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Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain
Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain | Barney Norris
15 posts | 12 read | 19 to read
'There exists in all of us a song waiting to be sung which is as heart-stopping and vertiginous as the peak of the cathedral. That is the meaning of this quiet city, where the spire soars into the blue, where rivers and stories weave into one another, where lives intertwine.' One quiet evening in Salisbury, the peace is shattered by a serious car crash. At that moment, five lives collide a flower seller, a schoolboy, an army wife, a security guard, a widower all facing their own personal disasters. As one of those lives hangs in the balance, the stories of all five unwind, drawn together by connection and coincidence into a web of love, grief, disenchantment and hope that perfectly represents the joys and tragedies of small town life.
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rachaich
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Pickpick

I was shocked by the opening chapter, the language and content but on reading more, realised it had to be indicative of the narrator.
Some parts were almost introspective in their words, lots of beautiful prose and musings.
The story was cleverly constructed.

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rachaich
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This was going to be a book club read but as it was a public group, we've not been meeting. I was really looking forward to reading it as it's set very locally to me, and the author is also local.
Found a copy in the charity shop 😊😊😊🤗🤗🤗

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edennugget
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jhod
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Pickpick

Little cry on the beach finishing this one which I loved. The characters were so well drawn out, heart aching.

Soubhiville Great title. 6y
94 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Sara346
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Pickpick

Beautifully written - an observation on humanity and the way in which we are linked together. Rated it a pick because of its moments of insight and clarity. Quite a sad read though.

RaimeyGallant Nice review. :) And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. 6y
4 likes1 comment
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quietlycuriouskate
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Mehso-so

Five first-person character studies linked by a car crash in a small English town.

Ye gods, that was depressing!

I like a nice bleak introspective book but these five narratives blend into one indifferent misery; turbid surface stands in for depth, and the "machinery" of the story is contrived and heavy-handed. The last narrative, especially, acts as a summing up/tying together that reveals Norris doesn't trust his reader to get it. Not great.?

quietlycuriouskate I've rated it so-so rather than a pan because of the moments of insight into the emptiness at the heart of his characters' lives and their feeling of powerlessness in the face of it. 6y
rockpools How disappointing! I had high hopes for that one. Great review though! 6y
merelybookish Haha your review mentions two of my big pet peeves. Obvious plotting and author distrust. No need to read this one! ☺️ 6y
41 likes3 comments
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rockpools
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Two for #TheRiver from the tbr. Poems from Alice Oswald, as she talks to people along the Dart from the moor to the sea, and a debut novel set in Salisbury, which I've heard great things about.

Turns out I quite like a book with a river in.
#rockinmay

Cinfhen Yessss! Totally want to read 7y
batsy Alice Oswald is amazing! Thanks for bringing Dart to my attention. 7y
42 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Karenmartinreads
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Pickpick

Excellent debut novel.
Karenmartinreads.blogspot.com

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Megzdavies93
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Rhondareads

Five characters brought together by a horrific car crash.

7 likes1 stack add
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Foyles
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Pickpick

'What does it mean to be from a place? And what if that place isn't Paris or New York but a small city in Wiltshire? A love letter to the author's home town and an exploration of lives lived without fanfare, often remotely and yet no less compelling for it.' Ed, Charing Cross Road

kdwinchester Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚 8y
peggyriley Welcome! 8y
4 likes1 stack add2 comments
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shawnmooney
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32 likes6 stack adds
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MusingsOnMidlife
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Intrigued by my next read ... Hope it lives up to my expectations!

9 likes1 stack add
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Rhondareads
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A serious car accident 5 strangers lives converge.Each facing their own crisis.Small town life at its most intimate.Rave reviews.

15 likes3 stack adds