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The Well
'One summer was all it took before our dream started to curl at the edges and stain like picked primroses. One night is enough to swallow a lifetime of lives.'
When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London in their grime-encrusted car and view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place, a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien.
But The Well's unique glory comes at a terrible price. The locals suspect foul play in its verdant fields and drooping fruit trees, and Ruth becomes increasingly isolated as she struggles to explain why her land flourishes whilst her neighbours' produce withers and dies. Fearful of envious locals and suspicious of those who seem to be offering help, Ruth is less and less sure who she can trust.
As The Well envelops them, Ruth's paradise becomes a prison, Mark's dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien's playground a grave.
When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London in their grime-encrusted car and view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place, a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien.
But The Well's unique glory comes at a terrible price. The locals suspect foul play in its verdant fields and drooping fruit trees, and Ruth becomes increasingly isolated as she struggles to explain why her land flourishes whilst her neighbours' produce withers and dies. Fearful of envious locals and suspicious of those who seem to be offering help, Ruth is less and less sure who she can trust.
As The Well envelops them, Ruth's paradise becomes a prison, Mark's dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien's playground a grave.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2015
92 people are currently reading
4,562 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Chanter
5Ìýbooks41ÌýfollowersCatherine Chanter is a teacher, poet, and short story writer. She is the winner of the Yeovil Poetry Prize and the Lucy Cavendish Prize awarded by Cambridge University. She grew up in the West Country before attending Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 425 reviews
January 29, 2020
so, obviously, you should listen to blair before you listen to me. her glowing review is the review i wish i'd written for the reading experience i wish i'd had.
i didn't dislike this book, but i wasn't able to get past my frustration at the narrowness of the scope of the story. it takes place in england, on an isolated piece of property deep in the countryside known as "the well" which ruth ardingly and her husband mark purchase after fleeing a scandal in london. their plan was to start over in this new idyllic location, to see if living away from the hustle and scrutiny of the public eye would give them enough private space to save their marriage. and for a while, it was all working out.
and then the drought began.
for three years, no rain falls anywhere in britain, except at the well. as the rest of the nation dries up and panic sets in, mark and ruth again find themselves the center of attention by desperate people who want answers. reporters, government officials, and ordinary folk approach the borders of their property, treating it like some kind of new holy land. their wayward daughter angie shows up with their beloved seven-year-old grandson lucien and a caravan of travelers; a nomadic "family" formed to keep each other clean and sober, letting their children run wild and free in a sort of hippie lifestyle. besides angie and her friends, the only other people allowed onto the property are a group of nuns: the sisters of the rose of jericho, led by the charismatic sister amelia. the sisters are quick to elevate ruth to the status of a saint, and spread her words far and wide to promote their own fanatical feminist-spiritual views. amelia falls under their sway, discovering the cleansing effects of spiritual ecstasy, and leaving mark to handle the practical aspects of running a farm. this puts further strain on their already-wobbly marriage.
this is not how the novel begins. it begins in the aftermath of all of that, with ruth, alone and newly released from prison after being incarcerated for arson and the suspicious death of lucien. she is sent back to the well and placed under house arrest, monitored by armed guards and allowed the weekly visits of a priest, but otherwise completely isolated, having lost contact with both mark and angie, and with no way to get in touch with the dispersed sisters. she wanders through the rooms of her former paradise, backtracking to where it all began to go wrong, trying to piece together the events of the night lucien died; not sure whether she is guilty of his death, but needing to know if not her, who?
so my problem (and it's really MY problem - it probably won't bother other readers in what is a pretty solid debut novel) is that the drought element didn't seem "real;" it seemed like an unnecessary distancing/isolating device to add another layer of conflict. i wanted to know more about the water crisis - what was happening outside of the well. i don't need to know whether it's science or supernatural or why the well is spared, but i did want more information about the rest of the nation. i understand this is not that story - this is the story of one woman in a personal crisis who doesn't have access to that kind of information, but since we do get dribs and drabs of how the drought is affecting people outside of the well's splendor, i just wanted more of those worldbuilding aspects.
while i am a fan of some books that have used apocalypse as backdrop only: , , etc. - this one seemed cluttered and claustrophobic; too specific to one person's POV for me. this story could have been told without the water crisis and it would have been enough for me. it's enough that her grandson was murdered, her husband ,her daughter was a junkie and she herself has fallen under the spell of a manipulative woman. but the eco-crisis is the hook for the modern reader, and would have been for me too, with more focus - if it wasn't just running in the background the whole time.
also
i did enjoy reading this. i liked the voice and the description - my problems were attached to my own personal expectations and wishes, which shouldn't cause anyone else to stumble.
i didn't dislike this book, but i wasn't able to get past my frustration at the narrowness of the scope of the story. it takes place in england, on an isolated piece of property deep in the countryside known as "the well" which ruth ardingly and her husband mark purchase after fleeing a scandal in london. their plan was to start over in this new idyllic location, to see if living away from the hustle and scrutiny of the public eye would give them enough private space to save their marriage. and for a while, it was all working out.
and then the drought began.
for three years, no rain falls anywhere in britain, except at the well. as the rest of the nation dries up and panic sets in, mark and ruth again find themselves the center of attention by desperate people who want answers. reporters, government officials, and ordinary folk approach the borders of their property, treating it like some kind of new holy land. their wayward daughter angie shows up with their beloved seven-year-old grandson lucien and a caravan of travelers; a nomadic "family" formed to keep each other clean and sober, letting their children run wild and free in a sort of hippie lifestyle. besides angie and her friends, the only other people allowed onto the property are a group of nuns: the sisters of the rose of jericho, led by the charismatic sister amelia. the sisters are quick to elevate ruth to the status of a saint, and spread her words far and wide to promote their own fanatical feminist-spiritual views. amelia falls under their sway, discovering the cleansing effects of spiritual ecstasy, and leaving mark to handle the practical aspects of running a farm. this puts further strain on their already-wobbly marriage.
this is not how the novel begins. it begins in the aftermath of all of that, with ruth, alone and newly released from prison after being incarcerated for arson and the suspicious death of lucien. she is sent back to the well and placed under house arrest, monitored by armed guards and allowed the weekly visits of a priest, but otherwise completely isolated, having lost contact with both mark and angie, and with no way to get in touch with the dispersed sisters. she wanders through the rooms of her former paradise, backtracking to where it all began to go wrong, trying to piece together the events of the night lucien died; not sure whether she is guilty of his death, but needing to know if not her, who?
so my problem (and it's really MY problem - it probably won't bother other readers in what is a pretty solid debut novel) is that the drought element didn't seem "real;" it seemed like an unnecessary distancing/isolating device to add another layer of conflict. i wanted to know more about the water crisis - what was happening outside of the well. i don't need to know whether it's science or supernatural or why the well is spared, but i did want more information about the rest of the nation. i understand this is not that story - this is the story of one woman in a personal crisis who doesn't have access to that kind of information, but since we do get dribs and drabs of how the drought is affecting people outside of the well's splendor, i just wanted more of those worldbuilding aspects.
while i am a fan of some books that have used apocalypse as backdrop only: , , etc. - this one seemed cluttered and claustrophobic; too specific to one person's POV for me. this story could have been told without the water crisis and it would have been enough for me. it's enough that her grandson was murdered, her husband ,her daughter was a junkie and she herself has fallen under the spell of a manipulative woman. but the eco-crisis is the hook for the modern reader, and would have been for me too, with more focus - if it wasn't just running in the background the whole time.
also
i did enjoy reading this. i liked the voice and the description - my problems were attached to my own personal expectations and wishes, which shouldn't cause anyone else to stumble.
November 22, 2020
When I get a new book, I always read the first couple of pages straight away. This is not because I have any intention of actually reading the book in full; it's just a habit (and, on Kindle, I do it to get rid of those 'new' badges that sit next to the titles if I don't). When I received the electronic ARC of Catherine Chanter's debut novel, The Well, I scanned the opening, as I routinely do - but that was all it took for me to be completely and utterly hooked. By that night, I was almost a third of the way through, and I'd finished the book within days.
The titular Well is a house, an idyllic country retreat discovered by Ruth and Mark Ardingly, a harassed fortysomething couple seeking escape from London. So idyllic that you just know the place can't possibly be as perfect as it seems. But we're not in the realm of horror or gothic fiction (and while that initial set-up might seem mundane and domestic, that's where the normality ends). In actual fact there is nothing wrong with The Well - it really is 'paradise' - and that's the problem. While the rest of the country suffers ceaseless drought, The Well flourishes. Rain continues to fall on the house and its land, crops are abundant and livestock thrives. Antipathy towards the Ardinglys starts with the locals - lifelong farmers jealous of the newcomers' effortlessly huge harvest, while their enterprises fail - but the longer the drought lasts, the more notorious they become. They have, as Mark comments, what everyone else wants but can only dream of, and those benefits come at a high price: their ostracised status gradually becomes total isolation.
