As with Melissa Harrison’s earlier novels, The Given World involves an ensemble cast of characters and explores their interactions with each other and the natural world. Unlike its predecessors, this novel contains no obvious central character or small groups of characters,although the events it portrays run in parallel with the final months of one of the characters.
The novel is set in the fictitious village of Lower Eodham in the valley of the River Welm—a clever choice of name for an area that is about to be overwhelmed. Something is not quite right—more than one thing. Things seem out of kilter. A sense of unease runs through the novel. Some people seem oblivious, others have some inkling but don’t see the bigger picture—and neither do we. Something is afoot. Things are changing. Some are taking their leave.
As you will have gathered, The Given World is a difficult novel to describe. As with Melissa Harrison’s earlier novels, I enjoyed it very much indeed.
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Disclosure: Melissa Harrison is an online friend whose former podcast I briefly appeared in several years ago.
