| Bibliographical Information |
| Shop, The |
| Author: Emyr Humphreys View more titles by 'Emyr Humphreys'
|
| ISBN: 9781854113900 (1854113909) |
Publication Date October 2005 Publisher: Seren
|
| Format: Paperback |
| Available |
There are no Customer Responses for this title.
|
| | |
|
|
| |
| 
|
|
Our Price:
£7.99
|
|
The story of a person who inherits a shop in a rural part of Wales, her hopes for personal fulfilment, and plans to transform the shop into a cultural centre.
Stori am berson sy'n etifeddu siop mewn ardal wledig o Gymru, ei gobeithion, a'i chynlluniau i greu canolfan ddiwylliannol yno.
|
|
Writing with an almost infallible grasp of sensitivity and the tender frailty of human emotion, Emyr Humphreys is close to being a Welsh literary institution – and in this, his twenty-second novel, it is not hard to see why. Unafraid to explore the fascinating possibilities of a 'real-life' subject, his subtle wit and charming diction make this tender tale an absolute joy to read. Focusing on the acquisition of a decrepit old shop in Pentregwyn, differing personal ideals of how to use the old place and its symbolic meaning to society characterize the central theme of this novel.
It is the social situation and reaction of all the characters that make it such an enthralling read. From the rambunctious 'Great Orlando', the old father of our protagonist, who still enjoys whirlwind romances with any 'old girl' he can get his hands on, to the driven documentary maker Bethan who is far too adventurous to agree to the unremarkable dreams that are offered to her by the narrator and her sometime lover Eddie, every personality simply lifts itself off the page.
This becomes only more apparent with the rather enigmatic narrative technique of basing the story primarily in mid-Wales, yet setting almost the entire narrative amongst retrospective thought in Italy. Extremely ambitious, and often making for a rather enchanting style, it nonetheless can occasionally cause a sense of slight reader-detachment from the plot, which I suppose only goes to cementing the strength of the characters themselves.
But overall, it is the personal nature of this book that makes it such a winner. Setting the narrative outside of the storyline, utilizing the imagery of the failing store and cementing the importance of each character's own personality traits, a delicate isolation sparkles on every page.
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 defnyddior adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatâd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.
|
|
Further Information: The Shop
Emyr Humphreys, now in his eighties and with a long career as a writer behind him, continues to produce novels as fresh and sharp as ever. In his latest book, Edward Lloyd, a rather directionless functionary at the Food and Agricultural Organisation in Rome and of partly Welsh descent, meets and courts a Welsh film-maker, Bethan Mair Nichols. Like many of Humphreys' narrators, Lloyd is a self-deprecating, rather isolated character, constantly finding his plans undermined by the actions of others, and events beyond his control. One such event is the realisation that the ambitious and intense Bethan has inconveniently inherited a derelict shop in rural Wales. This legacy proves contentious, and leads to difficulties for the couple, forcing them to reassess their relationship. The Shop is much more than a love story. Edward Lloyd's relationship with Bethan introduces him to a language and culture which his upbringing had denied him. Through his protagonist, Humphreys skilfully presents contemporary Wales from the perspective of the vaguely interested but utterly baffled outsider. The power exerted over people's lives by their cultural heritage, and the difficulty of ignoring the ghosts of their ancestral past, are all important themes in this book. Humphreys has not lost his ability to pinpoint the weaknesses as well as the strengths of both his protagonists and the society in which they live, subtly exploring the ways in which members of a beleagured minority might reinvent and modernise their culture without losing its very essence. Few writers can convey so clearly, and with so critical a sympathy, the conflicting viewpoints and misunderstandings of those on more than one side of a cultural fence.
Cyfnewidfa Lên Cymru/Wales Literature Exchange
|
This title is categorised and/or sub-categorised as follows:
|
|
|