Eventually, Ruth and Mark let in some visitors: first Ruth's flighty daughter Angie, a former drug addict, with her young son Lucien and a band of hippyish travellers; and second, a small group of nuns. The nuns are the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho - this being a 'resurrection plant' capable of surviving long periods of drought, which comes 'miraculously' back to life when brought into contact with moisture. (, although apparently the name 'Rose of Jericho' is used for several species with the same attributes.) It isn't really clear where they have come from or how the group formed, but they (quite literally) worship Ruth, and advocate a totally female-focused form of Christianity which she starts to find persuasive; the men, they say, are poisoning the land. Their arrival is the beginning of the end. Mark is frustrated and desperate; he becomes embittered and violent. Ruth is torn between her devotion to Lucien, the son she never had, and her new-found faith, the ecstasy she discovers at worship with the Sisters. And through all of this there is Sister Amelia - calm, ruthlessly dedicated, and incredibly sinister.
What's most intriguing about the story - and here I can loop back to what I found so immediately compelling about the first few pages - is that in the present day, all of this is gone. Not only is Ruth alone, she is returning to The Well from a short stay in prison, and is to be kept under house arrest. It is from the vantage point of this situation that Ruth tells the story of this place, all of it seen through her eyes, and all pieced together around her new life: reacquainting herself with this house that's been both heaven and hell for her, getting to know her three male guards, forming an unlikely friendship with a visiting priest. The Well is Ruth's narrative, a patchwork of memories too painful to forget and those too painful to remember. It is a curious mixture of a story being told, a personal history being recalled, and a reminder being related to a close friend, or even to oneself; that is a person who already knows many of the most important facts. Ruth rations some of the details, and sometimes talks as if the reader or listener will naturally know what she is referring to. This bitty doling out of information can seem frustrating at first, but this is a book in which patience is rewarded, although in some areas - the nature of Ruth and Amelia's relationship, the questions surrounding Mark's behaviour with Lucien - ambiguity persists through to the end.
There's a passage I want to quote because I think it is a perfect example of Ruth's voice, but I can't because my copy is an uncorrected proof. If I remember, I'll come back here and add it after the book is published. This passage is nothing important in terms of the plot - it's just Ruth describing a sunrise - but it just seems like a very exact distillation of everything that makes her distinctive: it's so strange and idiosyncratic, and quite odd and a bit flowery but it just works. That voice, for me, was crucial to the success of the story, and I think it will be something other readers either love or hate. It is the biggest part of what makes the book so incredibly unique, but it probably isn't what many will expect to find behind this particular cover.
The Well slots in well next to a crop of vaguely similar books I've read in the past year or so, books I can't quite fit into any existing sub-genre, though slipstream and transrealism come the closest. They typically have an element of fantasy, and they typically focus on a handful of ordinary lives quietly attempting to carry on in the face of some disaster or significant environmental change, rather than exploring the science of whatever this disaster is, rather than attempting to depict a dystopian society in detail. A thread of this type of everyday realism runs through The Well. The 'magic' of the house and its environs is clearly evident, and we know the media and public are obsessed with it - but we're confined to Ruth's view, cut off from most of this speculation, just trying to hold her family together in much the same way as anyone would in the midst of any emergency. Later, when that falls apart, she is enraptured not by her extraordinary surroundings, but by the love and friendship offered by a group of women. The story bears similarities to a number of other memorable books by female authors, namely Sarah Perry's (set during a drought, clear religious influences and overtones, an otherworldly feel); Paula Lichtarowicz's (explores the effects of (unorthodox) religious belief, insular living and the damage done by intensely close-knit bonds within an all-female community); and Samantha Harvey's (one woman's personal testament, told in order to unravel the truth, with a marriage at its centre but a friendship as its pivotal, and most destructive, relationship).
The Well is perhaps done a disservice by its thriller-like cover and synopsis (and that bloody inane 'I loved this book!' quote, which I'm hoping to god doesn't end up on the final cover). But then, how could you accurately summarise this book? I've written well over a thousand words and still don't feel I've captured it at all. I'm certain it won't be to everyone's taste - it sits in a weird and wonderful niche between commercial, experimental, literary and fantasy fiction - but I couldn't get enough of it. I'll be keeping an eye out for it (and urging everyone to try it) when it's published in March.
TL;DR - The Well is comparable to lots of other books in various small ways, but ultimately stands on its own as something totally unique. It confounds expectations and is a stunning debut.
The titular Well is a house, an idyllic country retreat discovered by Ruth and Mark Ardingly, a harassed fortysomething couple seeking escape from London. So idyllic that you just know the place can't possibly be as perfect as it seems. But we're not in the realm of horror or gothic fiction (and while that initial set-up might seem mundane and domestic, that's where the normality ends). In actual fact there is nothing wrong with The Well - it really is 'paradise' - and that's the problem. While the rest of the country suffers ceaseless drought, The Well flourishes. Rain continues to fall on the house and its land, crops are abundant and livestock thrives. Antipathy towards the Ardinglys starts with the locals - lifelong farmers jealous of the newcomers' effortlessly huge harvest, while their enterprises fail - but the longer the drought lasts, the more notorious they become. They have, as Mark comments, what everyone else wants but can only dream of, and those benefits come at a high price: their ostracised status gradually becomes total isolation.
Eventually, Ruth and Mark let in some visitors: first Ruth's flighty daughter Angie, a former drug addict, with her young son Lucien and a band of hippyish travellers; and second, a small group of nuns. The nuns are the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho - this being a 'resurrection plant' capable of surviving long periods of drought, which comes 'miraculously' back to life when brought into contact with moisture. (, although apparently the name 'Rose of Jericho' is used for several species with the same attributes.) It isn't really clear where they have come from or how the group formed, but they (quite literally) worship Ruth, and advocate a totally female-focused form of Christianity which she starts to find persuasive; the men, they say, are poisoning the land. Their arrival is the beginning of the end. Mark is frustrated and desperate; he becomes embittered and violent. Ruth is torn between her devotion to Lucien, the son she never had, and her new-found faith, the ecstasy she discovers at worship with the Sisters. And through all of this there is Sister Amelia - calm, ruthlessly dedicated, and incredibly sinister.
What's most intriguing about the story - and here I can loop back to what I found so immediately compelling about the first few pages - is that in the present day, all of this is gone. Not only is Ruth alone, she is returning to The Well from a short stay in prison, and is to be kept under house arrest. It is from the vantage point of this situation that Ruth tells the story of this place, all of it seen through her eyes, and all pieced together around her new life: reacquainting herself with this house that's been both heaven and hell for her, getting to know her three male guards, forming an unlikely friendship with a visiting priest. The Well is Ruth's narrative, a patchwork of memories too painful to forget and those too painful to remember. It is a curious mixture of a story being told, a personal history being recalled, and a reminder being related to a close friend, or even to oneself; that is a person who already knows many of the most important facts. Ruth rations some of the details, and sometimes talks as if the reader or listener will naturally know what she is referring to. This bitty doling out of information can seem frustrating at first, but this is a book in which patience is rewarded, although in some areas - the nature of Ruth and Amelia's relationship, the questions surrounding Mark's behaviour with Lucien - ambiguity persists through to the end.
There's a passage I want to quote because I think it is a perfect example of Ruth's voice, but I can't because my copy is an uncorrected proof. If I remember, I'll come back here and add it after the book is published. This passage is nothing important in terms of the plot - it's just Ruth describing a sunrise - but it just seems like a very exact distillation of everything that makes her distinctive: it's so strange and idiosyncratic, and quite odd and a bit flowery but it just works. That voice, for me, was crucial to the success of the story, and I think it will be something other readers either love or hate. It is the biggest part of what makes the book so incredibly unique, but it probably isn't what many will expect to find behind this particular cover.
The Well slots in well next to a crop of vaguely similar books I've read in the past year or so, books I can't quite fit into any existing sub-genre, though slipstream and transrealism come the closest. They typically have an element of fantasy, and they typically focus on a handful of ordinary lives quietly attempting to carry on in the face of some disaster or significant environmental change, rather than exploring the science of whatever this disaster is, rather than attempting to depict a dystopian society in detail. A thread of this type of everyday realism runs through The Well. The 'magic' of the house and its environs is clearly evident, and we know the media and public are obsessed with it - but we're confined to Ruth's view, cut off from most of this speculation, just trying to hold her family together in much the same way as anyone would in the midst of any emergency. Later, when that falls apart, she is enraptured not by her extraordinary surroundings, but by the love and friendship offered by a group of women. The story bears similarities to a number of other memorable books by female authors, namely Sarah Perry's (set during a drought, clear religious influences and overtones, an otherworldly feel); Paula Lichtarowicz's (explores the effects of (unorthodox) religious belief, insular living and the damage done by intensely close-knit bonds within an all-female community); and Samantha Harvey's (one woman's personal testament, told in order to unravel the truth, with a marriage at its centre but a friendship as its pivotal, and most destructive, relationship).
The Well is perhaps done a disservice by its thriller-like cover and synopsis (and that bloody inane 'I loved this book!' quote, which I'm hoping to god doesn't end up on the final cover). But then, how could you accurately summarise this book? I've written well over a thousand words and still don't feel I've captured it at all. I'm certain it won't be to everyone's taste - it sits in a weird and wonderful niche between commercial, experimental, literary and fantasy fiction - but I couldn't get enough of it. I'll be keeping an eye out for it (and urging everyone to try it) when it's published in March.
TL;DR - The Well is comparable to lots of other books in various small ways, but ultimately stands on its own as something totally unique. It confounds expectations and is a stunning debut.
