Chime Featured

There are two Briony's that stand out to me in literature. There's Briony from Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, and there's Briony from Franny Billingsley's Chime. They are worth comparison. Both are storytellers, for one thing, and their storytelling works its way into the fabric of the narrative so completely that the reader has to learn the difference between what is told and what is true. Both Briony's struggle with a profound sense of guilt. Both Briony's feel responsible for the utter destruction of another person's life. The comparisons end here.

The Briony in Atonement, for one thing, is a self-deluded beast. It's hard to pity her, because she wants your pity. The novel is also historical to a T. There is nothing out of the ordinary in Atonement, save for McEwan's excessive infatuation with deceiving his readers. The Briony of Chime lives in a world that is anything but ordinary. Her house, a parsonage on the edge of a swamp, has been burnt by fire and engulfed by flood. And that's just the beginning of the things that Briony has done, because she's a witch and always has been, a witch who ought to be hanged for the damage she's wrought in her anger. It's the secret she keeps buried inside of her, the secret only her stepmother knew about. But her stepmother was murdered, and now there's no one but her strange sister Rose, her distant father, and a village ready to hang her the moment she cries Witch. Then Eldric comes and opens a window into her dark, troubled heart. He's everything she's not, and for a moment she begins to forget to hate herself so very utterly much.

Considering all the self loathing Briony engages in, you'd think this book would be a dreary, miserable sop to read. But it's not. It's absolute poetry from beginning to end - unflagging, unflinching, unapologetic poetry. The book is a reminder of the light and dark in the world of fairy. It's both a tribute to some very old tales, and something completely new all at the same time. Every character undergoes a delicate, believable transformation. The ending feels every inch justified, and the reader is deliciously, restfully satisfied.

Read it.

I'm not sure I can do this book justice in this review. It is absolutely stunning. From the first word, I was totally captivated, not just by Briony's voice (which is compelling and authentic), not just by the plot (which is full of delicious twists and turns), not just by the other characters (who are vivid and unique), not just by the setting (which is gorgeously atmospheric in a very gothic sense), but by the beautiful prose that made reading every word an incredible pleasure. Ms. Billingsley is a master of her craft, and I strongly recommend this book to everyone. Wow.