The Bass Rock
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- Create Date：2021-09-07 09:51:57
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Evie Wyld
- ISBN：1784705497
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Summary
'A modern gothic triumph' Max Porter
The Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland。 And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place， to each other。
In the early 1700s， Sarah， accused of being a witch， flees for her life。
In the aftermath of the Second World War， Ruth navigates a new house， a new husband and the strange waters of the local community。
Six decades later， the house stands empty。 Viv， mourning the death of her father， catalogues Ruth's belongings and discovers her place in the past - and perhaps a way forward。
Each woman's choices are circumscribed by the men in their lives。 But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life。。。
WINNER OF THE STELLA PRIZE
_______________
PRAISE FOR THE BASS ROCK:
'Daring， heartfelt， explosive' Daisy Johnson
'A vividly imagined portrait' Sunday Times
'Dark， disturbing and very sophisticated' William Boyd
'Wonderfully subtle and magnificently savage' Claire Fuller
The Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland。 And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place， to each other。
In the early 1700s， Sarah， accused of being a witch， flees for her life。
In the aftermath of the Second World War， Ruth navigates a new house， a new husband and the strange waters of the local community。
Six decades later， the house stands empty。 Viv， mourning the death of her father， catalogues Ruth's belongings and discovers her place in the past - and perhaps a way forward。
Each woman's choices are circumscribed by the men in their lives。 But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life。。。
WINNER OF THE STELLA PRIZE
_______________
PRAISE FOR THE BASS ROCK:
'Daring， heartfelt， explosive' Daisy Johnson
'A vividly imagined portrait' Sunday Times
'Dark， disturbing and very sophisticated' William Boyd
'Wonderfully subtle and magnificently savage' Claire Fuller
Reviews
Sonja Bates
，
Without any hesitation a clear five-star reading experience。 Wyld takes you by the hand and guides you on a journey through time and one you’ll never forget。 At a slow but steady pace you follow the lives of 3 particular women spanning across 300 years。 The lives of ALL women is reflected in Sarah’s， Ruth’s and Viv’s struggle to live amongst men and their rules。 The Bass Rock - omnipresent ， silently watching the stories and thoughts of our characters， making no comment and yet bearing witness t Without any hesitation a clear five-star reading experience。 Wyld takes you by the hand and guides you on a journey through time and one you’ll never forget。 At a slow but steady pace you follow the lives of 3 particular women spanning across 300 years。 The lives of ALL women is reflected in Sarah’s， Ruth’s and Viv’s struggle to live amongst men and their rules。 The Bass Rock - omnipresent ， silently watching the stories and thoughts of our characters， making no comment and yet bearing witness to their pain and disempowerment。 Finally， Wyld ends our journey with a contemporary lens reminding us that men’s violence against women is still current and with us today。 After all， so is Bass Rock。 The book is Gothic yet current。 Moody but exciting。 Historic but contemporary。 An incredible read。 One of the best rides I’ve been on in a very long time。 。。。more
Fleur
，
4。5
Esmee Jansen
，
Normaal moet ik altijd een boek van mezelf uitlezen maar ik trek dit niet meer。 Het concept is goed， maar tegelijkertijd ook de ondergang。 Door de drie verhaallijnen die elkaar heel snel afwisselen heb ik werkelijk geen idee waar t nu over gaat en wie de personages zijn。
Miriam Smith （A Mother’s Musings）
，
Evie Wlyd’s latest novel “The Bass Rock” combines the fate of three women， set across the centuries to present day。 Located in the East of Scotland in the Firth of Forth， Bass Rock stands silently in the sea， watching out at the land， casting no judgement on the violence against women that it witnesses in the story。 Having drove past Bass Rock myself on several occasions， it was easy to imagine the location of the book。 Standing like a white iceberg due to the colour of the rock， it’s the closes Evie Wlyd’s latest novel “The Bass Rock” combines the fate of three women， set across the centuries to present day。 Located in the East of Scotland in the Firth of Forth， Bass Rock stands silently in the sea， watching out at the land， casting no judgement on the violence against women that it witnesses in the story。 Having drove past Bass Rock myself on several occasions， it was easy to imagine the location of the book。 Standing like a white iceberg due to the colour of the rock， it’s the closest bird sanctuary to a mainland。 Knowing that this rock has stood sentry for many centuries and was once inhabited by humans， including Saint Baldred in 600AD， this just added to its incredible ambience of the haunting and gothic style tale。This is not a book to dip into or pick up now and again。 Due to the three connecting stories/time lines but with the same characters at different ages， it’s best to read this story in as least sittings as possible。 