September 1, 2020
I'm not sure this book should be categorized as a mystery, but there is a death to be solved - so it more or less fits into the genre.
The story: Ruth and Mark Ardingly are looking to get out of London for two major reasons. Mark, a lawyer, has a damaged reputation because he was accused - though exonerated - of looking at child pornography; and Mark always dreamed of farming. So the Ardinglys purchase a property called The Well on a hilltop in the English countryside.
Oddly (to say the least) The Well has plenty of water and rain when the rest of England is suffering from a ruinous drought. The drought has made food scarce and put people out of work. Thus, desperate people resent the Ardinglys' green oasis and accuse the couple of all manner of nefarious deeds, including stealing water and using witchcraft.
To stop a mass invasion of their property, the Ardinglys close it off with fences and gates and get police protection.
The couple do, however, let their semi-estranged daughter Angie camp on the land with her five-year-old son Lucien and a group of 'travelers' (hippies).
Before long the nuns of a religious cult called 'The Sisters of the Rose' also insinuate themselves onto The Well property. The group's leader, Sister Amelia, convinces Ruth she's the 'chosen one' who's responsible for The Well's water.
The presence of the nuns causes big problems. Ruth starts spending a lot of time with them, praying and spreading their gospel. Moreover, Sister Amelia wants The Well to be inhabited solely by women. She has no use for men and influences Ruth to become estranged from Mark. Sister Amelia even resents Ruth's grandson Lucien - whom Ruth adores - because he'll eventually inherit The Well.
Living conditions at The Well becomes fraught: the government takes an interest in the property; the Ardinglys become isolated because the townsfolk hate them; Mark and Ruth fight with each other and with their daughter Angie; Ruth becomes overly enamored with the The Sisters of the Rose; and so on. And then one day Lucien is found dead and Ruth is accused of killing him - perhaps while sleepwalking.
The story is told from the point of view of Ruth who's now under house imprisonment at The Well. In the present, Ruth - besides being devastated by Lucien's death - is alone and lonely.
She has no communication with her family and the nuns are long gone. The only people Ruth speaks to are her guards and occasionally a priest. Ruth spends most of her time either sleeping or thinking about the events that led to her current dire situation - attempting to figure out what really happened to little Lucien.
The author writes beautifully, with lush descriptions of the landscape and engaging characterizations of Ruth, Mark, Angie, Sister Amelia, the other nuns, the priest, the guards, etc. That said, I didn't enjoy the book. It was too long and there was too much praying and proselytizing by The Sisters of the Rose - which became tedious. I also thought the solution of 'the mystery' of Lucien's death was predictable. A proper police investigation would have exposed the culprit in a jiffy.
What I really hoped was that the author would address the mystery associated with The Well's abundant water supply but she didn't. Just not the book for me.
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March 3, 2015
I'm not going to rehash the plot because the description on the book page is a very good one. I'm just going to write what I thought of the book. When I first started this it seemed a bit wordy, though I was interested to see where this was going and of course to find out who really killed Lucien, her five year old grandson. It soon became apparent that this is a character study of Ruth mainly but of others too, how they reacted to the circumstances. How the fact that rain only fell in one place, at the Well, while the rest of the continent seems to be in a drought. Sure brought out the worse in people as Chanter so ably describes.
I soon became immersed in this story, although it was centered in one place there was much happening. Neighbors turn against them, crazies come from all over and finally the Sisters of the Rose, who view Ruth as the chosen one. I found fascinating how Ruth herself, was induced into believing this, soon putting everything on the line. A good view of how people become seduced into a cult, acting against their own best interests.
I ended up really liking this book, it is very well written and the psychological aspects were intriguing. How people act and why, how they behave under untold stress. Did I feel sorry for Ruth? Yes and no, some I think she brought on herself but the penalty was one she didn't expect to pay. Although I did guess the who on the who done it, the ending was still a surprise because there is more than just the unmasking of the killer. All in all, I liked this book, it was different and in the end I felt satisfied with all I read.
ARC from Publisher.
I soon became immersed in this story, although it was centered in one place there was much happening. Neighbors turn against them, crazies come from all over and finally the Sisters of the Rose, who view Ruth as the chosen one. I found fascinating how Ruth herself, was induced into believing this, soon putting everything on the line. A good view of how people become seduced into a cult, acting against their own best interests.
I ended up really liking this book, it is very well written and the psychological aspects were intriguing. How people act and why, how they behave under untold stress. Did I feel sorry for Ruth? Yes and no, some I think she brought on herself but the penalty was one she didn't expect to pay. Although I did guess the who on the who done it, the ending was still a surprise because there is more than just the unmasking of the killer. All in all, I liked this book, it was different and in the end I felt satisfied with all I read.
ARC from Publisher.
March 1, 2015
I am going to start by saying that I really like the story told in this book. Set during a time when England has not seen any rain for two years and is literally drying up in a society burdened by ever increasing price rises and job losses as a result, Ruth lives at The Well, an oasis in the desert. Rain falls nightly at The Well, in fact it is the only place in England that ever sees any rain and nobody knows why. They are certainly jealous and Ruth is accused of witchcraft.
We come to the story at the end of the tale that is told throughout the book. Ruth is living under house arrest and cannot leave and she takes us back over the past couple of years and we learn how and why she came with her husband Mark to start a new life on the smallholding before the drought really kicked in. I really liked reading about their lives together as the drought kicked in, as they struggled to farm the land, with the reactions of their neighbours and the media when it became apparent that “they were the only two people who had what everyone else wanted�. Pretty soon they are living under siege as people flock to The Well, either from anger, nosiness or the desire for some of their luck to rub off on them. In addition we have a group of “nuns� who come to the smallholding for their own purposes which will have far reaching effects for Ruth.
It soon becomes apparent that we are actually reading a murder mystery, and I like the way the author lines up the suspects, subtly planting doubts in our minds about people, including Ruth herself whose mental state of mind is extremely fragile throughout the story.
What did spoil the read for me was the over descriptive wordiness of the book which really stopped it from flowing well for me. Whilst it was an intriguing read and I really wanted to see how it all worked out, I never felt the urge to sit and read it as it was quite heavy going at times. “Wading through treacle� would be the best way of describing it.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
We come to the story at the end of the tale that is told throughout the book. Ruth is living under house arrest and cannot leave and she takes us back over the past couple of years and we learn how and why she came with her husband Mark to start a new life on the smallholding before the drought really kicked in. I really liked reading about their lives together as the drought kicked in, as they struggled to farm the land, with the reactions of their neighbours and the media when it became apparent that “they were the only two people who had what everyone else wanted�. Pretty soon they are living under siege as people flock to The Well, either from anger, nosiness or the desire for some of their luck to rub off on them. In addition we have a group of “nuns� who come to the smallholding for their own purposes which will have far reaching effects for Ruth.
It soon becomes apparent that we are actually reading a murder mystery, and I like the way the author lines up the suspects, subtly planting doubts in our minds about people, including Ruth herself whose mental state of mind is extremely fragile throughout the story.
What did spoil the read for me was the over descriptive wordiness of the book which really stopped it from flowing well for me. Whilst it was an intriguing read and I really wanted to see how it all worked out, I never felt the urge to sit and read it as it was quite heavy going at times. “Wading through treacle� would be the best way of describing it.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
April 1, 2015
(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Another one for which I can't decide on a rating. Because I did like it, but I wasn't awed, and I was torn between moments of beautiful writing, and moments when said writing seemed to be here just to delay the outcome. The feeling was definitely weird.
I liked the tense, oppressive atmosphere of The Well: a place that looked like some kind of Promised Land in the middle of the Waste Land, yet also a tainted paradise, one that could only bring the sterility of death. I liked the contrast between the emphasis placed on a "land for women", which could hint at more promises of life, but in the end, it was all a lie, and only ended with said life being stifled and denied the right to exist. As a container for such themes, this novel was good. Maybe not the most subtle piece of work in that regard, but good nonetheless.
I was less thrilled by the way it kept hesitating between what it wanted to be: a murder mystery, or a supernatural story? I wished for more information about the drought and about the mysterious quality of The Well. Was why that place so "blessed"? What made it exceptional? The blurb led me to expect some preternatural explanation, something that would have justified the way the Ardinglys were rejected almost like witches of old—by this, I mean an explanation more complex than jealousy and people wanting what they couldn't have. It begged for a revelation that I never got, focusing instead on the mystery/murder aspect. I would have had less trouble with that if it had taken a definite stance regarding Ruth's story of an isolated woman who doubts herself and seeks for a frightening truth: that story didn't need the backdrop of a drought and miraculous land to be told. The Rose of Jericho, Ruth's love life coming apart at the seams, Lucien's story... Those could stand on their own.
The mystery highlighted all the doubts and shortcomings of human psyche. The charges against Mark in the beginning, how they contributed to add a "what if..." side to his character, poisoning other people's minds against him, including that of his own wife. The Sisters, led by Amelia, the cult that got hold of Ruth's mind. Angie, not the perfect mother, yet the loving one all the same, who had her faults but still tried to get better, only to have to face a "what if" of her own when it came to her son.
However, I found it too easy to guess who had committed the crime, and the way Ruth descended into her delusions seemed just a tad bit far-fetched. Maybe her isolation, getting estranged from her husband, could be a valid explanation; or maybe not. She didn't strike me at first as someone who would fall so easily into the clutches of a cult. Still, this is part of the novel's ambiguity: who can tell what kind of person is a "ready-made victim"? Nobody can. Sometimes you just can't suspect at all, you never see it coming.
