The Mermaid's Daughter: A Novel

Oh oh oh - five stars isn't enough for me for this book! What a joy to read, and what a magical telling of the mermaid story it is. It should be clear from that that The Little Mermaid has been my favorite story since I was tiny, but to have taken that and make it real - and for the writing itself to have matched the tale in beauty - well, it's one of the loveliest books I've ever read. There. Even the short story at the end - The Mermaid at the Opera - more of a foreword than a postscript - is beautiful. There are a few mermaid films about to come out, it seems - but for the days I've been reading this - and deliberately spinning it out - it feels like I've been watching the best movie there could be. A real gift of a story telling. And thank you!

I remember watching (or hearing) and interview once, years ago, in which an author being interviewed cited a book he went back to whenever he wanted to remind himself what really good writing was. I went and read that book, and was disappointed. I found it underwhelming, and I suppose it just didn't strike the right chords in me. This book, The Mermaid's Daughter, reminded me of that interview. I knew by the time i was halfay through it that this was something special. I have read books that are more gripping, more delightful, and more exciting, but I don't think I've ever come across a book as beautifully crafted as this one. I think this may end up being a book like the one mentioned in that interview. (I wish I could find that interview again, I don't remember who was being interviewed at all.) One I will come back to to remind myself what a well-crafted story is like. I found myself thinking numerous times during the book about other interviews I've read with authors who comment that every line in a book should have a purpose. Every line should contribute to the story. The Mermaid's Daughter does exactly that. Every part of the story comes together later to form an unexpectedly complex and complete whole. Things that I thought would be little more than cursory details when i started the book grew into major themes and important and necessary parts of the story. The writing pulled me into the scenes, especially when talking of Kathleen's yearning for the sea. The way…

I enjoyed the overall plot and the separate character perspectives. It's always refreshing to read a more grown-up version of fairy tales. I didn't give it 5 Stars mainly because I became a little annoyed with the mermaids character, her dramatic attitude was over exemplified and kept me from wanting to read more about her from the other characters perspectives.

I found this book to be a wonderful blend of beautifully written and compulsively readable. I needed a relaxing read for a week-long trip, and this was perfect. I found myself returning to this book every time I had a few spare moments until I finished it. I really love Claycomb's mix of fantasy and reality--this world exactly like ours, except that fairytales (the older, darker versions) are true. I also really enjoyed the three major narrators (Kathleen, her girlfriend Harry, and her father Robin), with the different perspectives they bring to the story. Sometimes we get to hear part of the same scene again, with a totally different take on that scene. And other times, the different narrators just bring a different maturity level, motivation, or information the other characters don't have. I enjoyed Robin's perspective the most. My age is halfway between the girls and Robin, but I found myself identifying with him the most, partially because of his maturity level, and partially because he is a person who has survived a major tragedy (his wife's suicide), and lived on, raising his daughter, continuing his music composition career, and eventually finding love again (before the book begins). I'm a suicide survivor, and I found him more relatable to me personally than Kathleen because she was too young to remember her mother's death. Also, as a suicide survivor, I really appreciated the serious side of this book. Kathleen comes from a long line of women who have committed…

The story was unbelievable but is obviously based on a fairy tale. I found the characters very well placed within the music world and operatic scenery, interwoven poetic writing, and sensual with brief and tasteful romantic moments. I thought the ending very appropriate and satisfying but I was left a little unsure of why it happened.