You guys. This is the second book that I’ve added to my DNF pile in one month. I am not liking this trend.
I am sorry to tell you that The Witch Elm by Tana French has the dubious honor of being another book that I will never finish. Which is incredibly disappointing because I had heard such good things about it. There are rave reviews about her previous work, In the Woods, which is part of a series, and The Witch Elm (I believe) is her first stand-alone work, prepped for similar acclaim.
This book came in from the library at the same time as Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver, and I was really torn about which one to start first. I read the first pages of each novel, and The Witch Elm grabbed me right off the bat, so I went with that one, despite how intimidating it looks.
This book is BIG. (“I like big BOOKS and I cannot lie…”) We’re talking 500 pages and unusually small print — a daunting combo even for this avid reader. I work in publishing, and I know what that small print means: the book should really be 600-700 pages, but no one is going to buy a fiction book that could double as a doorstop, so they had to shrink it down to be marketable. Never a great sign.
The Witch Elm started out well enough. French is clearly an excellent writer — please make no mistake about her ability to work with words — and I enjoyed the banter between boyhood friends at the very beginning of the story, before Toby’s life goes to heck in a handcart. I also enjoyed (“enjoyed”) reading about the aftermath of Toby’s attack; French gives a very accurate and detailed psychological portrayal of a PTSD victim, which I found well-researched and valuable. Mental health is important, people.
However, I was promised a thriller. In a big, huge house with a creepy-ish tree outside of it. And, despite a little obvious fright with Toby’s attack at the beginning, THERE WERE NO THRILLS. That big ol’ house was also taking its sweet time in getting onto the scene.
What was there instead, you ask? A lot of inner monologue, and while that can be all well and good, I was starting to get bored. I suspect that The Witch Elm is a “slow burn,” but, even with that in mind, I felt the snail’s pace at which it was smoldering was a little bit excessive. Where was the action? Where was the mystery? Where was the murdery stuff??? I’m willing to tough it out for some awesome slow burns, but I started to suspect early on that this book would not be one of them.
I made it well past my 50-page rule, but, like with Melmoth, I lost my momentum about 100 pages in. At the time I was reading this book, it was Thanksgiving weekend, and my TBR pile was about 10 books deep. And, a new ARC had just arrived in the mail with a January 1st pub date on it. (*does real-life imitation of Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream.)
Life is short, and reading time is precious. Had I indefinite amounts of either on my hands, I probably would have persevered for another 50 pages or so; I’m always so reluctant to give up on a book. However, at page 103, I emailed a fellow book blogger who I knew had recently read The Witch Elm, asking her if she thought the story was worth it in the end.
She answered me by sending a photo of her copy of the book in the recycling bin.
Nope.
I gleefully and guiltlessly added this title to my “Did Not Finish” category on Goodreads.
I’m sure there are plenty of people this slowly building story and low-key thriller will appeal to, but I just am not that person. If you’re a fan of French’s other books, you might still want to give this one a try. But, if you’re like me and this is your first foray into French’s works, you should probably skip this one.
Have you read The Witch Elm? If so, did you love it or hate it? Would love to hear your thoughts below!
I am with you! I waited for this to come in from the library and when it finally came I was so excited. I loved In the Woods, so was sure that this one would be a great read. But I maybe read through 100 pages and finally just returned it. Very disappointing! There are too many good books to stick with one that you don’t like.
I have yet to find someone who’s finished this book. Astounding, lol.
So disappointed in The Witch Elm! It was oh so slow, which is a death sentence for a thriller. Also, I hated the ending. You really ought to try In the Woods, though. Very different from this one.
Yeah, I am so surprised that Witch Elm tanked so badly when I’ve heard SUCH good things about In the Woods. I liked French’s writing, for the most part, so I’m still interested in reading something by her. Thanks for the reassurance on her other book!
Just a word of warning about In the Woods: most of it is such a good story, with great characters and a compelling premise, but it fell apart for me at the end. There are a lot of other bloggers who felt the same way–it was frustrating. However, the second book in the series, The Likeness, was really good (if a bit implausible–you do need to suspend a bit of disbelief). I read it first and wasn’t lost, but I think reading In the Woods first would have been helpful. So I recommend you read In the Woods, but keep expectations low, and move on to The Likeness for the payoff 🙂
Thanks for the warning, Allison! It’s good to keep my expectations in check with this author, lol.