It wasn’t until after I’d finished reading it and looked back over the chapters， that I began to exactly comprehend how it all linked together。 This may sound unusual but once you’ve started reading this book you’ll understand my meaning。 Possibly having clearer chapter headings could have helped， instead of having titles I， II and III mixed throughout， as until you’ve adapted to each of the three timelines it can be confusing。 Added to that， at the end of each batch of chapters there is a short independent story of various women tomented at the hands of men and it’s not till the end， you realise that the last story relates to the prologue。 Confusing yes but very clever and Edie Wyld is obviously a very talented author to devise such a layout and still have me as intrigued and engaged as I was， in the women’s lives。 - 1700’s and teenager Sarah is accused of being a witch but is saved from near death by a priest and his son who then go on the run。 Post WW2 and Ruth is struggling with her marriage to Peter as his second wife and trying to be a good stepmother to his two children。 In the present day， Viviane is clearing her grandmother Ruth’s belongings。 Having recently suffered from a nervous breakdown and still grieving from the death of her father， she befriends an eccentric woman called Maggie， who is cataloging murdered women in the area。 The central theme is misogynistic violence and the treatment and abuse on women by men both physically and mentally and society’s blind eye， no matter what the year。 However， the author does focus on the strengths of the women and their inner power to survive， despite the trauma inflicted on them。 All in all， I found “The Bass Rock” to be a very profound， gripping read with characters that will resonate with many women。4 stars 。。。more
Mallory
，
this is a beautifully written book with a strong message。 it works through centuries of women's discomfort and rage， and i really appreciated the views we were given into these characters' lives。 while this might be someone else's perfect book， i can recognize that it just wasn't meant to emotionally connect with me。 i went into it expecting something a little more atmospheric and ended up feeling let down by the description and language that i wanted from this kind of story。 there were moments this is a beautifully written book with a strong message。 it works through centuries of women's discomfort and rage， and i really appreciated the views we were given into these characters' lives。 while this might be someone else's perfect book， i can recognize that it just wasn't meant to emotionally connect with me。 i went into it expecting something a little more atmospheric and ended up feeling let down by the description and language that i wanted from this kind of story。 there were moments of really beautiful prose， but something held me back from connecting completely with the characters beyond a universal sense of womanhood。 thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley！ 。。。more
Angela
，
Wow what a book。 Like Ali Smith crossed with Shirley Jackson - in other words， pretty close to perfection！ Violence against women by men is at the core of the story - righteous anger seeps through the pages， as history repeats and repeats with each generation。 Tenuous threads connect the women but their experiences are depressingly familiar。 Despite the violence， this is a beautiful masterpiece。 I didn’t want it to end， and now I need some time to recover and digest it。
Natalie
，
Wow， this book is a mood。 Wyld’s writing has been billed as gothic， and The Bass Rock has everything—a creaky old house， ghosts， witches—but the creepy setting and sense of the supernatural serve as more of a flag to be on the lookout for things unseen in “ordinary” life。 Those things unseen are literal （a man crouching next to a woman’s car in a darkened parking lot， for example） and metaphorical （infidelity， trauma across generations）， but all share a common thread: misogyny and the threat of Wow， this book is a mood。 Wyld’s writing has been billed as gothic， and The Bass Rock has everything—a creaky old house， ghosts， witches—but the creepy setting and sense of the supernatural serve as more of a flag to be on the lookout for things unseen in “ordinary” life。 Those things unseen are literal （a man crouching next to a woman’s car in a darkened parking lot， for example） and metaphorical （infidelity， trauma across generations）， but all share a common thread: misogyny and the threat of male violence。 Rape， abuse， and other untold violations against women connect the novel’s leading characters across the centuries， and Wyld， incorporating fear and dread throughout descriptions of daily life， is telling us to wake up。 An absolute page-turner—4。5 stars only because some mysteries remain （what happened to Ruth？） and because the ending was a challenge to interpret。 。。。more
Michelle
，
This was not really what I expected it would be， but I was pleasantly surprised。 The writing is beautiful and the characters are wonderfully done， or in the case of most men in the book， scary as hell。 I do feel like some metaphors went over my head， and I didn't grasp everything， but that makes this book very rereadable。 This was not really what I expected it would be， but I was pleasantly surprised。 The writing is beautiful and the characters are wonderfully done， or in the case of most men in the book， scary as hell。 I do feel like some metaphors went over my head， and I didn't grasp everything， but that makes this book very rereadable。 。。。more
