Evie Wyld

The Bass Rock

Megan Dent

I have so many mixed feelings omg, this is going to take me a while to wrap my head around.

Moray Lyle McIntosh

The Bass Rock is an inescapable presence in the Firth of Forth, its shadow threatening and looming those suffering in its shadow. It is dark, it is uninhabited, it is inevitable. It represents the past events that the women can never escape and the constant presence and threat of male violence that each one has, to some extent, accepted as an inevitable part of their lives. 

The book follows three women whose stories intersect in North Berwick. There is Viviane, a contemporary woman struggling with life and grief who is cataloguing the contents of a family home after a recent death. There is Ruth, recently arrived with her husband in the 1950s, and struggling to live in the shadow of his first, dead wife and forge a bond with his two young sons while trying to exorcise the ghost of her brother, lost in the war. And long ago in the eighteenth century there is Sarah, accused of witchcraft by men who blame her for their circumstances and their own desire for her. Interspersed between these arcs are the tragic nameless women, victims of violence and never revealed further. It's a complex but tightly controlled structure that produces an elegant and powerful narrative.

Each woman is finding her way in a world that places her second, and in which she has learned to do the same. Gaslighting appears again and again as the men in the story question the motivations and experiences of the women, Reacting with doubt, mockery or anger when they are challenged and twisting realities. Sometimes this is a deliberate tactic to change the subject or avoid the consequences of their actions. Perhaps, more disturbing is when it happens as an unthinking reflex that makes the men automatically dismiss women's voices, when they genuinely believe in every circumstance that their own interpretation is more reliable. The sanatorium and the psychiatric ward are presences in the lives of both Viviane and Ruth and the ability of others to take their freedom and their mental stability is a constant threat.

The toxic masculinity on show isn't wholly reserved for women. By giving Peter young sons boarding away at a private school Wyld also reveals how attitudes and behaviours are transmitted to new generations. The treatment of Ruth's stepsons, Christopher and Michael, and the way that it is dismissed as a necessary evil for “making men” terrible. The silence that surrounds it is reinforced by the fact that, in contrast to unflinching description of women's suffering (mental as often as it is physical), Wyld only glances at it askance and offers mysterious hints. It's part and parcel of the masculine impulse that inspires many of the male characters to “rescue” the women, even against their will. An impulse that is more about possession than protection and which often turns violent when rebuffed.

The narrative themes that tie the whole story together are beautifully done. Episodes of tickling encompass witchcraft, a picnic with Ruth that has unsettling Wicker Man-esque undertones and disputed consent for Viviane. The imagery is full of wolves and foxes, predatory and threatening. The writing itself is delicate for such subject-matter with a welcome black humour. It's full of fury and frustration and it's pitch-perfect.

There is also a Gothic, fairy-tale current that runs throughout. Wolfmen, witches, spirits, foxes wolves and other shadowy predators. It's a haunted story and in haunts in its turn.

'A modern gothic triumph. Spectacularly well-observed, profoundly disquieting and utterly riveting. Like all Evie Wyld's work it is startlingly insightful about psychological and physical abuse. It is a haunting, masterful novel.' --Max Porter Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other. In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband and the strange waters of the local community. Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth's belongings and discovers her place in the past - and perhaps a way forward. Each woman's choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with anger and love.

isabelle

Stas

The lives of three women weave together across centuries in the dazzling new book from the Granta Best of Young British Novelist and author of All the Birds, Singing Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has always borne witness to the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries, the fates of three women are inextricably linked to this place and to one another. Sarah, accused of being a witch, is fleeing for her life. Ruth, in the aftermath of the Second World War, is navigating a new marriage and the strange waters of the local community. Six decades later, Viv, still mourning the death of her father, is cataloguing Ruth's belongings in the now-empty house. As each woman's story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that their choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men who seek to control them. But in sisterhood there is also the possibility of survival and a new way of life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with love and fury--a devastating indictment of violence against women and an empowering portrait of their resilience through the ages.

A Novel

Draculelle

‘A modern gothic triumph. Spectacularly well-observed, profoundly disquieting and utterly riveting. Like all Evie Wyld's work it is startlingly insightful about psychological and physical abuse. It is a haunting, masterful novel.’ —Max Porter Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other. In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband and the strange waters of the local community. Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth’s belongings and discovers her place in the past – and perhaps a way forward. Each woman’s choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with anger and love.

vive

Taylor Conacher

Genevieve Soucek

Sara Holman

Kathy Rodger 

Gabrielle Griffiths

Lili Vanden Wijngaert

Imie Kent-Muller

Esme

WINNER OF THE STELLA PRIZE ONE OF VOGUE'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR The lives of three women weave together across centuries in this dazzling and empowering portrait of their resilience through the ages. Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has always borne witness to the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries, the fates of three women are inextricably linked to this place and to one another: Sarah, accused of being a witch, is fleeing for her life; Ruth, in the aftermath of the Second World War, is navigating a new marriage and the strange waters of the local community; and six decades later, Viv, still mourning the death of her father, is cataloging Ruth's belongings in the now-empty house. As each woman's story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that their choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men who seek to control them. But in sisterhood there is also the possibility of survival and a new way of life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with love and fury--a devastating indictment of violence against women and an empowering portrait of their resilience through the ages.

The Bass Rock

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