Published in 2013, Orkney is Amy Sackville's second novel. Her first, The Still Point, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 2014. Newlyweds Richard, a sixty-year old literature professor, and his wife (her name is never mentioned), his twenty-one-year old ex-student, venture to the Orkney Islands for their honeymoon. As the two weeks of their honeymoon pass, we discover just how little Richard really knows about his wife.
Richard narrates the story in diary style (he starts each chapter with the day of the week). I liked this style because it established a genuine voice for Richard and it helped me get to know his character best.
The writing in this book is sublime. The descriptions of Orkney are beautiful and there is much imaginative imagery, symbolism, and figurative language. There is also a plethora of literary allusions shared by the couple. All of this made the book a rich and savory stew.
On the other hand, I found the book sometimes repetitive. Each night is the same: Richard's wife has a nightmare about the ocean and wakes him up. Each morning is the same: they wake up quietly and eat the wife's bad cooking. Each afternoon is the same: Richard's wife goes out alone to walk on the beach while he tries to concentrate on writing his book, but he can't because he is obsessed with watching her. I did not need to read this five times to get that Richard's wife is not who he thinks she is.
This novel and Gone Girl (previously reviewed) share some strong parallels. The husbands in both novels are completely unaware of their wives' depths. They try to connect to their wives and it becomes harder over time. Then, both wives do something radical to their husbands, but to say more would ruin Orkney's plot for you.
The writing in Orkney is excellent, however, the redundant plot scenarios and lack of resolution are not. Three out of five stars.
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