The Vet’s Daughter

Posted on | June 4, 2010 | 14 Comments

Last month I mentioned that I was participating in an informal read-along of The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns with Simon of Stuck in a Book and Polly of Novel Insights. Serendipitously I picked up a Virago Modern Classics copy of the book (at Verity’s persuasion) on the day of the UK Book Bloggers’ Meet-Up, to which Simon brought another copy to add to the book swap and Polly was the recipient; it was apparent to us that we should co-read it and I have to thank them both as, otherwise, it may have been some time until I picked it up myself. As I alluded to yesterday, I have been in something of a bookish slump of late but The Vet’s Daughter was one that managed to hold my attention. Buried in Print commented on yesterday’s post that she was “sure even a short book like the Comyns was a struggle focus-wise” and, to an extent, she was correct; at less than two-hundred pages, the book still took me a good few days to read but even only reading forty pages at a time over several sittings, I was gripped and savoured it in short spurts.

I read one other Comyns’ novel, Our Spoons Came From Woolworths, pre-blogging and although I enjoyed it, I did find it peculiar. The Vet’s Daughter was also enjoyable but decidedly odd. Apparently Comyns’ later novels, a number of which I have on hand, are thoroughly surreal whereas the supernatural element of this one is subtle to begin with before developing into a fully occult -and tragic- denouement.

The short novel is narrated by the eponymous protagonist – the vet’s daughter- Alice Rowlands. Alice is a naïve young woman who tells her story in her own childlike, innocent way; the prose is simplistic, as is Alice’s outlook, told in a matter-of-fact approach. The style of The Vet’s Daughter is straightforward and accessible and at once Alice’s voice seems credible and endearing. Alice’s father, the vet, is a bully and her mother downtrodden; Alice is oppressed and lives a bleak, unexciting life until she manages to break free of it subliminally. I was conflicted in whether to reveal Alice’s supernatural power or not but I have decided to; if you would prefer not to know than please move on to the last paragraph (avoiding the indented quote). Alice begins to levitate, a subliminal release, in the aftermath of a traumatic event; the novel culminates in another tragic event that results in the exploitation of Alice’s peculiar gift.

I lay that night for the first time in my little room over the hall. The bed was most comfortable, and I was just drifting off to sleep when a strange thing happened: I seemed to be floating. I tried to touch the mattress with my hands; but it wasn’t there. I was floating above it and the bedclothes were slipping from me. In the darkness I was moving up and up- although my stomach felt as if it had been left behind and I think I must have almost touched the ceiling.

Despite its surreal element, perhaps due to it, The Vet’s Daughter presents dark themes -domestic abuse, sexual assault and suicide- in way that may not be light but is not as devastating as it would be in a realist novel; seeing events through Alice’s childlike eyes softens their blow. The quirkiness of the novel and its detached narration were what allowed me to be transfixed by the shocking events without finding them emotionally wrenching. Its South London setting and supernatural backdrop reminded me a little of Affinity by Sarah Waters and also of her latest work, The Little Stranger. Comyns is deft at building suspense and I was avidly scanning and flicking pages on occasion to discover what would happen next and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Comments

14 Responses to “The Vet’s Daughter”

Verity
June 4th, 2010 @ 2:42 pm

“Decidedly /odd/” is such a good way of summing up Comyns – I can’t quite put my finger on or explain the oddity, but at the same time I think it is this “element” which makes the Comyns books stand out and so good to read. I’m glad this took you out of your slump, and there are many other weird ones out there (Skin Chairs is pretty weird, and Sisters by a river is definitely worth reading as is semi-autobiographical, and the oddity extends to the grammar and writing too!)
Simon T
June 4th, 2010 @ 2:47 pm

Great review, and glad you liked it! Comyns’ style is unique and wonderful – and definitely odd. I recommend Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead for your next…

Also, in a similar vein but much less odd, I think you’ll love The Love Child by Edith Olivier (which I think you still have on loan from me, is that right?) A very easy read too, which might be useful at the moment. Oh, but no rush at all, of course.
Steph
June 4th, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

Reading slumps are the worst! Sometimes the only thing to do is just ride them out and know that eventually the reading bug will strike again.