What was somewhat annoying, as said above, was how the novel beat around the bush. On the one hand, there were really beautiful, poetic moments, vivid descriptions that made The Well come alive, with its good sides and with its faults. On the other hand, I clearly had the feeling at times that the author was delaying, only to lead to revelations that weren't so striking all in all. In my opinion, the book could have benefitted from more editing and shortening here.
I'd rate this a 3 to 3.5 stars (depending on the scale used). Overall, I liked it, though I'm not sure I'd read it again.
Another one for which I can't decide on a rating. Because I did like it, but I wasn't awed, and I was torn between moments of beautiful writing, and moments when said writing seemed to be here just to delay the outcome. The feeling was definitely weird.
I liked the tense, oppressive atmosphere of The Well: a place that looked like some kind of Promised Land in the middle of the Waste Land, yet also a tainted paradise, one that could only bring the sterility of death. I liked the contrast between the emphasis placed on a "land for women", which could hint at more promises of life, but in the end, it was all a lie, and only ended with said life being stifled and denied the right to exist. As a container for such themes, this novel was good. Maybe not the most subtle piece of work in that regard, but good nonetheless.
I was less thrilled by the way it kept hesitating between what it wanted to be: a murder mystery, or a supernatural story? I wished for more information about the drought and about the mysterious quality of The Well. Was why that place so "blessed"? What made it exceptional? The blurb led me to expect some preternatural explanation, something that would have justified the way the Ardinglys were rejected almost like witches of old—by this, I mean an explanation more complex than jealousy and people wanting what they couldn't have. It begged for a revelation that I never got, focusing instead on the mystery/murder aspect. I would have had less trouble with that if it had taken a definite stance regarding Ruth's story of an isolated woman who doubts herself and seeks for a frightening truth: that story didn't need the backdrop of a drought and miraculous land to be told. The Rose of Jericho, Ruth's love life coming apart at the seams, Lucien's story... Those could stand on their own.
The mystery highlighted all the doubts and shortcomings of human psyche. The charges against Mark in the beginning, how they contributed to add a "what if..." side to his character, poisoning other people's minds against him, including that of his own wife. The Sisters, led by Amelia, the cult that got hold of Ruth's mind. Angie, not the perfect mother, yet the loving one all the same, who had her faults but still tried to get better, only to have to face a "what if" of her own when it came to her son.
However, I found it too easy to guess who had committed the crime, and the way Ruth descended into her delusions seemed just a tad bit far-fetched. Maybe her isolation, getting estranged from her husband, could be a valid explanation; or maybe not. She didn't strike me at first as someone who would fall so easily into the clutches of a cult. Still, this is part of the novel's ambiguity: who can tell what kind of person is a "ready-made victim"? Nobody can. Sometimes you just can't suspect at all, you never see it coming.
What was somewhat annoying, as said above, was how the novel beat around the bush. On the one hand, there were really beautiful, poetic moments, vivid descriptions that made The Well come alive, with its good sides and with its faults. On the other hand, I clearly had the feeling at times that the author was delaying, only to lead to revelations that weren't so striking all in all. In my opinion, the book could have benefitted from more editing and shortening here.
I'd rate this a 3 to 3.5 stars (depending on the scale used). Overall, I liked it, though I'm not sure I'd read it again.
May 2, 2015
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I don't know what it was specifically but this book just wasn't for me. I didn't like too much about it. The only characters I really cared for was the poor little boy Lucien.
This book has gotten so many 5 star reviews so I'm sure it's good to a lot of people and a lot more people will love it, but I just could not get into it at all. I did like the beginning and thought it was going to be good, then it just fizzled out for me. I don't know if it was my mood at the time or if it just wasn't my kind of book. I thought it was going to be some kind of science fiction type book or even paranormal but it was just a little off to me.
I might read it again in the future and see if I can get into it better.
I don't know what it was specifically but this book just wasn't for me. I didn't like too much about it. The only characters I really cared for was the poor little boy Lucien.
This book has gotten so many 5 star reviews so I'm sure it's good to a lot of people and a lot more people will love it, but I just could not get into it at all. I did like the beginning and thought it was going to be good, then it just fizzled out for me. I don't know if it was my mood at the time or if it just wasn't my kind of book. I thought it was going to be some kind of science fiction type book or even paranormal but it was just a little off to me.
I might read it again in the future and see if I can get into it better.
April 3, 2016
It took me a while to get into this book and, to be utterly honest, to stay with it.
First of all, I was confused because I had read in the synopsis our main character was viewed either as a witch or a saviour, so for some reason I thought the story took place long ago. Then I started seeing references to all sorts of current things, and when Ruth's narrative goes back in time I realized that her world started out just as our own and it can be considered present day.
I also could not connect with the main character, and that stayed with me throughout the book. I never got a clear idea of what she felt. As a narrator, she would just go I did this, then that, then that. I wanted to do this and find that, etc. It was a cold narrative, devoid of feeling.
Then I started getting comfortable, even with the cold narrator. I could see something like this happening in our world and, more particularly, in my country since, here in Portugal, it has been raining less and less each year. When you have what other people want, you begin to see the worst in them, let alone if it's something they actually need.
My favourite thing to read in this novel were precisely the effects of the drought in people; I only wish there would have been more of it. In the book, when people realize the drought is not something temporary at all and that The Well is getting more and more prosper while everywhere else is deteriorating, things slowly degenerate and people get mean out of desperation. Ruth and Mark's dream slowly turns into a nightmare.
I enjoyed reading stuff like petrol going up 120% and bars closing up because drinks were too expensive, because it felt so real - I really wished there would have been more of that, of how the rest of the country was dealing with the drought, and what theories there were to why it only rained at The Well.
I also did not get why there were not more attempts to try and get The Well's water from the people around them, if it was that precious. Instead people basically scowl at Ruth and Mark because how dare they. So on one hand I get the idea that things are really bad because of the drought and the next, well, not so much.
Overall, I found the way the mysteries were presented very intriguing and the innuendos drove me crazy in a good way, but the way the resolutions were delivered not so much. They took ages to arrive, and sometimes they didn't at all.
The writing too dense, lyrical and flourished. Often times, I would not know what was going on at all. Ruth would go on these weird ramblings that seemed so pointless to me - and they could have been engaging, if they allowed me to get in her mind, but being so devoid of feeling I just struggled to stay with the story and my mind kept travelling to other places. I have to say I did go to bed much earlier thanks to this book because the letters would just start dancing after a few lines, and therefore ended up getting more rest, so that's good. In a way, at least.
The dialogues also did not help at times, because they would go like - a character's line, then a reply, then a character's line, then Ruth's thoughts, then another line... At times she would go on and on, and then say 'I said that much'. Ok, so I know she said her thoughts out loud, but exactly how much of it?
Other times, I didn't get what she said at all, if anything. Example:
Ruth: "They're down in the dip."
Someone else: "I know that, but what do they believe?"
Ruth: Good question.
Someone else: "Do you think they'll stay long?"
So... What did she reply regarding that question on what they believe, as the 'good question' bit was an inner monologue? It doesn't seem plausible that she said nothing and the other person would just move on to the next question, right? I don't know...
There were some things I didn’t get, like
Most of all, I thought I would be diving into a book packed with emotion. This woman lives in the seemingly only place not affected by the worldwide drought, she is psychological unstable and everyone thinks she killed her grandson - even she isn't sure that she did not. And, in the end, there was just a lot of poetic prose about anything and everything, and I could not feel much at all. Not even towards her daughter. We are told she is an addict but, again, where is the motherly ache and grief towards her child turning into that? The helplessness of not being able to bring her out of it, of the wasted years? Even some guilt in feeling she could have done something to prevent it? The rare times anything of the sort is mentioned, I felt they were just thrown in there because the reader was expecting it, but they did not feel real to me at all.
So we are supposed to be reading about a mentally unstable woman who doesn't seem to be much at all besides utterly void of any emotion, as a woman, mother and wife. I can tell the cult drove her to it, but not exactly how. She seemed to be such an intelligent woman, and I could not tell at all why she even fell for it in the first place. I also could never tell what exactly their 'worshipping' consisted of, other than frolicking in the water. Most of the time she seems very lucid, and even aware that she is being manipulated, but then we are hearing about her having delusions - even in present day, after all has been said and done - and I have no idea where that came from.
I was also disappointed that the secondary characters were so flat. I have read books told by the main character where that did not happen, but in this one it's all Ruth, me-me-me.
I did not even get much closure at all. The mystery of Lucien's murder was beyond predictable, especially after a certain point, just not the specifics of it; I didn't even get if the allegations towards Mark were true or not, especially with a handful of scenes where it really could be either way; nor why it only rained at The Well, which was what got me interested in the book in the first place.
I have to admit that, most of the time, I was very bored reading this book. It's like it could not decide what it wanted to be. I was actually pretty excited in the beginning, reading about the effects of the drought and this magical land which seemed to have been spared of it all. Then the effects of all that psychological pressure on Ruth and Mark, which put a toll on their marriage. The cult thing was clutter to me, and the murder mystery stretched on for ages. I felt that it took me a small eternity to finish the novel because I just did not feel engaged with the story and it seemed to drag on and on and on. Even the plot twist was not dramatic at all, and the ending itself stretched on for pages and pages, utterly unnecessary!