Susan
，
A confusing read， with three main narratives and multiple vignettes。 All are centered around how awful men are to women。 The characters are intriguing but not particularly likable。 Impressive construction， but it didn't hold together for me。 A confusing read， with three main narratives and multiple vignettes。 All are centered around how awful men are to women。 The characters are intriguing but not particularly likable。 Impressive construction， but it didn't hold together for me。 。。。more
Sam
，
Dark， disturbing and excellent
Sarah
，
Harrowing
Catie
，
Review copy provided by publisher - August 2021
Isabel
，
This book was not what I expected but it was brilliant。 I thought it was going to be a fairly typical gothic novel of Scottish superstitions but it was a far more carefully constructed examination of control and all the dreadful ways men enact it over women。
Jamie
，
Awful。 Disjointed。 Just one horrible thing after another with no resolution。
Carolyn Drake
，
Evie Wyld's novel is a darkly menacing tale， full of elegant prose， ominous undercurrents， violence and twisting， overlapping stories。 There are three strands to this gothic tale: Sarah， a woman living in the 19th Century， who is accused of being a witch; Ruth， the second wife of a widowed man struggling to find her place after the death of her brother in the Second World War; and Viv， clearing her grandmother's things from a house in the savage shadows of the brooding Bass Rock。 You have to kee Evie Wyld's novel is a darkly menacing tale， full of elegant prose， ominous undercurrents， violence and twisting， overlapping stories。 There are three strands to this gothic tale: Sarah， a woman living in the 19th Century， who is accused of being a witch; Ruth， the second wife of a widowed man struggling to find her place after the death of her brother in the Second World War; and Viv， clearing her grandmother's things from a house in the savage shadows of the brooding Bass Rock。 You have to keep your wits about you not to get confused by the narrative jumps， but Wyld manages to make both the structure and the dark atmosphere effective and angrily relevant。 。。。more
Karen
，
I almost liked it， but there wasn't really any momentum to the story。 The interconnectedness of Ruth's and Viviane's stories made them hard to follow， and I couldn't tell how the story of Sarah related to the other two。 There wasn't enough plot or suspense， and all the incidents of men being creeps or violent were too numerous for me to really process them。 （Also， what was the deal with Reverend Jon Brown？ Was he abusing the boys or just really strange and controlling？） I almost liked it， but there wasn't really any momentum to the story。 The interconnectedness of Ruth's and Viviane's stories made them hard to follow， and I couldn't tell how the story of Sarah related to the other two。 There wasn't enough plot or suspense， and all the incidents of men being creeps or violent were too numerous for me to really process them。 （Also， what was the deal with Reverend Jon Brown？ Was he abusing the boys or just really strange and controlling？） 。。。more
Hannu Pelttari
，
Ei epäilystäkään etteikö Evie Wyld osaisi kirjoittaa tarkkanäköistä tekstiä ihmisistä， heidän arjestaan， jokapäiväisen näkemistä milloin merkityksellisenä， milloin yhdentekevänä。 Sujuvaa proosaa。 Mutta， mutta ja mutta。 Teoksessa on kolme naista eri aikatasoissa kokemassa vääryyksiä。 Vanha kaiken sekaan ripoteltu historiallinen Sarahin kärsimysnäytelmä olisi minusta voinut jäädä kokonaan pois。 Ruth 1900-luvun lopulta oli naisista samaistuttavin ja samalla koskettavin。 Viviane 200-luvulta oli jota Ei epäilystäkään etteikö Evie Wyld osaisi kirjoittaa tarkkanäköistä tekstiä ihmisistä， heidän arjestaan， jokapäiväisen näkemistä milloin merkityksellisenä， milloin yhdentekevänä。 Sujuvaa proosaa。 Mutta， mutta ja mutta。 Teoksessa on kolme naista eri aikatasoissa kokemassa vääryyksiä。 Vanha kaiken sekaan ripoteltu historiallinen Sarahin kärsimysnäytelmä olisi minusta voinut jäädä kokonaan pois。 Ruth 1900-luvun lopulta oli naisista samaistuttavin ja samalla koskettavin。 Viviane 200-luvulta oli jotain mihin en saanut oikein mitään otetta， mutta eipä Vivianillakaan oikein ollut otetta elämästä。Teksti on sujuvaa， mutta kun ihmisillä ei ole kuin etunimet， en pysy millään kärryillä missä ja kenen murheissa milloinkin mennään。 No kun olin lukenut yli puolet yli 400 sivusta aloin jotenkin yhdistellä etunimiä toisiinsa。 Miksi， miksi tehdä asia turhaan lukijalle vaikeaksi seurata？ Wyld asettuu tanakasti siihen modernien naiskirjoilijoiden ruotuun， jossa kaikki miehet ovat mulkvisteja， erityisesti Ruthin uusi mies。 Kaipa ne ovat。 Mutta tämä olisi selvinnyt kahdellakin aikatasolla， se satojen vuosien takainen naisten sortaminen ei tuo mitään uutta tähän ja on kovin eriparinen muiden tarinoiden kanssa， vaikka kaipa Wyld yrittää uskotella sorron jatkuvuutta kun myös Sarah pakenee samoilla Skotlannin seuduilla kuin Ruth ja Viviane。 Annan kolme tähteä， koska teksti on sinällään hyvää kunhan ei välitä mikä etunimilitania kulloinkin on sen kohteena。 。。。more
Susan Gibson
，
Undecided！
Jenny
，
