Welcome to Litsy!

This is not an easy book but well worth it. written in dialect and layer upon layer of brilliant commentary on sight (what‘s real and what‘s not), aging, dreaming, and healing. Simply gorgeous. Full review at https://itsallaboutthebook.org

I love this tale of magic, childhood, and mythology. It reminds me of Lanny, but was quite different. In my opinion, it includes the magic involved with seeing the world through a child's eyes, the mythology of the Green Man, and the sacrifice it takes to be Treacle Walker.
@Bookwomble @jlhammar
@Andrew65 #20in4 Readathon

“Ragbone! Ragbone! Any rags! Pots for rags! Donkey stone!“
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

A child's perspectives of folklore and magic, one that is strikingly playful with language. I can relay that, but I actually struggled with this book. It demands you meet its playful-thoughtful-childish-not-childish mindset. But it's so short that I finished well before I had a chance to do that, so I didn't get much out of it. But, still, it was nice to get a window into this Alan Garner experience. #Booker2022

31 Mar-2 Apr 23
#Bookerlonglist 10
Not sure whether it is quite fair that I pan this. I did not really dislike it; I just don‘t know that I understood it. I did appreciate its brevity and Walker‘s prose-like writing style. It felt quite like a nursery rhyme to me. But I am not really sure what happened.
I may actually finish the 2022 longlist before 2023 is announced, although my copy of After Sappho appears to have been lost in the post.

oe Coppock has a lazy eye and has to wear an eye patch. When a rag and bone man comes calling, Joe finds each of his eyes sees a different reality.

I have only vague memories of the author's children's books but I am fairly certain they were nothing like this. Bizarre. I don't feel justified in giving it a pan but it didn't really do much for me.

I did think this was well written for sure but it kept reminding me of Lanny by Max Porter in a way that just made me wish I was reading Lanny again. I tried to consider it on its own merits but it was just quite similar to a book I thought was better and it never really recovered.

Oh no, this really wasn't for me. I've read (and enjoyed) other Alan Garner novels but while I could see this novella has hidden depths I couldn't be bothered to unpick them. I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more as an audio book..... but I don't feel tempted to find out!! Really surprised it made the Booker shortlist; it felt like he was trying just that bit too hard to be clever. I know others have loved it but not for me. #JanuaryChallenge

I‘m not going to pretend that I understood everything that was going on in this short novel but I enjoyed it enough to finish it. Very weird and I didn‘t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked although the writing style was interesting and it flows nicely

Thank you @Mitch for the book and bracelets 🙂🎄. This sounds wonderful, have you read it? Definitely a great choice for me. I hope you, Mel, and Woodford are having a lovely day. (I‘m assuming my packaging hasn‘t arrived there yet, hopefully it won‘t be too late!)

One day Joe meets Treacle Walker, a trader of rags, and not long after that Joe meets Thin Amren, the big-man. And from this point Joe has some problems with reality and what is there and what isn‘t.

I found this novel playful and I loved the way it was written.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would

3rd book from the Booker shortlist

3rd book read for #20in4 @Andrew65

Actually hovering between a So-So and a Pick on this one. I was drawn by the cover - anything relating to the Uffington White Horse draws me in - but the link in the book is weak. I confess I didn‘t understand much of this, but it‘s dreamlike quality and beautiful writing were nevertheless captivating. There‘s some argument about whether or not it‘s a children‘s book - having read it, I still haven‘t got a clue!

Loved this. Another exceptional read from a strong and varied #Booker2022 longlist. Short, but not one to race through. There are hidden depths to this mysterious tale that touches on our ties to the ancient and natural world, folklore, bog bodies, the seen and the unseen and the nature of time. And the way he uses language! I was charmed and captivated.

Highly recommend the special Backlisted podcast episode linked in comments below.

Not sure what‘s going on in this photo? That‘s how I felt about this book 😂. At first I was intrigued by the Roald Dahl-ish language, but then I just got lost and couldn‘t find my way back. I had no Treacle Walker to help me find my way through this story. I can see how others may love it. I‘m guessing I was missing a whole lot of context. Onto the next #Booker2022 read!

This is a short novella but I found it a bit of a slog. Garner has apparently used lots of influences from folklore and this permeates the language which can be challenging. I don't particularly want to sit and Google words and phrases (I didn't) but learnt that I should perhaps have done with words I had assumed were the author's invention.

First I hoped this book would turn out to be some kind of Of Mice and Men but then it went totally off the road - or I did. Anyhow I have no clue what this was all about and do not really care either. It probably won‘t make the shortlist for the #BookerPrize2022

The last of my #Booker2022 longlist order has arrived! Very curious about this one. I‘ve not read Alan Garner before. Can‘t wait! #bookmail

#WeeklyForecast 32/22

I am having Chandelier in progress. This week I want to read another book for both the #BookerPrize2022 and #ReadingAfrica2022. A Single Rose is a recommendation by @Addison_Reads and I can use it for #FoodAndLit 🇯🇵

#booker2022, book 8/13

This is so short, hardly even a novella, it took no time to listen to on audio. I‘d call it a fable; it‘s weird and fantastical and whilst I loved the narrator on the audio, the Northern dialect and the familiar slang words I‘m not sure I understood what was going on a lot of the time.

On reading reviews after I‘d finished it seems as though the author references a lot of his earlier works, of which I haven‘t read any.

On the long list for the Booker Prize; great list!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/26/booker-prize-longlist-of-13-writer...

Absolute, indecipherable nonsense. I can only presume that there‘s some kind deeply niche knowledge required to make any sense of this which I evidently don‘t have. Strong no from me.

I don't really follow book awards, but I was thrilled to hear that Alan Garner's fantastic book, Treacle Walker, has been nominated on the Booker Prize long list. If nothing else, it should introduce more people to this brilliant short novel. He really is an underappreciated national treasure.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/26/the-booker-longlist-is-thoughtfull...

Great great book. Read it 3 times.

Although not alike, Garner's "Treacle Walker" & Clarke's "Piranesi" are nonetheless similar enough that if you like the one, you'll probably like the other. I loved them both, & whizzed through this short book in one sitting. It's steeped in British folklore without being bound by it; it's its own thing, if that thing be a cross between Worsel Gummidge and the TV show, Sapphire and Steel, without resembling either. All the stars ⭐ Just read it!

Part of my Christmas book haul: Alan Garner's "Treacle Walker". To be described in his 88th year by The Times as 'Better than anyone else writing in English today' is quite an accolade. I haven't read everyone else who is writing in English today, but I'm not inclined to disagree. I hope and think I will enjoy this.

1. Capricious
2. Hmmm. Not really? But I'm intrigued by the new book by Alan Garner that just came out in the UK.
Thanks for the tag @TheLudicReader I'll tag my #shakespearereadalong pals @GingerAntics @Graywacke