Bookseller Reviews
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I absolutely loved this book.
I lingered over every sentence in this stunning book. Three female narratives through time is a difficult thing to pull off but Evie Wyld does this with sp... READ MORE
A brave, compelling read.
Was completely mesmerised by this latest offering from Evie Wyld. Her style is meandering and thoughtful and her books tend to evoke meaning or feeling rat... READ MORE
Gets deep under your skin, stoking fires as it goes
The Bass Rock is one of the year's best works of fiction, and is Evie Wyld's sharpest and most darkly pertinent novel to date. We are given the interconnec... READ MORE
Synopsis
The Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other.
In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband and the strange waters of the local community.
Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth's belongings and discovers her place in the past - and perhaps a way forward.
Each woman's choices are circumscribed by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life...
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781784705497
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 25 mm
- Weight: 262g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allLyrical writing, but not a straightforward plot
There's no denying that Wyld's writing is striking, atmospheric and lyrical. The multi-generational protagonists were interesting, and flawed, and three d... READ MORE
A searing account of misogynistic violence
This book must be one of the most anticipated of 2020, written seven years after the author’s second novel, which like her first was a prize winner (in thi... READ MORE
Good but confusing
Overall I enjoyed this novel but not as much as I had hoped. I ended up pretty much reading each chapter as a short story because they didn't knit togethe... READ MORE
Haunting, Spiky and Oddly Compelling
This is a complicated story divided into three different narratives that weave in and out of each other mirroring significant events to create a story that... READ MORE
A pleasure to read; a struggle for equality seldom achieved
A book that is virtually impossible to come to without being aware of the hype; it’s promotional stance and the author’s previous acclaimed writing.
I was... READ MORE
Some atmospheric sections
This novel is set in and around North Berwick with the Bass Rock an atmospheric sight which dominates the sea line in this lovely town. The book is set in ... READ MORE
Not sure poetic licence can excuse the errors
If you are going to name a book after something as iconic as the Bass Rock you should at least get your facts and geography right. Those Scottish readers... READ MORE
Loved it!
I bought this book after seeing it reviewed on BBC's "Between the Covers". It didn't disappoint; the three women's stories are woven together expertly and ... READ MORE
Unsettling and atmospheric
I chose this book largely on the basis of having seen the Bass Rock on a recent visit to Scotland. I wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught to my senses ... READ MORE
Layered and complex
I loved Evie Wyld’s first two novels and while this was a big change (her first set in the UK) I still enjoyed it very much and think her writing is a cut ... READ MORE
Many loved this, many will. But I have the right of my own opinion and for me, it was a frightening failure.
''The crow takes off and flies to the top branches of the monkey puzzle tree. It yells at me from there.''
Three women, three different eras. Sarah, Ruth,... READ MORE
An interwoven examination of the impact of toxic masculinity on the lives of women in three different time periods
Winner of the 2021 Stella Prize and now published in paperback - this book was one of the most anticipated of 2020, written seven years after the author’s ... READ MORE
My favourite lockdown read!
The Bass Rock is based around three different women: Sarah, Ruth and Viviane - and of course, the Bass Rock seems to be a constant. It really exists, I've ... READ MORE
The Bass Rock....
In the early 1700’s, Sarah, accused of being a witch flees for her life.
After the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house and the local community.
Si... READ MORE
Haunting and atmospheric…..
Evie Wlyd’s latest novel “The Bass Rock” combines the fate of three women, set across the centuries to present day. Located in the East of Scotland in the ... READ MORE
Read this memorable novel; just forgive its unevenness.
‘The Bass Rock’ by Evie Wyld is set in North Berwick, a small town to the east of Edinburgh and focuses on, for the most part, the lives of three women: Sa... READ MORE
An interwoven account of three women from different centuries and the impact on their lives of toxic masculinity
This book was one of the most anticipated of 2020, written seven years after the author’s second novel, which like her first was a prize winner (in this ca... READ MORE
A journey of women’s experience through the ages
Wyld expressed perfectly the experience of women’s suffering through the hands of men. It was a wonderful book that gave me pause to think, can’t wait to r... READ MORE