There are some very nice individual written pieces here in The Bass Rock but they've been stitched together extremely badly。 Oh dear it is a mess。The author could have written a perfectly good exploration of violence on women using one of the story-lines。 By trying to weave together three， she has completely muddled it up so you are always thinking "Now who is this uncle or who was the old woman when she was younger？"。 There are several strange violent episodes which don't ever get addressed。 Th There are some very nice individual written pieces here in The Bass Rock but they've been stitched together extremely badly。 Oh dear it is a mess。The author could have written a perfectly good exploration of violence on women using one of the story-lines。 By trying to weave together three， she has completely muddled it up so you are always thinking "Now who is this uncle or who was the old woman when she was younger？"。 There are several strange violent episodes which don't ever get addressed。 There are some mistakes in local knowledge which are annoying eg the sound of the train could have been the Edinburgh train - of course its the Edinburgh train - there are no others in North Berwick！The presence of Bass Rock is not really relevant to any of the story-lines。Did I give this 2 stars？ I think it should have been 1！ I hope it doesn't ruin North Berwick。 。。。more
Ann J
，
I loved this book。 It was pretty brilliant and has really stuck with me & as I read had me reflecting on it。 Taking away one star only because I have to admit， that although I did not necessarily mind how the story jumps back and forth in time and from character to character （the book jacket says “the lives of three women weave together，” but I swear there may be a fourth？？）， and actually thought that only added to how interesting a read this was， I was puzzled at times as to who I was dealing w I loved this book。 It was pretty brilliant and has really stuck with me & as I read had me reflecting on it。 Taking away one star only because I have to admit， that although I did not necessarily mind how the story jumps back and forth in time and from character to character （the book jacket says “the lives of three women weave together，” but I swear there may be a fourth？？）， and actually thought that only added to how interesting a read this was， I was puzzled at times as to who I was dealing with。 Note: I think the chapter numbers and an odd wavy symbol are clues。 What is that wavy symbol anyway？ I liked this book well enough that I will read up on some explanations。 No fault of the author。 This book just really drew me in with its broody and at times quite dark stories。 There are ghosts and wolves/wolfmen。 Lurking unseen or sometimes seen in corners of rooms and knocking from inside wardrobes and running along side cars and in bushes。 Accusations of witchcraft in past and hints of it in present day。 At times quite eerie and chilling。 I actually found a recommendation for this from the author of a new August （2021） release， Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy; though I cannot recall where I read it。 Set in Scotland twenty-five miles from Edinburgh， near the town of North Berwick， on the coast， The Bass Rock witness to it all。 “The Bass Rock’s colour looked， from where she stood， as white as the bones。 She thought of the birds on its pate unsettling and landing again…。”I found the lives of the three main， less than perfect women and the way the author describes the day to day of their lives and relationships， particularly with the men who cruelly seem to control them， fascinating， This is such a lush and well written， intelligent read。 I will definitely be reading more of this author & could actually reread this and possibly find lots that I may have overlooked。 Memorable characters。 A reverend who seems quite mad。 Unfaithful， and sometimes brutal mates。 Victims。 Relationships between sisters who also stray。 Children in danger。 There is an ever lurking uneasiness present that keeps your guard up throughout。 。。。more
Millie
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A complex and unsettling story which is set in Scotland， near the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth， and moves between three time frames and three women - Sarah， Ruth and Viv。 Sarah， is a young girl in the eighteenth century who is accused of witchcraft and who is fleeing for her life。 Ruth’s story， is set shortly after WWII， tells of her marriage to a widower with two sons， and of her struggles to adjust to life as a second wife， and also her struggles to cope after the loss of her much-loved bro A complex and unsettling story which is set in Scotland， near the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth， and moves between three time frames and three women - Sarah， Ruth and Viv。 Sarah， is a young girl in the eighteenth century who is accused of witchcraft and who is fleeing for her life。 Ruth’s story， is set shortly after WWII， tells of her marriage to a widower with two sons， and of her struggles to adjust to life as a second wife， and also her struggles to cope after the loss of her much-loved brother who was killed during the war。 Viv is Ruth’s step-granddaughter， who is staying at Ruth’s house after the death of her grandmother， and who is grieving the loss of her father - a situation with which she is finding it very difficult to cope。As this powerful， compelling and skilfully multilayered story moves backwards and forwards in time， the reader becomes witness to brutal murders， domestic violence - both physical and mental - rape， marital rape， mutilation， manipulation and more。 So it’s not an easy read， but the writing is stunning and the feeling of pain which is evident from the first page to the last， draws the reader in and keeps them gripped from beginning to end。 An angry， painful and haunting story of male violence against women and one that leaves you thinking about what the violence men do to women and the resilience of women’s bodies and spirits。 。。。more
