The Mermaids Singing
by Lisa Carey
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lisa CareyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-11-06
ISBN: 0380815591
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Book Reviews of The Mermaids Singing
Book Review: All things considered...
Summary: 3 Stars
...a well-considered, intelligent, if pedestrian effort.
This novel, Ms Carey's début, was published a dozen years ago. Meaning it was written probably a decade and a half ago. I'm sure her abilities as a writer have improved since then, so 'Mermaids' should be taken as nothing more than a rookie's travails...and maybe an indicator of things to come.
I read this on the heels of Haven Kimmel's oeuvre...which probably wasn't such a fair precursor. Because even just taking into account their freshman (freshperson?) offerings, it's clear that the difference between their writing is the difference between a guitar player and a guitarist. A vocalist and a singer. A cook...and a chef.
'Mermaids' is a straightforward enough story executed with dollop of ambition. Told from multiple narrators' points of view, some in flashback, set in two different countries, with Life as An Emotional Journey as the backdrop, through three generations of women.
Well, Ms Carey got the basics down right. It all adds up., the story makes sense, there aren't any disturbing missteps. But considering the premise, considering the myths invoked, considering the settings, as I previously declared, it's all ra ather pedestrian experience for the reader. There's nothing poetic involved...though there is some poetry in the text. There's no lyricism...though if you've got Ireland as a character, then you'd think you'd have some pretty lyrical stuff to draw from.
Maybe in the hands of another, a more 'writerly' writer, 'Mermaids' might have been something memorable. Something of substance. As it is, there's a lot of 'factual' exposition going on, and because of the multiple-narrator gambit, the tale told is a dry one. I didn't feel captivated by the story, or engrossed while reading it, nor did it lead me to comtemplate larger issues. It really just...sat there.
Perhaps were she to write 'The Mermaids Singing' today, Ms Carey would end up with an entirely different novel. Or, maybe she's not cut out to write the book that I felt this one could have, should have been. In any case, it's a nice enough time-waster, though nothing I'd recommend.
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