I’ve never heard of Comyn, but she definitely sounds like a provocative author. I can definitely see how this book would hold your attention, given all of the dark themes it tackles.
Merenia
June 5th, 2010 @ 12:12 am

Thanks for that eloquent review Claire. I too bought a copy to read along with with Simon, but realise I might have to psyche myself up to actually read it, as I just don’t cope with occult… Glad you are reading again.
tea lady (the glittering burn)
June 5th, 2010 @ 11:25 pm

Comyns sounds very interesting, for some reason I thought that she was a Joanna Trollope-esque author, and the cover of that edition is lovely!
Paperback Reader
June 6th, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

Verity, I agree that there is definitely an “element” to Comyns’ writing that is both difficult to articulate and yet so appealing. I have The Skin Chairs, Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, and A Touch of Misteltoe all to hand.

Simon, I think I will go for Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead next; chronologically it is logical to read it after this.

You will also be thrilled to learn that I am currently reading The Love Child! I’m in the mood for a little VMC binge.

Steph, I’m riding it out by reading little bits at a time and not forcing it; I know it will eventually pass so there is relief in that.

Comyns is definitely provocative in her themes but in such an understated way; one is hardly aware whilst reading that the themes she is tackling are so dark.

Merenia, the occult is such a subtle part of it that it is almost a subplot, despite its involvement in the novel’s end. Have you read Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner? That is extremely odd and occult.

tea lady, Comyns is difficult to define (gritty yet quirky comes close!) but she is definitely not Joanna Trollope-esque. I do love the VMC artwork and this one is so Grecian looking.
Hannah Stoneham
June 7th, 2010 @ 1:32 pm

Thanks for sharing this review – it is really incisve and does a good job of tackling why Comyns’ work is so attractive. Somebody once described it as being like “pictures painted on glass” and I think that that is quite accurate – vivid but in some way indistinct and otherworldly. Merenia’s comment about the occult actually raises an interesting issue about where to place Comyns in literary context. I totally agree with you that the “occult” element could hardly be more subtle despite being impoartant theme-wise. It is a lens through which to look at very human and realistic concerns I guess. In fact it is almost magical realism a la Angela Carter – another Virago author – it certainly does not feel like occult-literature.

Wonderful to read your review

happy Monday

Hannah
sakura
June 7th, 2010 @ 1:46 pm

You’ve sold me with the comparison to Sarah Waters! But as all three of you have enjoyed it so much, I’m tempted to try it. Haven’t read any Comyns yet, so looking forward to it.
Paperback Reader
June 7th, 2010 @ 9:10 pm

Hannah, I like the quote “pictures based on glass”; it goes some way to encapsulate Comyns’ inexplicable quality.

I think, in the case of Carter definitely, the quality of prose elevates the novel’s content above genre.

Sakura, she reminded me of Sarah Waters somehow although I can’t pinpoint exactly how… I wouldn’t want to mislead you, however, as I am a huge Waters fan and she is in a different league to the majority of writers.
Novel Insights
June 8th, 2010 @ 10:03 am

‘Decidedly odd’ is a good word for this book. I do agree that despite the potentially upsetting themes, this is not a book that plays at your heartstrings in an obvious way.

Great review Claire!
Barbara Comyns’ Tortured Skeletons « Buried In Print
June 8th, 2010 @ 8:30 pm

[...] when Claire mentioned that she was reading The Vet’s Daughter, as a read-a-long with Stuck in a Book and Novel Insights, it seemed the [...]
Buried In Print
June 8th, 2010 @ 9:20 pm

Thanks so much for mentioning this read-a-long, Claire: who knows how long it would have taken me to get to reading this odd little novel if I’d continued to leave it to whimsy. Oh, whimsy: there’s a word that definitely doesn’t belong in a discussion of this novel!
Paperback Reader
June 12th, 2010 @ 2:19 pm

Polly, it is a very unique book with difficult to define style and techniques; it was surprising in a myriad of ways and leaves a resonating impression.

Buried in Print, it is definitely not whimsical! I’m so glad that you managed to read it and I am popping over to read your review now.
The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns | Iris on Books
September 7th, 2011 @ 9:08 am

[...] may remember that I felt some trepidation about this book. Having read the reviews of Claire and Polly, I expected this book to be oppressive, dealing with a horrible and tough subject matter. [...]