Review: North Woods

5 stars. Lives up to the hype, I fear. Of course, this checks a lot of personal boxes for me: woods, ghosts, art, landscape, the way history sits on top of itself... deep but palatable character studies. I went in with a skeptical eye (I'm sure there are a ton of things any reader could pick apart and criticize, as with all books-of-the-moment), but truthfully, I couldn't put it down. It's immersive and very well-written and satisfying. Also, it's very horny. You'll know what I mean when you read it.

There's that word coined a few years ago that went viral: sonder. The realization - or sensation - that everyone, including (especially) strangers around you, has a life and consciousness as complex and rich and layered as yours. North Woods takes this and applies it to the history of a house and the sequence of its inhabitants, starting with a young Puritan couple and making its way to modern times. It is a love letter to the woods, the specific nature of New England, the land, time, fate, history, and humanity - with all our fights and faults and feelings and connections and errors. It did make me think about the very full, complex, rich lives lived by the previous owners of my home and what they might think of mine.

I'm a bit at a loss as to what further commentary I can offer: I think it's one of those books you just have to read. That being said, I'd be overjoyed to read the critical commentary of others. This is a very full book, and I'd love to take a class on it. I respectfully request a supplemental reading list, a playlist, and a comprehensive list of all the connections and clever throwbacks. I'm happy to own it - it's the type of book I'll want to revisit, and annotate, and breathe in.

North Woods on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads