At the Water's Edge: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII” (Harper’s Bazaar) from the renowned author of Ape House and Water for Elephants
“Gripping, compelling . . . Gruen’s characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced.”—The Boston Globe
In January 1945, when Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a retired army colonel who is ashamed of his son’s inability to serve, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster. Leaving her sheltered world behind, Maddie reluctantly follows Ellis and his best friend, Hank, to a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Gradually, the friendships Maddie forms with the townspeople open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears, and as she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, she becomes aware not only of darker forces around her but of life’s surprising possibilities.
“Gripping, compelling . . . Gruen’s characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced.”—The Boston Globe
In January 1945, when Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a retired army colonel who is ashamed of his son’s inability to serve, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster. Leaving her sheltered world behind, Maddie reluctantly follows Ellis and his best friend, Hank, to a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Gradually, the friendships Maddie forms with the townspeople open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears, and as she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, she becomes aware not only of darker forces around her but of life’s surprising possibilities.
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Community Reviews
Excellent book. Sara Gruen has the ability to transport you to a world inside someone else's head. And of course, she's done just that here. Very reminiscent of Water for Elephants which I also loved. I got to get myself to Scotland. Do some monster hunting with my own eyes.
I didn't like any of the characters until halfway through the book, which is how the author intended I suppose. It takes a bit to get into the story. However, if you stick it out you'll be rewarded with a sweet romance.
Story: 2
I'm all about the story, right? The premise had a lot of promise, but this is not much more than a period romance, and not a really good one. I had high hopes after Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants", which is one of my favorite books. The idea of a story around the fascination/lure of the Loch Ness monster, and what it meant to the Scottish countryside around the Loch could have been a very interesting backdrop to a story. But, unfortunately, this book has little to do with that at all. The twists and turns of the story are predictable and typical. The serious subject matter - the war, drug and alcohol abuse, and homosexuality are all dealt with in a cursory manner.
Writing: 3
I'm giving the writing a 3 because it wasn't distracting. Ms. Gruen uses good vocabulary, knows how to pace the writing, and the dialog was appropriate.
Characters: 3
Sara does an average job at describing the background and motivations of Madeline. Less so, in order, for Ellis, Hank, Meg, Annie, and Angus. They are all simplistic and caricatures of, in order - spoiled rich Americans, Scottish village girls, and Mr. Rochester/tragic widower.
Learning: 1
Nothing new here - even the few details about the Loch Ness monster are minimal and suspect.
Ending: 1
Cinderella, including the castle. Everyone lived happily ever after.
Entertainment: 3
You may be wondering why I would give this a 3 after the other low scores. Good question. Well, I read this book in about 1 day, so at some level it was compelling. It would make a good vacation/beach read. I wasn't disappointed or skeptical as I was reading it, just when I finished it. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library.
I'm all about the story, right? The premise had a lot of promise, but this is not much more than a period romance, and not a really good one. I had high hopes after Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants", which is one of my favorite books. The idea of a story around the fascination/lure of the Loch Ness monster, and what it meant to the Scottish countryside around the Loch could have been a very interesting backdrop to a story. But, unfortunately, this book has little to do with that at all. The twists and turns of the story are predictable and typical. The serious subject matter - the war, drug and alcohol abuse, and homosexuality are all dealt with in a cursory manner.
Writing: 3
I'm giving the writing a 3 because it wasn't distracting. Ms. Gruen uses good vocabulary, knows how to pace the writing, and the dialog was appropriate.
Characters: 3
Sara does an average job at describing the background and motivations of Madeline. Less so, in order, for Ellis, Hank, Meg, Annie, and Angus. They are all simplistic and caricatures of, in order - spoiled rich Americans, Scottish village girls, and Mr. Rochester/tragic widower.
Learning: 1
Nothing new here - even the few details about the Loch Ness monster are minimal and suspect.
Ending: 1
Cinderella, including the castle. Everyone lived happily ever after.
Entertainment: 3
You may be wondering why I would give this a 3 after the other low scores. Good question. Well, I read this book in about 1 day, so at some level it was compelling. It would make a good vacation/beach read. I wasn't disappointed or skeptical as I was reading it, just when I finished it. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library.
Ordinary people, living in extraordinary times. This story of Maddie and her husband's obsession with the Loch Ness monster during WWII is a window into the life of ordinary folks in Scotland during the 1940s. Maddie's background is one of American privilege and the conflict of cultures plays out for much of the book, as well, as the rich relationships among the characters.
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