in these short stories.

There are also no speech marks. I am told this is a new fashionable way to write. I found it distracting.

All in all, this is possible the worst book I have ever read. I'm glad others have enjoyed it but this really was not for me.

[Runningrara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book set just over the hill from me in the Rossendale valley. Basically a collection of short stories featuring a ragtag bunch of society's misfits. I am now under the impression that the inhabitants of "The Valley" are all oddballs and druggies, which my friend, who lives that way, assures me is pretty accurate.

[Tom Blay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clarke's set of short stories do a good job of encapsulating working class Britain. All are linked by their location and sometimes by parts of their lives. A lot of the short stories are left on a cliffhanger and open to interpretation which in some ways is nice as you dont feel walked through everything but occasionally it leaves you with a sense of needing more.

An enjoyable read though.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might be tempted to conclude that the vignettes presented are gothic caricatures of life in Rossendale - and by extension, other areas going through the same changes. But I grew up there, and I have to say, James really nailed the vibe with the content and writing quality.

A compelling read even (or especially) if you *don't* come from such a place.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty good although I feel the stand alone stories could have been more closely linked. Some were a lot stronger than others, I especially enjoyed the final story.
A good depiction of northern towns

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even if some of the stories are fascinating the book didn't keep my attention and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Dave Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. A collection of short stories which, apart from geographical, have no connection between them. An overuse of intricate metaphors adds to the frustration.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of short stories, occasionally mention of people in earlier stories but mainly linked by place. Mostly unremittingly grim.

[Sam Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ruth Brookes · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
Couldn’t engage with the characters & stories enough to want to finish this.

[Annette Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure whether to rate 2 stars or 3, so maybe 2.5. I expected this to be a series of interlinked short stories that made a complete story but it turned out to be just a collection of fairly average short stories, all set in the same part of Lancashire and sometimes a character would reappear in another story. It all seemed to lack maturity somehow and I found myself losing interest by the end.