The White Bone: A Novel
by Barbara Gowdy
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barbara GowdyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-06-03
ISBN: 0312264127
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Picador
Book Reviews of The White Bone: A Novel
Book Review: A Tragedy, Beautiful Nonetheless
Summary: 5 Stars
I write this review in response to the many I have browsed here, good and bad and in-between.
This is a difficult book. I found no particular enjoyment or entertainment in reading it, but rather something deeper and more vital. This book is gritty and spiritual, a thought-provoking read touched by longing and made powerful by the careful research the author clearly conducted to reach the spirit of the elephant and capture a wisp of that sense of being on the page.
This book carries a real sense of what I imagine it to be like to be elephant in its pages: the memories, the feeling of that kind of body in motion or at rest, the complexity of familial structures and relationships, and most poignantly, the terror and grief of a complex being faced with a complete annihilation of its way of life. If you have admired elephants, if you have felt compelled to learn more about their culture and lives, then you will see a lot of what you have learned echoed here. The author has imbued this book with a believable and deliberate sense of culture. She has also captured the pain of living within a community on the brink - elephant or otherwise.
To respond to specific points of criticism others have made, I did not find the language of the familial structures off-putting. It was simply a cultural difference between myself and the elephants of this story and just became part of the flavor of the text. During the first few chapters, I found a quick flip to the front of the book to consult the included family trees was helpful in getting acclimated to this way of speaking and thinking. After a while, the names became second nature. Additionally, I was not particularly bothered by the mixed use within the text of "human" versions of words and the elephant ones found in the glossary; I did notice this disparity from time to time, but I dismissed this as either an unintentional quirk or as a writer's method to add shades of meaning and sensation to the story, in the same way synonyms can be used to achieve subtlety.
Given the intense flavor of this book, I would suggest it to a rather small niche of readers. First off, I think an interest in anthropology would go a long way here. The study of foreign cultures demands an open mind and a certain kind of curiosity helpful in reading this type of text, heavy as it is in cultural details, many of which feel alien and could seem off-putting or boring to other readers. I also think those fascinated by elephants, or those who identify with their plight in a personal way would find this book rewarding. Finally, those who are drawn to Earth paths or who feel especially reverent toward the natural world will likely find their worldview aligned with that of the author in some fundamental ways (respect, empathy, curiosity, and wonder). This will certainly help the reader along as they make their way through this challenging read.
I am not sure that this book will be convincing to those who do not already have a sense of the elephant as a grand, tragic, and intelligent species, but for those who do, this book will touch off a lasting impression.
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