The Wood at Midwinter

The Wood at Midwinter / Susanna Clarke
London: Bloomsbury, c2024. 
64 p.

This is a short story bound in book form, beautifully illustrated and with a lovely cover, perfect for gift giving - it's a very short read, but with the elements of magic and mysticism that can be found in Clarke's other works. 

Since it is the Winter Solstice today I thought I would share this one now. It's the story of Merowdis Scott, 19 and a bit of a misfit. She isn't obedient enough to be accepted as a nun, she's turned down a marriage proposal, and really feels herself only in the woods. 

The story has an edge of the fantastical, as Merowdis talks to the animals in the forest, and the question of Christmas and a child born at midwinter arise. The atmosphere in the story is evocative, and it feels old somehow. There is a clear drive in Merowdis to exist in the woods, and one day while wandering she encounters a strange figure and her life is changed forever. 

I liked this one; it's a bit uncanny and the writing is lovely. But it is awfully short, and I don't feel like there was enough development of Merowdis for the reader to feel truly engaged with her story. The illustrations are nice, the book itself is very prettily done, but it is very brief. I would have liked to have a bit more context for this story and character, to really understand her and the concepts brought up in the narrative. But I do like Susanna Clarke's writing, and am always eager for more, so it was nice to read at Christmastime. 

There is also an author's afterword in which she talks about the inspiration for the story, and mentions Kate Bush's music as one of them - that was interesting, and added something else to the book. I'm always waiting for more Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell so this brief tale set in their universe gave a small taste that I appreciated.