Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield REVIEW 

I just finished reading it today. For me it is a novel about how it feels and we react when persons close to us, like parents or wives become seriously ill and slowly die and how we miss them then. The confrontation with the sea is an allegory for the confrontation with the strangeness of life, the threat of nothingnesss and loneliness, we experience with illness and death. The allegoric level here is not just fantasy but the real sea and its creatures. However, the wife in the story deep down in the sea is facing something different from just the sea, it is the void and - if that makes sense - the creature of the void, and a glimpse of almost something more or beyond what is "just" death. - Insofar it IS a good novel. But if you are looking for an expansion of your sense of reality you better turn to VanderMeer's Annihilation or Murakami's novels. These authors have created an entire alternative cosmology. This is not the point of Armfield's novel.

Absolutely loved this one, glad you enjoyed as well - Another similar(ish, much more explicitly gory/darker) one suggested by Books and Bao was Tell me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt, might be worth a look!

Great review, as usual

Enjoyed this book. Reminded me of VanderMeer’s Annihilation.

New author for me. Sounds interesting!

When I read "sea" in the title almost always get a good feeling, jokes aside great review!

Every other review on this book had put me off, but now I am curious. hm.

I’m your fan. And I must thank you for this marevelous work about literature here. The best spreader about Pynchon, something really rare in Brazil. Complimenti for your excelente videos and classes about books. If I Could suggest and request something, I would like to watch your opinion about L’isola di Arturo of Elsa Morante. Thank you so much. Greetings from Brazil.

I tried to read her short story collection; sadly, I couldn't get into it. Hearing your praise of her debut does make me consider reading it. Out of curiosity have you read Night Ocean by Paul LaFarge? It's a Lovecraft inspired novel.