The Mermaid of Black Conch : Book review











Book review

Title: The Mermaid of Black Conch
Author: Monique Roffey
Genre: Fiction

Based on legends, The Mermaid of Black Conch tells the story of a woman named Aycayia who is cursed by jealous women to live as a mermaid. We have David who sings to himself on his boat. Aycayia is drawn to the guitar and his music. Their rendezvous is brought to an end with the appearance of American fisherman who capture this mermaid. When David rescues here, it results in a great amount of transformation. Along with this transformation comes a lot of challenges. 

The story is set in the Caribbean islands. The language is lucid and vivid with a great deal
of imagery. There are doses of poetry thrown in between. Characterization is one of the strongest aspects in the book. It’s amazing how the author cuts across a wide range of characters- the mermaid, David, David’s landowner, the police chief and the greedy fisherman. 

Another interesting aspect of the book is how the mythical element of the book is beautifully blended with realistic events. Despite the existence of the mermaid’s character, it’s far from a fairy tale. The dark portions are showcased in the parts where the men torture the mermaid. And yet the love story between David and Aycacia is tender and gradual as David works to earn her trust.,Themes of community, friendship and family are touched upon here. 

The Mermaid of Black Conch is an enchanting and mythical read. It explores a women’s story of survival and healing.

-- 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heidi: Movie review

Image
I had read this classic by Johanna Spyri as a little girl. I won it as a prize along with my merit card when I was graduating from Primary to Middle School.  When I stumbled upon this on Amazon Prime, I was delighted. It always feels good to watch your favorite fictional characters on screen. Its often slated that the book is always better as it captures a lot more depth with regards to the plot and characters. However a couple of adaptations that I had seen in the recent past made a good watch. A couple of them ended up being a visual treat. One was The Call of the Wild which showcased the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness. Another one was Heidi which exhibited the splendor of the snow clad Alps.  Heidi is the story of a young orphaned girl who is sent to live in the mountains with her rather eccentric grandfather-who is known as Alm Uncle by the villagers. Heidi manages to melt his heart as he develops an affection for her. She spends her carefree days in t...
Read more

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the i...
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the...
Read more