I was so disappointed at said ending. When I turned the last page and there was nothing else, I was like� That’s it? This is how this character redeems herself? Is this supposed to give me hope that she will be happy one day?
If you don't mind a slow-paced book (and there can be very good slow-paced books) and not getting much closure, then you can enjoy this book, because it does have some good things, especially the world building and all the nuances at what is coming ahead. But do keep in mind that this is more of a psychological journey and a murder mystery, not a paranormal story at all. I guess I feel I was misled a bit. Even without the paranormal aspect, I could have enjoyed this book because I have read others of the kind. You may enjoy it very much, there are loads of very high rating reviews out there. In the end, it was just not for me.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 16, 2016
If you ever feel like "Hey today I'm a bit too happy I think, I should read a bleak semi-dystopic/semi-apocalyptic novel streaked with child abuse, fucked-up lives and poetical prose," I'd say, Hey man, you should probably seek professional help, but if you don't, The Well by Catherine Chanter is the book for you.
If the two words "poetical prose" don't put you off (and if you ask me, they should), this is actually a great book. It's a bit like The Handmaid's Tale meet The Road meet the Colour Out of Space, except that I love the Road, and I fucking adore The Colour Out of Space.
OK no, it's exactly like The Handmaid's Tale. You like the Handmaid's Tale? Read The Well.
If the two words "poetical prose" don't put you off (and if you ask me, they should), this is actually a great book. It's a bit like The Handmaid's Tale meet The Road meet the Colour Out of Space, except that I love the Road, and I fucking adore The Colour Out of Space.
OK no, it's exactly like The Handmaid's Tale. You like the Handmaid's Tale? Read The Well.
July 18, 2016
Beautifully written cross genre novel with an intriguing premise. Would have been 4 stars except that I found it too predictable as to outcome. However it was gorgeous to read. Enjoyed it.
June 17, 2022
4,25 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Billenknijpper.
De Britse Ruth Ardingly en haar man Marc besluiten Londen te verruilen voor het platteland. Ze kopen een boerderij met een lap grond, genaamd ‘De Bron.� Het blijkt dat hier nog water is, een schaars goed in de rest van het land. De boeren rondom hen gaan stuk voor stuk failliet vanwege de droogte en kijken hen met de nek aan. Ze worden beschuldigd van hekserij en oplichting.
Ruth en Marc raken steeds meer in een isolement, terwijl De Bron landelijke bekendheid krijgt in het nieuws. Voor de tweede keer in hun leven krijgen Ruth en Marc de massamedia over zich heen.
In plaats van rust krijgen ze alleen maar meer drama. Hun junkiedochter Angie komt langs met haar zoontje Lucien en neemt ook nog een karavaan van hippietypes met zich mee. Zij kamperen op het erf. Ruth is heel blij met haar kleinzoon en brengt veel tijd met hem door. Als Angie op een gegeven moment weer vertrekt, zoals ze altijd doet wanneer het haar uitkomt, blijft Lucien zelfs lange tijd bij zijn grootouders achter. Ook de hippiekaravaan blijft.
Marc en Ruth groeien steeds meer uit elkaar. Hun droom is alles wat ze er niet van verwachtten. Onder de hippiekaravaan is een viertal ‘zusters� die ‘de Roos� vereren. Ruth zoekt haar heil bij hen en raakt steeds meer beïnvloed. Uiteindelijk vindt er een dramatische gebeurtenis plaats en is de vraag wie het heeft gedaan.
Het boek opent met de terugkomst van Ruth op De Bron. Ze is vrijgelaten uit de gevangenis en mag de rest van haar straf thuis uitzitten. Met een enkelband om en drie soldaten die het land bewaken. Het is van overheidswege in beslag genomen omdat het een van de weinige nog vruchtbare plekken is. Langzaamaan vertelt Ruth haar verhaal. Je blijft lezen want je wilt weten wat er is gebeurd en wie het gedaan heeft. Maar hoe betrouwbaar is het perspectief van de psychisch wankele Ruth?
De gebeurtenissen die uiteindelijk tot de climax leiden worden goed opgebouwd. Van kleine voorvallen naar steeds grotere. De omgeving wordt prachtig beschreven met beeldende zinnen. Het scenario van een uitgedroogd Engeland is geloofwaardig. Je hebt met de personages te doen. Een knappe, mooie roman waarvan het jammer is als je hem uit hebt. Een aanrader.
Billenknijpper.
De Britse Ruth Ardingly en haar man Marc besluiten Londen te verruilen voor het platteland. Ze kopen een boerderij met een lap grond, genaamd ‘De Bron.� Het blijkt dat hier nog water is, een schaars goed in de rest van het land. De boeren rondom hen gaan stuk voor stuk failliet vanwege de droogte en kijken hen met de nek aan. Ze worden beschuldigd van hekserij en oplichting.
Ruth en Marc raken steeds meer in een isolement, terwijl De Bron landelijke bekendheid krijgt in het nieuws. Voor de tweede keer in hun leven krijgen Ruth en Marc de massamedia over zich heen.
In plaats van rust krijgen ze alleen maar meer drama. Hun junkiedochter Angie komt langs met haar zoontje Lucien en neemt ook nog een karavaan van hippietypes met zich mee. Zij kamperen op het erf. Ruth is heel blij met haar kleinzoon en brengt veel tijd met hem door. Als Angie op een gegeven moment weer vertrekt, zoals ze altijd doet wanneer het haar uitkomt, blijft Lucien zelfs lange tijd bij zijn grootouders achter. Ook de hippiekaravaan blijft.
Marc en Ruth groeien steeds meer uit elkaar. Hun droom is alles wat ze er niet van verwachtten. Onder de hippiekaravaan is een viertal ‘zusters� die ‘de Roos� vereren. Ruth zoekt haar heil bij hen en raakt steeds meer beïnvloed. Uiteindelijk vindt er een dramatische gebeurtenis plaats en is de vraag wie het heeft gedaan.
Het boek opent met de terugkomst van Ruth op De Bron. Ze is vrijgelaten uit de gevangenis en mag de rest van haar straf thuis uitzitten. Met een enkelband om en drie soldaten die het land bewaken. Het is van overheidswege in beslag genomen omdat het een van de weinige nog vruchtbare plekken is. Langzaamaan vertelt Ruth haar verhaal. Je blijft lezen want je wilt weten wat er is gebeurd en wie het gedaan heeft. Maar hoe betrouwbaar is het perspectief van de psychisch wankele Ruth?
De gebeurtenissen die uiteindelijk tot de climax leiden worden goed opgebouwd. Van kleine voorvallen naar steeds grotere. De omgeving wordt prachtig beschreven met beeldende zinnen. Het scenario van een uitgedroogd Engeland is geloofwaardig. Je hebt met de personages te doen. Een knappe, mooie roman waarvan het jammer is als je hem uit hebt. Een aanrader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2015
“Elsewhere, people were squeezing the last six months into small spaces: bicycles onto the backs of campervans, mattresses onto the roofs of cars, sleeping bags into recycled supermarket carriers, saucepans stacked one into another like Russian dolls, inflatable water carriers deflated. Set to music it would have been a grand chorus scene in an opera, with all the crowd and the minor parts working in unison and it seemed as though any minute they would all turn to face front and burst into song for their curtain call.�
The Well is the first novel by British short story writer and poet, Catherine Chanter. Ruth Ardingly is returned, under house arrest, to The Well, the lush rural property she and her husband, Mark have owned for over a year. The property is securely fenced, Ruth wears an ankle bracelet monitor and is guarded by three soldiers enforcing the Drought Emergency Regulations Act. How has their escape from the City (and the cloud of suspicion that hung over Mark) in the guise of a tree change, gone so horribly wrong?
As Ruth endures the boredom of her sentence, she thinks back on how it all started: the purchase, the rain that favours their idyll, the satisfaction of working towards self-sufficiency and the delight in presence of their grandson, Lucien. Ruth shares some of the memories with a young guard and with the priest who visits her. She tells of the jealousy and suspicion of neighbours, and the arrival of the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho with their charismatic leader, Sister Amelia.
Against the background of a severely water-restricted England, Chanter examines how relationships can break down under the effect of suspicion and increasingly differing priorities, the influence of religious cults and the tragic consequences that can ensue. She gives the reader a glimpse of online religion and the mass hysteria it can generate. This is a gripping drama that will have the reader wondering about the true fate of the young victim, and Ruth’s part in it, until the final pages.
Chanter’s characters are both credible and complex. Her descriptive prose is wonderfully evocative: �.. the thought of her is dries my mouth with hope and fear and thoughts, wild and screeching as crows at dusk, scattering into the darkness� and “Some, I guess, came simply to dip their toe in the rippling pond of drama in the otherwise flat surface of their lives� are just two examples. This thought-provoking novel is a brilliant debut.
The Well is the first novel by British short story writer and poet, Catherine Chanter. Ruth Ardingly is returned, under house arrest, to The Well, the lush rural property she and her husband, Mark have owned for over a year. The property is securely fenced, Ruth wears an ankle bracelet monitor and is guarded by three soldiers enforcing the Drought Emergency Regulations Act. How has their escape from the City (and the cloud of suspicion that hung over Mark) in the guise of a tree change, gone so horribly wrong?
