The Orchardist: A Novel
A story of an isolated orchardist whose life shifts when he encounters two wounded sisters. Violence, protection, loss, and repair accumulate quietly.
Work Information
Two wounded sisters arrive at an isolated orchard.
As Amanda Coplin’s debut novel, it traces a family form wrapped in the Pacific Northwest landscape with restrained prose.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Harper
- Published
- 2012-08-21
- Pages
- 448 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 15.24 x 3.48 x 22.86 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780062188502
- ISBN-10
- 006218850X
- Price
- 10981 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Literature & Fiction/Anthologies & Literary Collections/General
At once intimate and epic, The Orchardist is historical fiction at its best, in the grand literary tradition of William Faulkner, Marilynne Robinson, Michael Ondaatje, Annie Proulx, and Toni Morrison. In her stunningly original and haunting debut novel, Amanda Coplin evokes a powerful sense of place, mixing tenderness and violence as she spins an engrossing tale of a solitary orchardist who provides shelter to two runaway teenage girls in the untamed American West, and the dramatic consequences of his actions.
Amanda Coplin was born in Wenatchee, Washington. She received her BA from the University of Oregon and MFA from the University of Minnesota. A recipient of residencies from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Omi International Arts Center at Ledig House in Ghent, New York, she lives in Portland, Oregon.
Reviews
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Started off intoxicating, end rather dragging
This book is about kindness, kinship, living with consequences, deep trauma (abuse! - however not graphically written) Very atmospheric, beautiful writing with elaborate descriptions of landscapes and characters. Every sentence you read is a feast! I could not read it rapidly; this one is to cherish and take your time for. Towards the end a bit dragging/depressing. Therefore 4-stars!
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Beautifully written the sounds, smells of Pacific Northwest at the beginning of the 20th century
The story centres around Talmadge a man who takes in 2 young pregnant girls who have escaped the abusive relationship of another man. A truly compelling and emotional journey through his life.
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Excellent naturalist read
Gently takes you into another world when life was lived closer to nature. I highly recommend you take the time to read.
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Ein literarisches Meisterwerk
ein wunderschönes Buch, ergreifend und intelligent... Differenzierte Figuren, bewegende Landschaftsbeschreibungen. Große Literatur. Ich konnte es kaum aus der Hand legen.
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Amazing and moving
This novel is one where I could definitely utilize a ½ star option – 5 stars for writing quality, 4 stars for story (though on a quality scale this is a 5 also, I just have some personal beefs with the path the author chose to take some characters!) for a grand total of 4.5 This novel follows the path of a non-traditional “family” unit from the beginning of their relationships through much of their formative years together in the late 19th/early 20th century time period. The story is told using many changes of perspective, a very unique and flowing writing style that was almost dreamlike and well-conceived/portrayed characters. It is well-crafted, deeply moving, and profoundly heartbreaking. The pace is slow though not tedious, and even with the slower pace, there is such an ominous atmosphere built up both on the surface and between the lines that you hold a constant and suspenseful feeling of doubt and foreboding, as though something terrible could happen at any moment. Yet, despite the overwhelming sadness that seems to follow everyone around like a stray dog, you cannot help but be moved by and develop a strong feeling toward the characters. While there are definitely some aspects of the story that I did not care for (couldn’t she have interjected SOME hope or happiness?!) but overall I cannot help but be impressed. To write a story with characters so scarred, flawed and detached that can still be so moving is truly a feat of exceptional storytelling and skill with words. That said…..I hated the ending, and from this point forward may just have to convince myself to remember it the way I had hoped it would be.