The Seduction of Water

This is Carol Goodman's second novel and it is very good. A central strand is the allegorical tale of the "Selkie", which begins and ends the book: "In a time before the rivers were drowned by the sea. In a land between the sun and moon...". That motif, of rivers losing their identities in the sea, is a powerful one and most of the book is about the main character, aspiring creative writer and teacher Iris Greenfeder, trying to discover her own identity and her relationship with an enigmatic and dead mother. Goodman engages in a masterly exploration of the character's interior world - and it works. It works because it is a delicate, sensitive, and credible. Perhaps one of our most pressing, yet neglected tasks, is to come to terms with our parents. In doing that we discover more about ourselves, and it is that discovery that drives Iris. The descriptions of scene and mood are exceptionally beautiful. As in Goodman's first book there are the recurring them of water, secluded upstate New York communities, and Gothic angst. The language is elegant and evocative; the writing is exquisite - a wonderful and most enjoyable read. Is this a "literary mystery" or a "psychological thriller"? Well it has to be said that the mystery and thriller elements are not the strong point of the book: too many clichéd coincidences and predictable outcomes. But the genre is not really the issue. The characters are engaging and I did find myself turning the pages in anticipation. The story line holds together but the plot really serves as a backdrop for a more perceptive and assured development of the characters. "Seduction of Water" is a confident, superbly written book that I enjoyed and which I hope you too will read with pleasure. David S-G

This book is written in present tense - and I usually avoid these like the plague -- but after just a couple of pages, I didn't even notice it any more, I was so into the story. Iris Greenfeder is a woman in her mid 30s, as aspiring writer and professor who is the daughter of a well-known fantasy author who died suddenly after only having the second book of a trilogy completed. She is contacted by her mother's agent who is sure there is a third book somewhere. Circumstances allow Iris to spend the summer at the hotel on the Hudson River where she was raised where she will spend time looking for the manuscript. There's romance (Iris has been "involved" with a man for the last ten years and then meets a younger man - and ex-con- who is one of her students). There is Irish folk legend (the story of the Selkie which is the foundation for Iris' mother's books), mystery involving the disappearance of items stolen in WWII, and an almost-gothic feel to the book during the part that's set in the hotel. Even though I had figured out one of the "big" surprises very early on, the writing and the story kept me reading into the wee hours. Despite the fact that the ending was pretty melodramatic and a bit over the top, I really loved this book and plan on reading the author's book THE LAKE OF DEAD LANGUAGES soon and will buy her third book very soon.

I found this to be a nice, well rounded novel. Some "thrillers" are so plot driven that the characters seem little more than puppets, but here, characters were well developed, even the minor ones. And there were interesting subplots, which enhanced the story, rather than distracting from it. Okay, the foreshadowing was a mite heavy handed, but so what? The reviews to date suggest that Lake of Dead Languages is better - if so, I'm looking forward to it!

Carol Goodman has the potential to be another Margaret Atwood for me: personally, an author whose characters lead inner lives that I recognize and relate to; and, technically, an author who creates lyrical prose I can respect and devour. Atwood comes to mind also because of a detail The Seduction of Water shares with The Blind Assassin: excerpts from a fantasy novel that run parallel with and intertwine with the primary narrative. This strain of fantasy that transforms into reality--and vice versa--is what makes Goodman's second novel so much richer than her first. The familiar and exotic fairy tales that she weaves into the story provide a touch of otherworldly beauty and give it a foundation of age-old wisdom.I was up all night reading, and I can't wait for Carol Goodman's next book.

Once again, Carol Goodman has woven a world filled with complex, multi-dimensional characters, an absorbing plot, and a masterful use of language that made my time reading this book magical and something apart from my daily life. I often have four or five books going at once, but from the moment I picked up Seduction of Water, I was unable to leave the Hotel Equinox until reluctantly turning the last page.