As Ruth endures the boredom of her sentence, she thinks back on how it all started: the purchase, the rain that favours their idyll, the satisfaction of working towards self-sufficiency and the delight in presence of their grandson, Lucien. Ruth shares some of the memories with a young guard and with the priest who visits her. She tells of the jealousy and suspicion of neighbours, and the arrival of the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho with their charismatic leader, Sister Amelia.
Against the background of a severely water-restricted England, Chanter examines how relationships can break down under the effect of suspicion and increasingly differing priorities, the influence of religious cults and the tragic consequences that can ensue. She gives the reader a glimpse of online religion and the mass hysteria it can generate. This is a gripping drama that will have the reader wondering about the true fate of the young victim, and Ruth’s part in it, until the final pages.
Chanter’s characters are both credible and complex. Her descriptive prose is wonderfully evocative: �.. the thought of her is dries my mouth with hope and fear and thoughts, wild and screeching as crows at dusk, scattering into the darkness� and “Some, I guess, came simply to dip their toe in the rippling pond of drama in the otherwise flat surface of their lives� are just two examples. This thought-provoking novel is a brilliant debut.
February 13, 2015
I received an e-book copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautifully written book about a couple who are moving to a gorgeous plot of land in the countryside, trying to escape some of the husband's allegations and how difficult of a time they are having living in the area that they used to live in. They are trying to start over, and they purchase this land, known as The Well. The catch? The Well is the only place where it still rains. Yes, there is an incredible drought going on everywhere else, and the only place where it still rains, the only place where there are plants and grass, streams and ponds full of water, and "paradise," is The Well.
The media attention and the tourists, police, and government are becoming too much for Ruth and Mark Ardingly, and things aren't as promising as they thought they would be when they moved to the property. They have some good moments, such as when Ruth's daughter leaves her son Lucien with them for the winter. Then come the Sisters, who swept up Ruth in their religion, their worship of the Rose of Jericho.
And then the unthinkable happens. This part of the story is heart wrenching, and I won't lie - I cried a few times while reading this book.
There are a few different story lines going on in this book at the same time. For this reason, it took a little more concentration than a typical quick read novel, and it needed some thinking (which I loved!). I enjoyed how the story was told by present day Ruth, who is under house arrest back at the well, and contains flashbacks of the events leading up to her being under house arrest. For some reason, I often like these kinds of stories, especially when they include present day happenings, like The Well. The characters, for the most part, were developed well, and the descriptions of the environment and the events were truly stunning. I felt like I was actually visiting The Well, and the images I conjured up in my mind while reading this book were truly breathtaking.
Catherine Chanter has created a wonderfully put together novel that is likely to be talked about for years to come.
This is a beautifully written book about a couple who are moving to a gorgeous plot of land in the countryside, trying to escape some of the husband's allegations and how difficult of a time they are having living in the area that they used to live in. They are trying to start over, and they purchase this land, known as The Well. The catch? The Well is the only place where it still rains. Yes, there is an incredible drought going on everywhere else, and the only place where it still rains, the only place where there are plants and grass, streams and ponds full of water, and "paradise," is The Well.
The media attention and the tourists, police, and government are becoming too much for Ruth and Mark Ardingly, and things aren't as promising as they thought they would be when they moved to the property. They have some good moments, such as when Ruth's daughter leaves her son Lucien with them for the winter. Then come the Sisters, who swept up Ruth in their religion, their worship of the Rose of Jericho.
And then the unthinkable happens. This part of the story is heart wrenching, and I won't lie - I cried a few times while reading this book.
There are a few different story lines going on in this book at the same time. For this reason, it took a little more concentration than a typical quick read novel, and it needed some thinking (which I loved!). I enjoyed how the story was told by present day Ruth, who is under house arrest back at the well, and contains flashbacks of the events leading up to her being under house arrest. For some reason, I often like these kinds of stories, especially when they include present day happenings, like The Well. The characters, for the most part, were developed well, and the descriptions of the environment and the events were truly stunning. I felt like I was actually visiting The Well, and the images I conjured up in my mind while reading this book were truly breathtaking.
Catherine Chanter has created a wonderfully put together novel that is likely to be talked about for years to come.
March 10, 2015
I found the atmosphere of The Well to be dark and unsettling. The book begins with Ruth under house arrest in her own home, which is known as The Well. She is guilty of something, but of what, it’s all a bit unclear and maybe she is guilty of more than we know. The story is narrated by Ruth drifting from the present to her unhappy and confused recent past. She, like most of the characters we meet, isn’t wholly reliable. I didn’t really trust her from the start, but then again none of the characters seem to trust each other much either.
Then there’s the Well itself, it’s part farmland with water and trees. You’d think it was an ideal location to escape to the countryside. Ruth and her husband purchase it to get away from city life and their old problems. They grow crops and raise farm animals. But no! It proves to be weird. While the whole of Britain is suffering with a destructive two year drought, it rains as normal only at the Well. The Well is a fertile oasis. Why that should be nobody seems to know. Maybe it’s a natural phenomenon or maybe it’s not. The locals are becoming suspicious and resentful. It all adds to the intrigue and the simmering backdrop of unease.
But the book is really a ‘whodunit� written in an eerie setting with dubious, slightly unhinged characters. Ruth’s grandson Lucien goes missing and we are in search of the person or people responsible. They are all of questionable character and it could be any or all of them to be honest.
The author keeps our attention with little side stories, intricate details and unusual characters. The strained relationships of Ruth’s family are explored. There is much love but problems too. Over three days it seemed like quite a long read. But it is engrossing and beautifully written with always an added ingredient to keep your interest. I was lost in the mystery and unnerving atmosphere.
I really enjoyed the book as a whole. The style of writing, themes, interesting individuals and the feel it gave me. I can fully appreciate the different reactions of other readers to this book, but I’m giving it 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 8, 2015
Recently one of the book sites I follow asked when the last time was that I knew from the first page that I was going to love a book. This was the book. And it never disappointed me at any time. To me, this is what great literature is all about. Each and every chapter grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go.
The book centers around The Well, which is a plot of land recently purchased by a middle-aged couple who are trying to make a new start in life. This takes place during a period when there has been a terrible drought throughout Britain, causing severe water shortages and new rules and laws imposed by the government; however, it’s still raining at The Well. Of course, that brings up all kinds of doubts and fears about this couple and their land. Is there something scientific causing this peculiarity or is the woman a witch � or possibly even a messiah?
While The Well is a paradise for Ruth and Mark, it comes with a heavy price. When tragedy strikes their family, the suspense and horror builds as they try to unravel what actually happened and who was to blame. As their world is torn apart, they struggle with trust and forgiveness and try to hold on to their own sanity. I was completely absorbed in this book and so many parts struck a deep chord in me.
Catherine Chanter has the heart of a poet and has constructed a beautifully written work of art. The Well and its inhabitants will haunt you long after you lay this book down.
An ARC of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The book centers around The Well, which is a plot of land recently purchased by a middle-aged couple who are trying to make a new start in life. This takes place during a period when there has been a terrible drought throughout Britain, causing severe water shortages and new rules and laws imposed by the government; however, it’s still raining at The Well. Of course, that brings up all kinds of doubts and fears about this couple and their land. Is there something scientific causing this peculiarity or is the woman a witch � or possibly even a messiah?
While The Well is a paradise for Ruth and Mark, it comes with a heavy price. When tragedy strikes their family, the suspense and horror builds as they try to unravel what actually happened and who was to blame. As their world is torn apart, they struggle with trust and forgiveness and try to hold on to their own sanity. I was completely absorbed in this book and so many parts struck a deep chord in me.
Catherine Chanter has the heart of a poet and has constructed a beautifully written work of art. The Well and its inhabitants will haunt you long after you lay this book down.
An ARC of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 8, 2015
I received this ARC through Bookbrowse.
This book took me almost a month to read, not because I didn't have time to read it, but because it was for me a difficult story to follow. Most British books I have no problem but this one took me too long to finish, and I don't really know why.
I read some of the other reviews, and it seems I am in the minority. Most reviews praised the book for being top-notched and the reasons why, but I disagreed with them. It's probably me and not the book.
The bottom line I guess is that the book wasn't written for me.
This book took me almost a month to read, not because I didn't have time to read it, but because it was for me a difficult story to follow. Most British books I have no problem but this one took me too long to finish, and I don't really know why.
I read some of the other reviews, and it seems I am in the minority. Most reviews praised the book for being top-notched and the reasons why, but I disagreed with them. It's probably me and not the book.
The bottom line I guess is that the book wasn't written for me.
June 2, 2015
It was just ok. It was slow, and the "mystery" wasn't much of a mystery. The writing was lyrical and poetic, so it was easy to get lost in the prose, but the story didn't go anywhere. More of a character study, and that part was interesting (but slow), so I'd say this book was just ok.
April 2, 2016
Another book group read, The Well had an interesting premise and plenty of food for thought but boy did it waffle on in parts and I’ll admit to skim reading some of the middle. Previously a short story writer, some of Catherine’s prose is beautiful but I think it needed to be much more tightly edited.
