Toby has never really considered his, until now. Yes, Toby hit him out of nowhere, but Rafferty was much bigger and stronger, he could easily have de-escalated. Tana French is a terrific author; her previous books rate highly; every author can have a dud, but shouldn't the goodreads reviewer actually READ the book before giving it 2 stars?! While Toby is acutely aware of his new life, he is acutely unaware of how his privilege has long cushioned him. Ask the Author. Can't figure out why it sometimes seems to be "The Witch Elm" and sometimes "The Wych Elm". Some books haunt long after you shut the cover, walk away, vacuum, fold laundry and wash the dishes. The author uses her consummate skill as a writer to trick the reader—there’s the standard rise of tension, climax, reduction of tension and then—THEN when you think, “Yep, okay, clear plot, excellent characters, nice resolution, I think we’re done here…,” THEN French ambushes you with a finale that adds to the tragedy in a stunning crescendo. I read The Witch Elm and was captivated by French’s style, the setting, and even with the unreliable narrator, so then I read In The Woods. Cara spent 10 years as a Library Reader’s Advisor in between performing with a belly dance troupe and teaching dance classes. Yanked from a previously charmed existence, he finds himself inhabiting the world of those in society who are routinely targeted and oppressed. The resolution of that is so very bleak and so very depressing because it’s so realistic. If you want to kiss up to an author, do it on their website, not a public book forum. And the true killer was easy to ID. I think Good reads should remove that rating. As a young man, he has had a fairly smooth path in life—until the night he’s attacked and nearly killed. I read The Witch Elm and was captivated by French’s style, the setting, and even with the unreliable narrator, so then I read In The Woods. Reader Q&A, Tana French’s newest, THE WITCH ELM, is an engrossing story about family, love, and loss, though it’s a book entirely unsuitable for the Hallmark channel. You'll be disappointed, if my experience holds true for you. The novel opens and closes with Toby telling the reader that he considers himself a lucky person. When he says his luck is part of who he is, what do you think he means? And the rating is 2 stars! It took me longer than my 3 week library loan period to read it, and I was home sick for all three weeks! But here’s the same memory gap, inexplicable issue with the woman in his life, even a hollow tree mention. But here’s the same memory gap, inexplicable issue with the woman in his life, even a hollow tree mention. Has anyone noticed similarities with In The Woods? Are there any other differences between the two versions besides the title on the cover. A spellbinding stand-alone from one of the best suspense writers working today, THE WITCH ELM asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are. The author wants to put Toby into morally complex circumstances and this is how she did it. It is the same book, right? Your email address will not be published. Though Toby survives, that easy life of his is gone, replaced by one in which he now struggles—simply in order to function. The Witch Elm by Tana French is a 2018 Viking Books publication. It’s the kind of ending that pulls the reader along and whips them around like a kid on the end of a whip-the-tail game. Luck. Instead he reacted like he was in a bar fight. Of course, what readers see is not luck but privilege—a vantage to which Toby has been blind throughout the story. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I am about half way and even getting to that was a struggle. The story follows Toby through convalescence in a house he and his cousins spent summers in as they grew up. You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with What was he thinking? And the true killer was easy to ID. by Tana French. Toby is acutely aware of his loss. [Why did Rafferty react so violently at the end? Tana French’s newest, THE WITCH ELM, is an engrossing story about family, love, and loss, though it’s a book entirely unsuitable for the Hallmark channel. Loss is strung throughout the entire story like a strand of lights that you wind in your front bushes for Yule. The former is a legit complaint, the latter is just your opinion. The former is a legit complaint, t. Are you annoyed the rating came from an ARC or galley, or are you annoyed the rating is low for an author you like? How does that happen? He’s always had an easy go of things, able to talk himself out of any potential trouble or situation with his easy charm. I hate ratings of any sort from an ARC or galley, but I also hate when people argue someone's opinion of a book just because it doesn't jive with their opinion. Waiting patiently for the release date so I can read this for myself, I feel it will be a great fall read, I hope I am not going to be disappointed? I'd like to know how Goodreads allows someone to rate a book that won't be available for months! Do you agree that he is lucky? Anyone know why the burglars took the 10 year old digital camera from Toby's flat? ISBN-13: 9780735224629 Summary Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who's dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life—he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Bottom line: definitely worth your time, but definitely not a heartwarming or cozy tale. Required fields are marked *, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Because Tana French needed a red herring. Your email address will not be published. In the last few lines in the book, Toby reflects again on the concept of “luck.”. Does anyone know why this book seems to have two names? I don't think there's plausible explanation for what is clearly just a plot device. Discussion Questions The Witch Elm. It truly was. 2. All the while, his friends and relatives have tried to draw his attention to the fact that his family name, his race and gender have been the reason he’s managed to skate through so many problems—the reason he survived without damage when others experienced trauma. Some books haunt long after you shut the cover, walk away, vacuum, fold laundry and wash the dishes. why did rafferty have it in for toby even in the end? Cara Kless Layered, complex, and somewhat bleak, the novel centers on TobyHennessy, who in the very beginning of the book speaks about his luck. anyone else having a hard time getting through this book? The Witch Elm Tana French, 2018 Penguin Publishing 528 pp. She prefers Swinburne to Shelley, Faulkner to Hemingway, and can be found on most rainy days curled up with a good book and a cup of earl gray, hot. I think I’m done with French, sadly, if these motifs recur in all her books. This may be a dumb question; but why are some versions of of this book called "The Witch Elm" and some "The Wych Elm"? 1. I don't think there's plausible explanation for what is clearly just. We all have our favorite authors, but even a great author can write a piece of shit book, and giving high ratings for shit books just because you want to be seen as a loyal fan of said author is unfair to other Goodreads members. Are you annoyed the rating came from an ARC or galley, or are you annoyed the rating is low for an author you like? I found this scene entirely unrealistic, one of the many problems with the book. Throughout the story, French vividly illustrates the obliviousness of the wealthy to the privilege they enjoy, how they move through the world oblivious to the atrocities occurring all around them—but from which they are shielded from by dint of their wealth, gender, or race. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell. or ask your favorite author a question with The Witch Elm takes place in Ireland, and is narrated in the first person. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden --- and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed. I have been seeing such negative ratings for Tana French's newest standalone The Witch Elm...I am really surprised. Those are the stories that cling like a light veil, obscuring your vision of the mundane because they’ve reached inside you and tweaked something in your core. I found this scene entirely unrealistic, one of the many problems with the book. The novel is divided into 13 chapters. And why they went through all his papers? The narrator, Toby Hennessy, is also the main character. Welcome back. I think I’m done with French, sadly, if these motifs recur in all her books He takes care of his elderly uncle who is in the process of dying, and the sudden discovery of a skull in the garden starts an investigation that stresses his recovery. Reading Group Guide.