East-Daikon’s Reviews > The Owl Service > Status Update

alison has been instructed by her mother not to talk to gwyn but she's still doing it and being all, "oh me mustn't!"

ngl, this book did make me question if the author's wife had perhaps strayed (best scenario) or fallen in love with someone else (worst scenario) but while he's been married twice there's no allusions to anything like that online...

okay so gwyn's mother nancy was in a relationship with alison's father's cousin that she inherited the estate by. they were supposed to marry but something happened. this is getting complicated. is he the father? are alison and gwyn blood relatives? this is very tangled

oh wait i misunderstood. gwyn's not supposed to be the husband, he's the equivalent of the secret lover. there really was a message in the sprouts, i thought that that was some sort of old fashioned metaphor but it was literal. this book is very confusing. roger trying to get an adult (huw) fired is something. huw knows everything, is he supposed to be the wizard who created the wife in the first place? i'm not sure

first nine chapters done. the legend has been related a bit more clearly now: wizard makes a wife for man #1. wife pursues man #2 romantically. man #2 kills man #1, wizard resurrects him, man #1 kills man #2 and the wife gets turned into an owl. it's a disaster for everybody but as huw says "none of them is to blame, together they are destroying each other". in between his moments of clarity he's acting really weird

first seven chapters done. gwyn's acting strangely. when his mother wouldn't give him an advance on his pocket money he left an owl pellet from the loft in her wallet.

at the shops the women in town seem to know that "she's coming" as huw has said, and that they "must bear it, there's no escaping" - i don't quite understand who is coming and why it will be bad for everyone

up to chapter six. nancy wants the loft nailed shut but has a problem with huw and won't let him in the house. the plates are mysteriously shattering on their own. huw's grandfather made the plates. huw tells them about the stone of gronw (unsure if this is right: man kills husband and takes up with the wife. dead husband comes back and kills man???) am mildly confused

honestly half the reason this is so confusing is the dated language

"I'd better go and butter up the old darling... don't worry, I'll buy her a packet of fags to keep her happy." To me this sounds like an adult talking about a disgruntled elderly neighbour who's made a noise complaint. But it's actually a teenage son talking about his mother. It sounds so weird to me, almost disrespectful given their relationship...

chapter three: i've finally figured out all the characters. two adults: clive and margaret who are a couple. their children: roger (boy #2) and alison. the help: huw and nancy. nancy's son: gwyn (boy #1)

at first when the girl said 'it's my house' i thought she meant that's where she lived but now i think she meant the house is in her name (!!!) you have to pay close attention to follow this book, it's hard work

chapter two: boy number two is in the yard when something goes flying by. then he finds the hole in the rock - it may foreshadow what his role will be? the housekeeper is strange about huw and tells her son not to talk to him. the house seems to belong to the girl's family. boy number one reveals he had a spell when he first touched the plate

it makes more sense now after reading ahead

alright so i've just re-read chapter one. scratchy noises in the attic that sound suspiciously responsive. there are two kids. the boy has gone up to investigate. he's brought down a plate. i didn't notice the first time but on the second reading it's clear the girl and boy aren't related because the girl says things like 'your mother's calling you'. i might do a chapter each day to try and understand this book