It does raise the interesting question whether to give up your home for the greater good or hang onto it for your own survival. We’d all like to think we would be generous in this situation but what if handing your property over meant starvation for yourself? Unfortunately the novel doesn’t go into too much detail about what is going on in the rest of Britain, so it feels very insular and that they might be making a bit too much fuss over sharing.
I instantly took a dislike to the main characters due to their selfishness. OK it’s at the start of the drought that they move out of London but Ruth talks of marrows and apples left to rot because they can’t eat them all. No wonder the locals didn’t like them, even if they didn’t want to give them away they could have sold them or made cider and chutney. Mark refuses to run any pipes into neighbouring properties to share their plentiful water. It’s the old story of entitled city folk moving to the country and feeling like the locals should accommodate them rather than the other way round.
In harsh times there will always be people who take advantage as well as people who turn to religion for reassurance. About halfway through the book the Sisters of the Jericho Rose turn up, a group of women who believe Ruth is their chosen one and women shall inherit the earth. They are not happy that Ruth’s grandson is set to inherit their holy land, The Well.
Mark is happy to escape the city, partly because it was his dream to be able to work the land, but also to escape prejudice. A false accusation at work, unwanted press attention and a suspicion placed that will never go away. There is an absolutely amazing scene which can be read two ways, one if you believe what he was accused of, the other perfectly innocent. It was interesting to explore the damage those kind of allegations can do to an innocent man.
My main problem with The Well was the fact so much was given away right at the start. We know a child is dead and Ruth is under suspicion. We know she was in prison for endangering The Well, a crucial source of water under the Drought Emergency Regulations Act. We know Mark is gone and the sisters are untrustworthy. The story alternates between the present where Ruth is serving a strange kind of house arrest, and the past events which led her there. I was waiting the whole book for the person who I thought did it to be revealed and what a surprise it was them. So predictable and a bit of a cop-out ending in regards to the national state of emergency.
It does raise the interesting question whether to give up your home for the greater good or hang onto it for your own survival. We’d all like to think we would be generous in this situation but what if handing your property over meant starvation for yourself? Unfortunately the novel doesn’t go into too much detail about what is going on in the rest of Britain, so it feels very insular and that they might be making a bit too much fuss over sharing.
I instantly took a dislike to the main characters due to their selfishness. OK it’s at the start of the drought that they move out of London but Ruth talks of marrows and apples left to rot because they can’t eat them all. No wonder the locals didn’t like them, even if they didn’t want to give them away they could have sold them or made cider and chutney. Mark refuses to run any pipes into neighbouring properties to share their plentiful water. It’s the old story of entitled city folk moving to the country and feeling like the locals should accommodate them rather than the other way round.
In harsh times there will always be people who take advantage as well as people who turn to religion for reassurance. About halfway through the book the Sisters of the Jericho Rose turn up, a group of women who believe Ruth is their chosen one and women shall inherit the earth. They are not happy that Ruth’s grandson is set to inherit their holy land, The Well.
Mark is happy to escape the city, partly because it was his dream to be able to work the land, but also to escape prejudice. A false accusation at work, unwanted press attention and a suspicion placed that will never go away. There is an absolutely amazing scene which can be read two ways, one if you believe what he was accused of, the other perfectly innocent. It was interesting to explore the damage those kind of allegations can do to an innocent man.
My main problem with The Well was the fact so much was given away right at the start. We know a child is dead and Ruth is under suspicion. We know she was in prison for endangering The Well, a crucial source of water under the Drought Emergency Regulations Act. We know Mark is gone and the sisters are untrustworthy. The story alternates between the present where Ruth is serving a strange kind of house arrest, and the past events which led her there. I was waiting the whole book for the person who I thought did it to be revealed and what a surprise it was them. So predictable and a bit of a cop-out ending in regards to the national state of emergency.
February 3, 2015
The Well is a truly entrancing read. Once begun, I couldn't let it go. I read it in three evenings. It spoiled more than one night's sleep - but not because of the plot, because the plot is rather weak; I found most of it more than a bit hard to believe. The premise is borderline supernatural, though nothing else in Chanter's semi-dystopian world is, but the curious anomaly of the rain falling in one small spot in the midst of a heinous drought is never explained or even the cause of much practical curiosity. And I was never convinced by Amelia's hold over Ruth. The necessary degree of hypnotic, Manson-like charisma seemed entirely lacking in her. I found her immediately sinister and untrustworthy. I would have had her off my land in half a heartbeat. The story was also very predictable - disappointingly so: absolutely nothing in this story came as a surprise. But still, I had to know how it was going to resolve, if it would end as I was sure it must (and it did).
The seduction of this novel is all in the quality of Catherine Chanter's writing, which is sublime; world class. The woman can certainly tell a tale and, though I didn't find her tale particularly original or convincing, it is so fabulously told. From beginning to end, The Well is mesmerizing, enchanting, utterly compelling - not quite a masterpiece, but in time, maybe next time, Catherine Chanter is sure to produce one, because her writing and her storytelling is some of the best I've read in years.
The seduction of this novel is all in the quality of Catherine Chanter's writing, which is sublime; world class. The woman can certainly tell a tale and, though I didn't find her tale particularly original or convincing, it is so fabulously told. From beginning to end, The Well is mesmerizing, enchanting, utterly compelling - not quite a masterpiece, but in time, maybe next time, Catherine Chanter is sure to produce one, because her writing and her storytelling is some of the best I've read in years.
June 14, 2015
The Well was an interesting story that really circles around the death of a little boy. The Well is a farm where it rains abundantly while the rest of England is in a severe drought. Ruth and her husband Mark fall in love with the place, until it starts taking a toll on their marriage, until the strange people start showing up to worship the water, until Sister Amelia comes to solicit Ruth to join her group, The Sisters of the Rose. They are convinced that Ruth is the Rose of Jericho incarnate, and they are bound to make sure the Well stays in the hands of a woman, instead of being passed on to Ruth's grandson Lucius.
I enjoyed the story, but I gave it three stars because it meandered in places, and I really felt the author could have shortened the ending while expanding on some other key details in the center of the story. For instance, I would have liked to know more about the drought, and the mystery as to why It still rained at The Well. The speculative aspect to the story was a little weak to me, and that was kind of a bummer.
Overall it was pretty good. I listened to it on Audible and the narrator was very good. This probably helped with my experience of the novel.
I enjoyed the story, but I gave it three stars because it meandered in places, and I really felt the author could have shortened the ending while expanding on some other key details in the center of the story. For instance, I would have liked to know more about the drought, and the mystery as to why It still rained at The Well. The speculative aspect to the story was a little weak to me, and that was kind of a bummer.
Overall it was pretty good. I listened to it on Audible and the narrator was very good. This probably helped with my experience of the novel.
February 16, 2015
The narrative structure of The Well is well-constructed to provide the reader the sense of isolation and desperation for social connection while imprisoned - both voluntarily and involuntarily - in relative paradise. However, I struggled with certain aspects of the protagonist's journey because I didn't find all of her choices believable. I do think the cult aspect of the plot is a realistic one given the setting and circumstances, but I had a hard time believing Ruth's absorption. (I actually thought I'd somehow inadvertently skipped a chapter or two.) There's a moment with the Sisters of Rose that, for me, made the resolution of the murder mystery obvious and muddied Ruth's characterization. I didn't see a progression in the narrative to support her shift from influenceable to fully controllable. While we clearly see the other lengths she goes to for self-preservation, the degree to which she does this with the Sisters at the expense of the one source that anchors her happiness didn't make sense to me.
March 5, 2015
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this story I just felt like the author used a few too many words to tell it. For the most part the writing is beautiful and the story is haunting and original it just bogged down in places. Overall an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
ARC from publisher.
I really enjoyed this story I just felt like the author used a few too many words to tell it. For the most part the writing is beautiful and the story is haunting and original it just bogged down in places. Overall an enjoyable and worthwhile read.
ARC from publisher.
May 1, 2015
Within the first few pages you become aware that this isn't quite our world. We're introduced to a character called Ruth who has been returned to house arrest at The Well, though we don't know what she's done or why she's been released, or even how different this world is. All we know is that there's a terrible drought, and that for some reason The Well is somehow exempt, the only place where the water table and land are replenished by rainfall, the only place where grass is green, flowers still grow, and a stream still runs.
Ruth and Mark were happy, escaping the city for a rural paradise - or so they thought. Gradually the full story is revealed: what happened to their dream home after 22 years of marriage and the beginning of a new life, what it's like when your fields are green and plentiful while the rest of the country suffers a pervading drought, when your neighbours go bankrupt while you feast. As the events unfold, told through Ruth's recollections - or hallucinations - we see the contrast between then and now, memories intruding on her reality, death and wariness surrounding her, as we all question her mental state.
I can't explain the feel of this, except to say it's similar to some of Margaret Atwood's writings. Ruth's voice is clear though her thoughts are filled with confusion mixed with certainty, swirling around within the beautiful isolation of The Well; all the raw truths, the ones we think but don't say. The ominous tone, with its sense of foreboding, draws us in with a sense of expectation, leaving us to watch as Ruth dissolves; we can't look away, must see the resolution, whether or how she survives.
