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History of Wolves A Novel Emily Fridlund 9780802125873 Books

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History of Wolves A Novel Emily Fridlund 9780802125873 Books

Good writing offers, among other things, a faithful depiction of external reality. In great writing, there is an additional focus is on the experience of that reality--from the author's (or the protagonist's) point of view--and this must be done in a way that is both artful and subtle, so it resonates with the reader without overwhelming detail or pretension. This is exactly what characterizes Emily Fridlund's writing in this complex -- yet very readable-- novel. Here is a sampling:
"After another half hour, clouds hunkered down over the treetops, and a breeze nicked the lake's surface, giving it the look of old skin....I beached the canoe, and shunted it discreetly under a balsam fir. Then I set down the asphalt streets, which disintegrated into the front lawns of prefab houses. All of them, white, aluminum-sided. All of them: bookended, with porches and two-car garages, crowned with satellite dishes, fronted with pickup trucks...." "After dinner I sometimes took the canoe out and lingered after dark--especially on overcast nights, especially after nine, when twilight finally halved, and then halved again, sliding the sky through epochs of orange, then epochs of blue and purple."
Other reviewers have written that they are not sure what the novel is about. But what may appear muddled very appropriately reflects the musings of an adolescent trying to make sense of her world. A common theme runs through the seemingly disconnected subplots: what is more important, our internal "truths" or our external reality? And are the consequences of our actions judged by our assumptions or our intentions, or even by whether we are reactive, proactive, or passive? There is much to ponder here, both from the point of view of a teenage girl, and from her grown-up 37 year old self...and the two are not much different. One lingering question is, do we really mature with our passing years? Those who felt puzzled by the novel might benefit from a second read after knowing where the story ultimately goes. I, for one, am tempted...even though I rarely read anything twice. But this one was such a rich and engrossing read that I might just turn back again to page 1--if only to re-experience Ms. Fridlund's exquisite prose.


Tags : History of Wolves: A Novel [Emily Fridlund] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div><B>“So delicately calibrated and precisely beautiful that one might not immediately sense the sledgehammer of pain building inside this book. And I mean that in the best way. What powerful tension and depth this provides!”—Aimee Bender</B><BR><BR>Fourteen-year-old Linda lives with her parents in the beautiful,Emily Fridlund,History of Wolves: A Novel,Atlantic Monthly Press,0802125875,Literary,Belonging (Social psychology),Belonging (Social psychology);Fiction.,Choice (Psychology),Choice (Psychology);Fiction.,Christian Scientists,Minnesota,Psychological fiction,Secrecy,Teenage girls,Teenage girls;Fiction.,AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY FICTION,American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction-Literary,GENERAL,General Adult,United States

History of Wolves A Novel Emily Fridlund 9780802125873 Books Reviews

If ever there was a book that was meant for a winter day, it is Emily Fridlund’s brilliant novel  THE HISTORY OF WOLVES. There is so much going on in this book – eerily taking you to places you don’t necessarily want to go, yet you are drawn from the beginning. It is hard to describe in one word what it is about. There are taboo subjects – children who are taken advantage of by adults, children who are neglected by their parents, teens who are left to their own devices, and just plain, old mean girls.

Our protagonist leads us on a path, sometimes contently paddling over the lake waters, quietly trying to sleep as an outsider in her own home, in the high school bathroom stall listening to the familiar teasing of classmates, trying to wedge herself in to another family that from the outside looks ideal, or by a language only she knows through her dogs, which seem like the only true relationship that is both comforting and easy, but she really wants us to follow her train of thought, perhaps to help her find her way.  
Yet, there are lessons learned out in the deep woods of Minnesota. Often you think that only these sort of lessons come from books or teachers, or wise people such as jaded folks who live in the city.

Following the fast pace of alert-in-her-own-way teen Madeline’s well-grounded footsteps, we see her world through the woods. She is a loner who wants to belong, desperately clinging to any branch that sways, hanging on to those that might seem to be a fit.

An eerily, quiet, and disturbing tale, that will leave you wondering.
There is a lot to like in Emily Fridlund's debut novel, "History of Wolves" and I'd give it 3.5 stars if that option existed. It is narrated by Linda, looking back on some formative teenage experiences, as the daughter of ex-hippies, raised in a run down cabin on the lake by her parents in the remnants of a commune in the woods of rural Minnesota. The strength of the book and Fridlund's writing is the well contoured development of Madeline and what amounts to a deep sense of loneliness and search for connection.

Fridlund captures this dislocation both in school as Linda's few close connections to a classmate and teacher, are ripped apart by accusations of improprieties. A chance encounter Linda has with a young mother, Patra, and her son Paul, while walking one day of a leads to an offer from Patra. She'll pay Linda $10 if she'll watch 4 year old Paul so she can focus her daily time on proofing and editing her husband's science writing (her husband is at college teaching so not living with Patra and Paul). Patra and Paul live a nice long walk across the lake from Linda's house and I found myself enjoying the small life moments between Linda and Paul, as they ambled through the woods or she got him food to eat. This is where Fridlund's writing shined, not overly contrived or polished, yet with enough attention to details to capture the small moments in unobtrusive ways. There are some slight clues about the underlying drama building as Linda watches Paul, although the reality is kept fairly opaque until Patra's husband arrives and slowly the drama builds to its crescendo. Linda reflects back on her role and culpability in missing signs of something awry with the family.

While I really enjoyed the first half of the book, I started to disengage once Leo arrived fully in the story. I felt Fridlund was a bit too keen to slowly open the curtain and the main subtext of the story to the point it felt overly drawn out and clumsy, their car trip to Duluth being the exception. Ultimately, what started strong just didn't keep my attention and focus through to the very end. Emily Fridlund definitely displays strong potential and is a writer well worth keeping an eye on.
Good writing offers, among other things, a faithful depiction of external reality. In great writing, there is an additional focus is on the experience of that reality--from the author's (or the protagonist's) point of view--and this must be done in a way that is both artful and subtle, so it resonates with the reader without overwhelming detail or pretension. This is exactly what characterizes Emily Fridlund's writing in this complex -- yet very readable-- novel. Here is a sampling
"After another half hour, clouds hunkered down over the treetops, and a breeze nicked the lake's surface, giving it the look of old skin....I beached the canoe, and shunted it discreetly under a balsam fir. Then I set down the asphalt streets, which disintegrated into the front lawns of prefab houses. All of them, white, aluminum-sided. All of them bookended, with porches and two-car garages, crowned with satellite dishes, fronted with pickup trucks...." "After dinner I sometimes took the canoe out and lingered after dark--especially on overcast nights, especially after nine, when twilight finally halved, and then halved again, sliding the sky through epochs of orange, then epochs of blue and purple."
Other reviewers have written that they are not sure what the novel is about. But what may appear muddled very appropriately reflects the musings of an adolescent trying to make sense of her world. A common theme runs through the seemingly disconnected subplots what is more important, our internal "truths" or our external reality? And are the consequences of our actions judged by our assumptions or our intentions, or even by whether we are reactive, proactive, or passive? There is much to ponder here, both from the point of view of a teenage girl, and from her grown-up 37 year old self...and the two are not much different. One lingering question is, do we really mature with our passing years? Those who felt puzzled by the novel might benefit from a second read after knowing where the story ultimately goes. I, for one, am tempted...even though I rarely read anything twice. But this one was such a rich and engrossing read that I might just turn back again to page 1--if only to re-experience Ms. Fridlund's exquisite prose.