Shy Creatures - Clare Chambers - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Clare Chambers

GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: November 12, 2024

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A literary fiction that began ponderously but took me by surprise as it proceeded. Compelling plotline, realistically flawed characters, fluid writing. Backward storytelling for one timeline. I enjoyed this darkly complex character-oriented novel.

Plot Preview:

Croydon, 1964. Thirty-four-year-old Helen works as an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital. She has also been having a long affair with her colleague Gil, a married doctor who plans to leave his wife once his kids are a bit older.

One day, when Helen is asked by Gil to come to a nearby old house where there was a report of domestic disturbance, the last thing she expects to find is an unkempt mute man named William Tapping, who has been living with his aged aunt. None of the neighbours knew of his presence in the house, and it soon becomes clear that he hasn’t ventured outside of his home in at least a decade. When Helen stumbles upon his sketches, she is determined to use art to help him recover, thereby proving to Gil and the other doctors that her role is also important in the hospital.

The story is written in the third person perspectives of Helen and William, with the latter coming from multiple timelines.

After the initial few chapters, I was disappointed that this was going towards the 3-star mark. Helen’s perspective seemed okay and the characters seemed decent, but William’s POV didn't make much sense. But time and patience are two vital attributes when it comes to reading literary fiction. My persistence was rewarded, and how!

Bookish Yays:

🤩 Helen – a complex character who makes great career choices but horrible personal choices. Her decisions, especially about her relationships, are often questionable. All this makes her a great character for a literary fiction work – not necessarily likeable but still compelling with all the human strengths and flaws. Her willingness to continue a relationship with a married man made it tough for me to root for her, but that shortsighted behaviour is true for so many in real life as well.

🤩 William, in whose perspective we get about half the book, is yet another intricate character. A man-boy in various ways, it would be very hard not to root for him, even when his truths come tumbling out. Excellent character detailing!

🤩 William’s timeline begins in the “present year” of 1964, but the chapters go steadily backwards, jumping multiple years and spanning decades. It’s like peeling an onion: you know the end result but the hidden layers hold many secrets that aren’t visible until peeled. This reverse timeline is the best feature of the book, turning it from great to excellent.

🤩 Both Helen’s and William’s arcs have a lot of family drama, but not with overlapping themes. The drama never goes over the top, even though one of the arcs has some truly eccentric characters. The whole feel is more realistic than soap-opera.

🤩 The setting of Croydon and the era – 1960s and backwards – felt real in every way. Though I wasn’t even alive there and then, I still felt like the atmosphere was true to life.

🤩 While many books lately are set in asylums and psychiatric hospitals, this one doesn’t fall in the predictable pattern of showing the mishandling of patients and the extreme medical “treatments” followed historically. Even the depiction of the “mental health” aspect in the book isn’t typical. The narrative felt refreshing.

🤩 Love the significance of the title and the number of characters it applies to. It is a subtle label, but soon we realise that the “shy” quality is because of varying reasons. With layered personalities holding many secrets, a majority of the characters have plenty to reveal over the course of the story.

🤩 I can't go into names because of potential spoilers, so I'll just say: one couple in the book set a wonderfully high standard for fictional parents. I loved them both!

🤩 The pacing is obviously on the slower side, given that this is literary fiction, but the tempo never slackens. The plot moves ahead steadily. There’s a great balance of plot and prose.

🤩 The author’s note, especially her decision to set the story in the 1960s – amazing! Her insights (and the reason why she chose to write this book) made me appreciate it even more.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🤔 Not a major issue, but it was surprising how Helen’s parents were accepting of the fact that she isn’t in a relationship despite being in her thirties. Considering the era and the general mentality of that time, this could have been explored a bit more.

🤔 The ending is a bit too positive for such a story, but given the facts we learn over the course of the plot, I think most readers will appreciate the smooth ending without much fuss.

Bookish Nays:

😥 There’s one gruesome scene of animal cruelty. Granted, the affected animal isn’t a pet, or even a creature most people care about, but the events still made my stomach churn. I wish this had been toned down. There was no reason to portray it so cruelly.

All in all, my complaints are minimal. The story is great, the writing is beautiful, and the plot is gripping. I am not sure how well this would work on audio, especially for audio newbies who might muddle up the backwards timeline. But the reading experience is fulfilling to those who like character-oriented narratives.

This is my first book by this author, and I would love to read more of her works.

Definitely recommended to literary fiction and character-oriented historical fiction lovers. Not for all readers, and especially not for those who want goody-goody characters and fast-paced storylines.

4.25 stars. (I would have gone higher, but I can’t get that animal scene out of my head.)

My thanks to Mariner Books for providing the DRC of “Shy Creatures” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.