Carys DaviesWest

A very unusual book indeed which, for me, is more like a collection of character studies than a straightforward narrative tale (although it does also have some very clear plot lines running through it). In just 150 pages or so, the book examines a wide range of human characteristics and presents them to the reader without comment - readers are left to form their own opinions. Set in the pioneering days of America, we are presented with the stark contrast between the human search for the unknown and the human need for stability and security.

In Carys Davies' 'West' we meet widowed mule breeder, Cy Bellman, who lives in Pennsylvania and who, after reading a newspaper article about the discovery of huge, ancient bones found in a Kentucky swamp, decides to set out on a long and arduous journey to find out whether giant creatures could still be living and roaming in the wild, unchartered territory beyond the Mississippi River. The journey, which could take as long as two years, is one which seems almost unimaginable to his ten-year-old daughter, Bess, whom he leaves behind in the care of his no-nonsense sister Julie, who is angered by her brother's obsession with what she regards as mythical creatures.Facing a journey that is much more difficult and perilous than he thought, Bellman hires a young Shawnee Indian scout with whom, despite a lack of a common language, he strikes up a mutually beneficial relationship, but whilst Bellman travels ever further away from the family home, Bess endeavours to follow her father's route by poring in the books in the local library and, back at home, she finds herself struggling to avoid the unwelcome notice of Elmer Jackson, an unkempt, unsavoury, middle-aged neighbour, who begins to develop an unhealthy passion for the young girl.This is a beautifully written and absorbing tale of a kind and gentle man, but one who nevertheless puts his own dreams above the needs of his young daughter, and although brief in length this story is rich in atmosphere and sense of place. Ms Davies' descriptions of Bellman's journey and the challenges he meets along the way, not least the terrible winters he has to endure and the debilitating lack of food, are succinct yet beautifully lyrical at the same time. To encompass a such a multi-faceted story as this in just 150 pages is very impressive indeed and I am now keen to read Carys Davies' second novel 'The Mission House' which has recently been published.4 Stars.

Carys Davies’ short story collection, “The Redemption of Galen Pike”, was intensely absorbing, with its pithy prose which was surprisingly expansive in its conveyance of time and space.These fine traits are apparent in this very spare novel. However, I felt there was little else to recommend it, even though it made for a good enough read.The premise is simple: A widower is captivated by the idea of gigantic animal remains out West and sets out on an expedition to find them, leaving his young daughter, Bess, behind in the care of his sister.Is this quest a fool’s errand? Does it reveal the unbreakable bonds between father and daughter that are not easily severed by time and distance? Is there a deeper significance to it all? And most importantly, what is the motivation behind this journey?These are unfortunately not the questions I find anywhere in the book, and except for the growing awareness that Bess is terribly vulnerable in the small community without a father that impels me to read on, this novel fell a little flat for me. A disappointment, considering how Davies’s short stories shone for me.

Having read and been gripped by Carys’s short stories, I was excited to learn that she had written her first novel, and I was keen to read it. I wasn’t disappointed. “West “ intrigues from the first page, and I found myself wanting to press on, alongside Cy, in his quest, and to know what happened next. The reader also learns so much about life in the US in those days, its everyday hardships, so well researched, and its slow pace, so different from today, as well as the difficulty involved in undertaking any long journey.This was a satisfying read, and towards the end it was completely unputdownable. The only weakness in my opinion was the credibility of Cy’s motivation for his trek, but once he was on his way, I was with him on every hoofprint and river crossing. Highly recommended.

Beautifully written and constructed. As you get further into it, you can guess where this going, but you keep reading nonetheless. Carys Davies' story has the relentless simplicity of Greek tragedy. Like the Greek plays, the conclusion is dramatic."And the point"? Life is like this. You are inspired by a great dream. For the first time in years, you are passionate about something. You set off. Enormous efforts are required on your part. But look how it ends up.... Meanwhile, back home, an unpleasant neighbor has designs on your daughter. Perhaps only a reader with a few years of life under their belt, and the pessimism that comes with that, could fully appreciate a story as pessimistic as this.

A crazy, impractical quest that you sense is never going to end well but is no less absorbing for that. It's really two stories, one about the naive explorer with a silent native American boy as his guide, the other about the effect of his absence on his only child, a ten year old girl. While father blunders further and further into the huge but hostile landscapes of the west, daughter is trapped in a far smaller but no less terrifying landscape of her own. It takes the boy to link the two tales and provide a sort of arid redemption. There is no poetry about it except in the spareness of the prose which matches the harshness of the lives lived.

So simple. So uncomplicated. Carys Davies so good. I’m not tempted to offer an overview of this novel. No one would believe it could be worth reading. But trust me her characters are truly believable, three will touch the reader. The strength her characters present will perhaps offer the reader an understanding of what it took to settle, capture this country. And I believe all that you think, feel about this novel might very well surprise you. Bravo, Ms Davies.

I loved this book - dreamlike and enchanting, it reads like a fable. A wonderful novel for all ages. Can't wait for the new one...

A terrific idea brought to confident fruition. As the story unfolds of our hero's unusual but understandable near obsession we are drawn into a beautifully observed and unsophisticated world of the American colonies and settlers. I found the slow release of the lessons being learnt and to be learnt strong poignant and moving. This book works on many levels. Adventure, parable, introduction to a world. I have always had great sympathy for the native Americans who were so savagely dispossessed - frequently by the dispossessed. In a light but haunting touch this book taps us on the shoulder and reminds us of what we may have almost carelessly lost.

Entertaining, with an original plot, but not quite as impressive as many reviews had claimed

3.5 stars would have been my choice. The story is intriguing if at times overwrought and at other times undernourished. A father and widower in the early 1800s becomes consumed with the possibility of mega fauna still roaming the American west, so leaves his ten year old daughter on their farm in western Pennsylvania, in the care of his spinster sister, while he heads into the wilderness in the wake of Lewis and Clark. At times the language seems derivative of Cormac McCarthy, though not as finely done. The story bounces between Cy Bellman, the father, and Bess, his daughter back home. To her credit, Davies raises many serious points: what kind of love (or selfishness) would permit a supposedly loving father to abandon his daughter, what is the affect on one's psyche of losing a young and vibrant spouse, what kind of life did women suffer in that society, how were girls mistreated and misvalued, to coin a word, and what level of blame or responsibility does a conquering force (white Europeans) accept or need to accept for the destruction of indigenous cultures (American Indian). The book is short and the ending was abrupt. These important themes could have been explored in much greater detail over a longer period of time. The truncated story was ultimately unsatisfying, merely raising important issues without seeking any fuller understanding or resolution.