An atmospheric novel portraying the illusory nature of love while relating the story of a complex love affair that did not survive. First published May 2004. Short-listed for the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award.

Nofel llawn awyrgylch yn portreadu natur rhithiol cariad tra'n adrodd stori am garwriaeth gymhleth na oroesodd. Cyhoeddwyd gyntaf Mai 2004. Ymddangosodd ar Restr Fer Gwobr Whitbread 2004 yn y categori Nofel Gyntaf.

Carefully twining fiction and reality throughout this thought-provoking little cracker, The Land as Viewed from the Sea cannot help but provoke a real emotional pull to Collins’s beautifully crafted characters, designed to keep the reader enthralled from start to finish.

Skipping back and forth from a semi-fictional past to a more certain present, issues are explored, melded into emotion and passed on, never quite giving away exactly what is cast-iron certain and what is at least partly a product of the mind. Coupled with this mystery, the author uses a fascinating technique giving the impression of writing the novel as the book itself actually progresses, the setting of a gentle few weeks of summer work in an all contained smallholding giving way to a seemingly illusory tale of love, intense as it is magical.

Sean, the kind and supportive boyfriend who tries so hard to burrow his way into his lover's soul, and Catherine, the fiercely independent artist who will not commit to any form of restriction, provide the backbone of this tale, but many others grace the pages with their own, often partially hidden agendas and fascinating behaviour.

However, despite the lure of this book in form, structure and wonderful descriptive prose, the dialogue can sometimes seem a little static, and obvious turns of phrase and banal exchanges often perpetuate. Indeed, I am not always convinced that the speech conveys all the emotion this volume is offering and occasionally drab exchanges can verge on the annoying, made only more frustrating by the lust for answers that this book provokes.

However, it is in the final section that this lovely novel really reaches its peak, fiery twists and shocking revelations hammering home in the epistolary epilogue that adds so much to what has gone before. Now, after questioning the reliability of the novel within a novel and appreciating its subtle beauty, the reader is able fill in at least some of the blanks. An excellent and exciting debut!

Jack Clothier

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.