Review: Once Upon a River

Discussion

If you’re a fan of historical fiction set in cozy 19th Century villages with a multitude of slowly connected characters, a lackadaisical pace, and a touch of gothic, you’ll happily curl up with Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon A River. If, however, character driven stories with meandering, poetic, and somewhat ethereal writing, are not your thing, this might be a tough chew.

This is definitely something to consider before picking up Once Upon A River, because it demands you to be unhurried, methodical, and relaxed. Being a Diane Setterfield fan – The Thirteenth Tale is likely my favourite novel of all time – I was ready. I thoroughly enjoy her grandiloquent, ghostly writing that waxes and wanes through almost intangible threads that will eventually connect together … but even so, this one was a tougher read for me. Maybe I was being impatient and not giving it its due time or maybe it was that the subject matter is often harrowingly dark and disturbing but I did find myself having to work to stay connected.

Having said that, I still very much enjoyed this. Diane Setterfield is a masterful storyteller that I put in leagues with Madeline Miller, Neil Gaiman, and Erin Morgenstern. Her extensive ability to create rich, atmospheric tales is simply superb. Once Upon A River is gothic, ghostly, dark, and often a bit disturbing, but is balanced with a strong current of hope and brevity of the human spirit, simultaneously showcasing the worst of humanity and its heartbreaking kindness. The mysteries here are slowly revealed and the interconnectedness of the characters slowly builds together to a very satisfying result. While her ornamented style of writing comes down to personal preference, her superior talent of characterization is undeniable.

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Things in Jars

Written by Jess Kidd

Published by Washington Square Press

You can find it here: Bookshop.org