The Voice That Thunders [Hardcover]

Garner's work is often described as dense and impenetrable, especially in light of the fact that for years his publishers marketed him as a children's author (his novel from 1967, THE OWL SERVICE, won both the Carnegie & Guardian Awards, Britain's top 2 children's book awards). Garner now disowns his first 2 children's fantasy novels, but he acknowledges that they helped him learn his craft. In THE VOICE THAT THUNDERS Garner touches upon many aspects of the writing process. Given that as a writer he shares characteristics w/ both Faulkner and Beckett it is indeed propitious for his readers when Garner explicates his own work, as he does here.

Two of the essays, "Aback of Beyond" and the title piece are a behind the scenes look at the writing of his last (and most difficult) novel, STRANDLOPER. To a slight extent, this is akin to peeping behind the curtain and seeing the Wizard of Oz for what he really is, but understanding how Garner goes about his task enhances rather than diminishes one's appreciation of his genius.

Topics that are of immense importance to Garner in his fiction are also present in his essays. These include sense of place, language, family, generational strife, Wales & the Welsh, adaptions of his work, the impact of the past on the present, classics, fairy tales, oral tradition, and the implicit tensions in being "on the edge" -- not just Alderley Edge, Garner's home in Cheshire and the dividing line between England & Wales, but being on the edge of childhood & adulthood, rich & poor, educated and illiterate. This sense of not quite fitting into either sphere, of being an outsider among his own family, is one that permeates Garner's work. THE VOICE THAT THUNDERS documents Garner's journey and his coming to terms with these dichotomies.

In addition to discussing the sources of his fiction, THE VOICE THAT THUNDERS covers a goldmine of other topics. Garner's second career as an amateur archeaologist is the subject of "Oral History & Applied Archaeology in East Cheshire." In another essay he reflects on the mail he receives from his readers. One of the most serious essays, "The Voice in the Shadows," records his bout with manic-depression. Not every writer is as interesting as Garner, but anyone that is should write such a book as this. Like his fiction, these pieces are beautifully crafted and can be read multiple times with increasing appreciation. Garner will probably not win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but it is hard to make a case for a more deserving recipient.

Garner's acclaimed body of work invites multiple responses and interpretations; however, this collection of essays and autobiographical pieces will definitely help the reader to get a better grasp on how the author thinks.

I thought this book particularly insightful on the connection between artistic creativity and depression (yes, creative genius does seem to be associated with it). It was also interesting to read what an accomplished author has to say about writing for publication--yes, people struggling to write literature for publication could learn a lot from a master who has not compromised his vision yet still enjoys considerable success. Still yet another fascinating topic of discussion was the connection a writer must form between a certain place and the writing: the Manchester area and Wales serve as the geographical, historical and mythological backdrops for much of Garner's fantasy, yet a recent work successfully incorporates wilderness Australia.

If you are a fan of Garner (why not check out a title like "Red Shift" or "Strandloper" at Amazon today?) or a writer who wishes to succeed at publishing (most do!), this will prove a very valuable and insightful book.