Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Caribou Island by David Vann

I opened our front door and found my mother hanging from the rafters. I'm sorry, I said, and I stepped back and closed the door. 

~Page 1, Caribou Island by David Vann

Title: Caribou Island
Author: David Vann
ISBN: 978-0061875724
Publisher:Harper/2011
Pages:304

Based in wilds Alaska, we see Gary trying to build a cabin from scratch in Caribou Island. There is nothing, no plan, no clear cut vision, but just the compelling need to build a cabin in the middle of nowhere. His wife, Irene is against it. But she is helpless in a way. She thinks if she does not do as Gary wants, he will leave her. She has mysterious headaches. Dsspite tests, nothing comes up. 

Gary is one of those people who always regrets what he has done. He is most of the times thinking, what if. He has many regrets, yet he goes on to his next ventures, with a single mindedness. 

Meanwhile, their daughter Rhonda is thinking about settling down with Jim, a dentist. She tries to hold her family together. She is very worried about her parents, knows hat the cabin is a foolhardy decision but she can't do anything about it. Her brother Mark is not to bothered. 

Caribou Island speaks of the conflicts in our mind. One which we can't vocalize but are very much affected by those. Irene has never recovered from her mother's suicide. And fears abandonment from Gary. She is a terrible situation of not loving him and yet can't live if he leaves her. Raw, stark and bleak feelings take her over. 

Caribou Island is dark. It tells us how love can go wrong. After a while hope has no place. We do lose the thread once in a while but we can't let go of the novel. The building of the cabin is a metaphor of everything going wrong. 

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, talk about a teaser that really makes you want to know more!

Pam (@iwriteinbooks) said...

Ack!!! That's terrible! I've heard really good things about this book and really need to read it. Though. now it seems a little bit grim....

Jenny Q said...

WHAAATT?? Now that's how you start a story! Are you liking this book? Here's my teaser from Blood Red Road.

WildIrishRose33 said...

Oh my. :-(

Here's my Teaser!

Tea said...

Oh, how sad to walk in on such a horrible sight. Why did her mother do it?

http://readwithtea.blogspot.com/2011/05/teaser-tuesday_24.html

Nise' said...

That is an attention getting teaser!

Anonymous said...

What an intriguing teaser! Makes me definitely want to know more.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Amanda
Letters Inside Out

Sarah said...

Omg, lol! That's got to be one of the most teaser-filled TT I've read in a while! I really want to know what's going on there. lol

Thanks for stopping by my teaser as well!

♥ Sarah

Anonymous said...

Holy intense teaser! I'm finding so many books I might never have heard out otherwise. <3 Teaser Tuesday!

Heather said...

Sounds like an intense read - thanks for visiting!

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Awesome teaser! It gave me a chill.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

CMash said...

Now THAT'S a teaser. This one is going on my tbr list.

Anonymous said...

Wow! this teaser makes you want to read more about it.

here's mine:

http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/05/teaser-tuesday_24.html

Harvee said...

That's quite a teaser! Does make me curious about the book!

For your American readers, please visit my blog for a giveaway of SECRET DAUGHTER by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, a California writer. Secret Daughter giveaway

Gigi Ann said...

Oh my, what a surprise! I like TT also. Thanks for visiting my reading corner today.

jlshall said...

That's such a wonderful teaser! I'm afraid the book is probably a little too dark for me, though.

Darkfallen said...

OMG OMG EEEKKKK!!! that's intense!!! But a great teaser;) you totally got me.

Thanx for stopping by the wastelands:)

http://paranormalwastelands.blogspot.com/2011/05/welcome-to-teaser-tuesday-this-meme-is.html

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

OMG now that is a teaser! And on page 1!!!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Jessica@a GREAT read

kayerj said...

interesting . . . I wonder why he closed the door? thanks for stopping by today.

Aisle B said...

What a great teaser and your thoughts on the start makes me want to read about the dark side.

I truly love that cover.

Anonymous said...

Oh my! Now that is a teaser!

Here's my Teaser Tuesday from Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson. Happy Reading! Jen

Katelyn said...

Wow! What a teaser especially such great lines from the first page!
-Katelyn

Karen and Gerard said...

Poor mother! Great teaser!

Thanks for stopping by earlier!

Ange said...

Wow great teaser. Really wants to make me read more! Thanks for stopping by my teaser.

Ange @ Moonlight Reader

Unknown said...

Definitely want to know more! Great teaser!!

Novroz said...

I have heard a lot about this book.
Good teaser

Mia said...

Splendid teaser!!! I want to know more about the book. Adding it to TBR pile. Thanks for stopping by.
Mia
http://bookaholic5.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Huh. Looks deep and maybe a little sad. I do love that cover!

Unknown said...

I read the ARC for this book, and I thought it was one of the best books I'd read in a long time. Absolutely fabulous.