Dax's Reviews > The Vaster Wilds

Groff’s new novel knocked my socks off and I wasn’t expecting it. The thematic elements appealed to me greatly: human nature’s tendency to grapple with faith, human being’s complicated relationship with itself, our role against nature, gender relations, and colonialism. All of which are tackled with a slim story about a young girl fleeing miserable conditions at a colony that is clearly meant to resemble Jamestown.

Lamentations, as she is sometimes called, is a charming character. One that the reader quickly becomes emotionally invested in. And as we cheer her through her obstacles and the situations become more and more dire, the reader feels despair alongside her. Groff’s writing technique is also interesting. It is both stilted and eloquent. That seems an oxymoron, but allow me an example:

“She slept, and in her sleep, she smiled because she saw glories of sundazzle and water and the night sky white with stars; she was flying once more effortless across the land. The loss of a star dims not the splendor of the constellations; she did not have the force to remember which of her voices had said this.”

Not flowery, but not sparse either. The prose is beautiful but doesn’t feel quite natural. It really reminded me of McCarthy’s prose in ‘Blood Meridian’. Reading her descriptive passages compared to watching a film with beautiful cinematography.

I have seen commentary on this book saying it is light on plot, or the plotline is too slow. I couldn’t disagree more. This is a survival story with beautiful nature settings, evil men, hermits, ocean storms, wild beasts, murder, and a desperate young woman. This is not a slow plot. When you couple this story with Groff’s beautiful writing and the strong thematic elements, then what you are left with is one of the strongest books of the year. I am shocked this isn’t receiving more hype.

I also noticed that Groff thanks Hernan Diaz in her acknowledgments for his readership of this book. Diaz, a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, is also a teacher at Columbia, home of the Pulitzer Prize. ‘The Vaster Wilds’ has a champion with strong ties to the Pulitzer committee, so do not be surprised if this book does some damage come prize season. I for one hope that it receives its deserved recognition. Five stars.