The Vet's Daughter (New York Review Books Classics)

This is a terrific novel, no question about it. It is short but dense with detailed observations by an acute albeit hugely inexperienced narrator. She is frustratingly accepting of her various fates, and yet also admirably watching out for her own interests. Thus, like all the characters, she is complex. On the other hand, there are evil beings herein, who may even outdo Dickens in that department. The narrator is a female David Copperfield, but with some decided twists that make the novel quite unDickensian in the end. In fact, the literal end(ing) almost undoes the whole novel, in my opinion. (SPOILER ALERT. The following comments might "give away" the ending a bit.) Besides a different trajectory from what a Dickens reader would expect, as well as what nature herself would allow -- so far so good, though -- a downright sin is that the very ending simply makes no sense with regard to the narrative structure of the book. Nevertheless, as I say, the novel is a must-read for anyone who loves good writing and truly gripping narrative.

I originally bought this because I'm slowly working my way through the NYBR Classics list. I'm really torn with this one. Alice had an ethereal quality that the author portrayed perfectly, vividly. On the other hand there were some gaps in the story itself. When I got to the end I couldn't help feeling that I'd missed something along the way. A strange story with a decidedly gothic feel.

The Vet's Daughter is one of a kind. The writing itself is gorgeous, and if you are a writer, the attention to hyper-detailing and hallucinatory images alone would make this short novel worth your time. Comyns has created a world view where the narrator doesn't grow up to understand reality in the same terms as those surrounding her, which makes for a fascinating, supernatural tale.

Terrific book, great story, great writer- ok shape; as a used book I don't expect perfection

I am reading all of Barbara's books. She astounds me. Her heroines are vivid, tragic, amusing, brave and enduring. I love love love this writer and this book was spectacular.

The writing in this book is so strange and vivid... reading this small book left me breathless. It starts out as a small story about a wretched girl and her horrible upbringing, then becomes kind of a fantasy, which I didn't so much care for. But still, the whole book is so original that I have recommended it to a bunch of friends.

This is a really fabulous and strange little book that was recommended to me by a writing teacher. Magical, hallucinatory, intriguing, and surprisingly little-known, I'd recommend this book to other readers who enjoy strong female protagonists, magical realism, the unexpected, and the extraordinary.

An interesting example of magical realism in a British novel of the sixties... Well worth reading, if only because it is a literary curiosity.

the best weird girl book it’s so creepy and odd i loved it

Hard to find her work

I felt it was a weird yet beautiful one, if that makes sense. Alice Rowlands, the narrator, grows up like a shadow in her unpredictable family. Her home is a place where affection is scarce and fear fills every quiet moment. And I have to say it plainly: I hated her father. Every scene with him made my stomach tighten because his cruelty was so casual and so constant. The story begins in a harsh, painfully ordinary world and then slowly slips into something strange and uncanny. The shift feels natural, almost like Alice’s inner world is reaching for a place where she can finally breathe when real life offers her nothing. That gentle blend of the mundane and the surreal is what makes the novel even more beautiful. Comyns’ writing is simple and delicate, yet it carries a weight that lingers. I am genuinely glad I came across her work. I would definitely recommend it. However, note that the book deals with emotional abuse, neglect, and controlling family dynamics. None of it is graphic, but the atmosphere can feel heavy. If you are okay with that, this little novel is absolutely worth reading.

I had never read a Comyns before and had little idea what to expect. The story seems to me all the more compelling for the understatedness, the grotesque characters who are horribly close to people one does meet in real life. It is rare for fiction to depict them so credibly. I felt myself right inside the story, regardless of the 'fantasy' element. After all, surely we've all dreamed of floating? The only flaw for me was the irrelevant Introduction by Jane Gardam.

Like a lot of Barbara Comyns' work, this novel is a bit of an oddity, but undoubtedly a very enjoyable (though sometimes unsettling) one. Alice Rowlands lives with her domineering father (the Vet of the title) and her sad, browbeaten mother, until the latter's death from cancer. After an embarassing and traumatic incident brough about through the machinations of her father's new lover, Alice is packed off to the country as companion to depressed elderly lady Mrs Peebles. In the countryside, she discovers unsuspected joys and freedoms, including flirtation with a handsome young local lad. She also finds a surprising new talent - she can levitate at will. However, her happiness is short-lived: she has been neglecting her duties with tragic consequences, and after her return to her father and his new wife, things quickly turn very nasty indeed... For readers unfamiliar with her other books, Comyns' writing style (which has been memorably described as "Beryl Bainbridge on acid") is likely to come as a shock. Alice is the rather childlike first-person narrator throughout, and sees the world from a unique perspective. The opening lines give a flavour of this: "A man with small eyes and a ginger moustache came and spoke to me when I was thinking of something else. Together we walked down a street that was lined with privet hedges." Like Alice herself, the book has only a provisional connection with our solid earth, and has an unsettling, otherworldly feel throughout. Part of what is so disconcerting is Comyns' remarkable talent for dealing with real horrors (domestic violence, suicide, sexual assault) with a determinedly light touch, in amongst the mundane events of day-to-day life. For me, this book perhaps wasn't quite as memorable as her earlier works "Our Spoons Came from Woolworths" and the utterly extraordinary "Sisters By a River". However, it's certainly a gripping read, and a fine example of her unique voice.