Hello everyone!
Today’s book is from a repeat author that is new to me. I’ve been on a bit of a literary fiction kick lately and when given the opportunity to read this book I jumped at the chance. While this wasn’t my favorite book that I read this year, there were some things I did enjoy about this book. I would also like to give a trigger warning that this book heavily discusses alcohol addiction. Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Let’s get into it!
Here are the quick facts:
eBook
Publishers: Knopf
Publishing Date: July 2, 2024
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
384 pages
While the novel had a few different points of view, the main narrator was Jane Flanagan. She is an academic whose life has recently fallen apart; from her mother dying and being tasked with clearing out her house and her separation from her husband, Jane is having a hard time. The story is set in a small fictitious town in Maine that Jane was desperate to escape, except for the beautiful Victorian mansion on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Genevieve, a wealthy socialite, bought the mansion and renovated it, only to be convinced she and her son were being haunted by people from the home's past. She hires Jane to do research on the house and Jane connects her past, the house's past and the past of the town in one large web.
I really enjoyed the setting of small town Maine. I felt like I was in the small town and could picture everything so clearly in my mind. I also really enjoyed the mesh of present day and historical fiction. While some of the points of view were strange, I did like that instead of Jane reading about what had happened, the people who experienced it told the story.
While I did enjoy the blending of history with fiction, there were times when Jane was doing research and explaining the effects of colonialism in that area where I felt as if I were reading an article or research essay and not a book. I didn't mind the inclusion of the information, I just felt that the tone was a stark contrast from the tone of the narrative around it.
This might be a bit sensitive of me but I don't think I would have read this book if I was aware how much alcoholism was a part of the plot. Personally, I don't read books were that is a focal point and I would have appreciated just a heads up or warning so I could have better prepared myself for reading it. I do think the novel does do a good job of explaining how addiction doesn't just affect the people in active addiction but their family and friends and that addiction can be a generational issue.
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is out today, July 2, 2024. I will link places below to purchase the book. Thank you again to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy of the book.
Until next time!
Links:
Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670022/the-cliffs-by-j-courtney-sullivan/
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