This was a mixed bag for me. No one can say that Winman’s writing isn’t exceptionally beautiful - it’s a bewitching, dreamy book very much in the style of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. A lot of time is spent exploring Marvellous’ magical connection to nature, and indeed nature feels very alive in this novel - almost a character in its own right. I enjoyed this element of the book - and the magical realism - very much, and I really loved the character of Marvellous. I’d go so far as to say she’s one of my favourite literary characters. There were many moments I stopped to re-read passages because they were just so damn good. In the style of Winman’s other books (at least the two I’ve read), it’s a novel that has a lot to say about love, loss and what makes a life well lived.

But at times the lyricism and intense focus on the prose did feel quite suffocating, and I wish the rest of the book had room to breathe. Some of the characters and some of the pacing didn’t quite work for me - things could feel a bit tacked-on or underdeveloped. I didn’t fully get into the book until about halfway through, until then it had felt quite abstract and meandering. I also didn’t really care for Drake - I just found him a bit annoying! - so reading so much about him in the first part of the book was a bit of a slog (I liked his character more as time went on though). I can definitely see this book would be a bit Marmite, so it’s one I’d only recommend to specific people.