I often felt that I needed a break from this book yet I couldn't tear myself away. Ruth's journey, with increasingly leaden feet, grew harder for her to bear, but there was a glimmer of something that kept her going, and kept me at her side.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ruth and Mark were happy, escaping the city for a rural paradise - or so they thought. Gradually the full story is revealed: what happened to their dream home after 22 years of marriage and the beginning of a new life, what it's like when your fields are green and plentiful while the rest of the country suffers a pervading drought, when your neighbours go bankrupt while you feast. As the events unfold, told through Ruth's recollections - or hallucinations - we see the contrast between then and now, memories intruding on her reality, death and wariness surrounding her, as we all question her mental state.
I can't explain the feel of this, except to say it's similar to some of Margaret Atwood's writings. Ruth's voice is clear though her thoughts are filled with confusion mixed with certainty, swirling around within the beautiful isolation of The Well; all the raw truths, the ones we think but don't say. The ominous tone, with its sense of foreboding, draws us in with a sense of expectation, leaving us to watch as Ruth dissolves; we can't look away, must see the resolution, whether or how she survives.
I often felt that I needed a break from this book yet I couldn't tear myself away. Ruth's journey, with increasingly leaden feet, grew harder for her to bear, but there was a glimmer of something that kept her going, and kept me at her side.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2018
"The Well" by Catherine Chanter was a book I found myself drawn to. The description and reviews of the book piqued my interest. The buzzwords that intrigued me were: Big Brother, religious cult, dystopian, surveillance. We basically received none of these, sadly.
The book details the life of Ruth, who had just been released from prison. She was convicted for the murder of a child and causing a fire. We see her in the present, putting back the pieces of her life and seemingly trying to atone for her mistakes. This section of the story seemed unnecessary, as we see her interact with her guards. She's on house arrest. There is no sympathy for her. There is no Big Brother / surveillance plot here. This story does not have any dystopian elements. I was hoping for a thriller consisting of a religious cult and a mad 1984-like government. I was sorely mistaken.
We have elements of law that are not like ours. "Subjustice", "Rapid Processing Regulations". The only difference of this world and our world is that there was a massive drought, however, Ruth's farm stayed in tact and lush. A group of women flock to the farm to try to live there and manipulate Ruth into letting them stay. Ruth lives with her husband, Mark, and occasionally her daughter and grandson.
All in all, I could not like this book. The elements I came for were not what I expected. I think as readers we're allowed to have expectations for a book. If we are promised a book by its description, we should receive what we're hoping for. I do not recommend reading this book.
The book details the life of Ruth, who had just been released from prison. She was convicted for the murder of a child and causing a fire. We see her in the present, putting back the pieces of her life and seemingly trying to atone for her mistakes. This section of the story seemed unnecessary, as we see her interact with her guards. She's on house arrest. There is no sympathy for her. There is no Big Brother / surveillance plot here. This story does not have any dystopian elements. I was hoping for a thriller consisting of a religious cult and a mad 1984-like government. I was sorely mistaken.
We have elements of law that are not like ours. "Subjustice", "Rapid Processing Regulations". The only difference of this world and our world is that there was a massive drought, however, Ruth's farm stayed in tact and lush. A group of women flock to the farm to try to live there and manipulate Ruth into letting them stay. Ruth lives with her husband, Mark, and occasionally her daughter and grandson.
All in all, I could not like this book. The elements I came for were not what I expected. I think as readers we're allowed to have expectations for a book. If we are promised a book by its description, we should receive what we're hoping for. I do not recommend reading this book.
March 29, 2015
This was a strange story. Ruth and Mark Ardingly have left London behind to live in their version of utopia, living on the Well. The locals begin to resent them as the Well is the only place that isn't suffering the drought. The crops are plentiful and the rain falls on their land while everyone else is dry. Right away the reader can understand the bitterness of the locals. Surely the newcomers must be doing something nefarious to be the only ones who aren't losing everything. When Ruth's daughter Angie arrives with her beloved grandson Lucien in tow there is joy. Lucien is the light in Ruth's eyes, so much so that she wants Angie to leave him behind. Angie herself is a wreck, an addict who also causes problems between Mark and Ruth. Accusations from Mark's past float to the surface, and soon the Sisters of the Rose of Jericho (not much different than a weird cult) arrive to fawn all over Ruth causing a fracture in the entire family. Why was Ruth in prison? What happened to turn their heaven into complete hell? What happened to Lucien and whose fault is it? I had a hard time with the elation she experienced with the sisters. To go from loving her grandson as if he were her own beloved son to letting the sisters upset her logic left me feeling uneasy. She herself isn't even sure half the time what happened, having been in some altered state. This story is a mixed bag of emotions and yet oddly compelling.
December 26, 2016
Kent yaşamının vahşiliğinden doğanın masumiyetine kaçış romanı. bu sıralar oldukça popüler olan bu mevzu bir çok kitapta karşımıza çıkıyor.
Ruth ve Mark orta yaşı geçkin bir çifttir;Mark çocuk pornografisi yüzünden suçlanıp, suçsuzluğu kanıtlanır.Çift toplum baskısı sebebiyle kırsal kesime yani bir çiftliğe taşınma kararı alırlar.
Dünyada uzun süreli bir kuraklık baş gösterir. Hükumetler kuraklıkla ilgili ciddi politikalar uygularlar.İlginçtir ki dünyanın her yanı kuraklıktan kavrulurken Mark ve Ruth'un taşındıkları çiftlik yani Kuyu sürekli yağmur almaktadır. Zamanla tüm dünyanın ilgisini çeken Kuyu, Mark ve Ruth için cennetten ziyade cehennem olmaya doğru gitmektedir.Dinsel saplantılar,cinayet ,yalnızlık ve kundaklama konularını barındırdığı gibi ; Distopia,gerilim,psikoloji ve hatta feminizm bile işlenmiş. Lakin bazı sayfalarda öylesine içim sıkıdı ki ...Konu güzel karakterler güzel ama kitapta iyi gitmeyen bir şeyler var.Kötü bir kitap diyemem ama tam olarak tanımlayamadığım bir olmamışlık da kendini belli ediyor.
Ruth ve Mark orta yaşı geçkin bir çifttir;Mark çocuk pornografisi yüzünden suçlanıp, suçsuzluğu kanıtlanır.Çift toplum baskısı sebebiyle kırsal kesime yani bir çiftliğe taşınma kararı alırlar.
Dünyada uzun süreli bir kuraklık baş gösterir. Hükumetler kuraklıkla ilgili ciddi politikalar uygularlar.İlginçtir ki dünyanın her yanı kuraklıktan kavrulurken Mark ve Ruth'un taşındıkları çiftlik yani Kuyu sürekli yağmur almaktadır. Zamanla tüm dünyanın ilgisini çeken Kuyu, Mark ve Ruth için cennetten ziyade cehennem olmaya doğru gitmektedir.Dinsel saplantılar,cinayet ,yalnızlık ve kundaklama konularını barındırdığı gibi ; Distopia,gerilim,psikoloji ve hatta feminizm bile işlenmiş. Lakin bazı sayfalarda öylesine içim sıkıdı ki ...Konu güzel karakterler güzel ama kitapta iyi gitmeyen bir şeyler var.Kötü bir kitap diyemem ama tam olarak tanımlayamadığım bir olmamışlık da kendini belli ediyor.
May 26, 2015
I cannot say I enjoyed this book. It was depressing and I nearly put it aside several times but found myself compelled to finish it just to see how all the misery would finally come to an end. It was a most satisfying conclusion. There was sometimes too much detail about Ruth’s thoughts and reactions to her many serious problems. As was intended, it seemed that she was definitely mentally ill at times, but she just made poor choices. She was an intelligent woman and never should have fallen in with the Sisters. Well written - just depressing.
October 19, 2016
Beautifully written. Loved this hypnotic, evocative book.
April 27, 2020
The tags make it sound like a thriller, but I hesitate to label it that. It's an odd mix of the psychological destruction of a womans mind and relationship and the who-dunnit of the death of a child. Sometimes the rather descriptive prose made me lose my patience and will admit to skip ahead in the text at quite a few times.
It's also chock-full of red herrings. Sometimes I even wonder if some of them are red herrings of a red herring. To say something positive about it is that you aren't sure of who the killer is, even when the killer is actually being revealed. I come out of this book wonder if maybe it wasn't someone else after all. Evidence be damned.
There's still this big weird questionmark (har har) about Mark and the accusations against him at the very start. Like I know that was supposed to be resolved, but there was so much said and done during the book (the aforementioned red herrings) that I left off thinking there was something fishy there, despite everything.
Five years this book has stood on my shelf, unread and guilting me. No more!
It's also chock-full of red herrings. Sometimes I even wonder if some of them are red herrings of a red herring. To say something positive about it is that you aren't sure of who the killer is, even when the killer is actually being revealed. I come out of this book wonder if maybe it wasn't someone else after all. Evidence be damned.
There's still this big weird questionmark (har har) about Mark and the accusations against him at the very start. Like I know that was supposed to be resolved, but there was so much said and done during the book (the aforementioned red herrings) that I left off thinking there was something fishy there, despite everything.
Five years this book has stood on my shelf, unread and guilting me. No more!
November 13, 2024
A tedious book that drones on and on and nothing really happens. The facts are clear from the get go and yet it had been dragged till the last page. If this was not a book club read I would never have sped read through it.
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