Josja
，
Beautifully executed book， heavy topics dealt with with nuance， in an interesting form。 I especially liked the "sisterhood" theme and the humanness of all the characters and situations。 Highly recommend！ Beautifully executed book， heavy topics dealt with with nuance， in an interesting form。 I especially liked the "sisterhood" theme and the humanness of all the characters and situations。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Barbara Gorman
，
I like a gothic mysteryA very readable book。 It gives you pieces of story all the way through that come together at the end。 It's violent and men are portrayed as pricks， but whatever， I do like a story with a ghost I like a gothic mysteryA very readable book。 It gives you pieces of story all the way through that come together at the end。 It's violent and men are portrayed as pricks， but whatever， I do like a story with a ghost 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Probably not the greatest book to read while in lockdown， but she’s an incredible writer。 Some things change， but some things remain horribly the same across generations。 Depressing， gothic and violent。 A worthy winner of 2021 Stellar Prize。
Pip
，
I found this book dark and confusing。 It left a bad feeling of the dark side of humanity。
Hans Wiegand
，
The Bass Rock looks out over the coastline and tells about the lives of mothers and children and about how women had to wrestle themselves through the ages。 Viviane reminds me of the Viviane of Marion Bradley’s Avalon， the keeper of the female lines throughout the aeons， the ultimate witch。
Lea
，
What starts out as a Modern Gothic multigenerational story set on Bass Rock， a bleak Scottish isle， loses its atmospheric tightness as the story goes on。 I found it difficult to follow the changes between the POV of the different women and their connection to each other， but mostly I was disappointed that the characters did not really come alive in this 500+ pages novel。 It is bleak， yes， the violence against women across the times， but while some parts were eerie in a good sense， others were ju What starts out as a Modern Gothic multigenerational story set on Bass Rock， a bleak Scottish isle， loses its atmospheric tightness as the story goes on。 I found it difficult to follow the changes between the POV of the different women and their connection to each other， but mostly I was disappointed that the characters did not really come alive in this 500+ pages novel。 It is bleak， yes， the violence against women across the times， but while some parts were eerie in a good sense， others were just odd and over-descriptive。 All the parts I wanted to know more about were kept too vague or side-lined， and there was a lack of urgency to the story。 It was long-wided and constructed。 "A feminist ghost story？" Not enough ghost and not enough feel。 The theme of violence against women is not enough to make a book feminist。 Neither does making all the men rapists or muderers （bar maybe one）。 The writing itself is atmospheric and compelling， but I didnt find it a convincing novel。 。。。more
Indy Scarletti （paperindy）
，
I thought the Bass Rock was great。 Funny， complex， mysterious， immersive and overall it left a far more lasting impression on me than I expected when I first picked up the book。 The story， and the characters， grow on you。 It’s not clear how the threads are all linked until a little while through the book， and once you realise the links it becomes such a fascinating explorations of family dynamics， the memories， stories， and generational impacts that trickle down across time。 There’s also a huge I thought the Bass Rock was great。 Funny， complex， mysterious， immersive and overall it left a far more lasting impression on me than I expected when I first picked up the book。 The story， and the characters， grow on you。 It’s not clear how the threads are all linked until a little while through the book， and once you realise the links it becomes such a fascinating explorations of family dynamics， the memories， stories， and generational impacts that trickle down across time。 There’s also a huge thread of discussion of violence against women in this book， and I think Wyld does an impressive job of reflecting just how prominent male-violence is in a way that makes it feel like it’s not the sole focus of the women’s lives - just something that comes up again and again。 An inescapable experience uniting so many。 And not just women， but anyone vulnerable to a position of power。 This is not to say anything of the discussion of madness， insanity， withcraft and gaslighting women。 It came up again and again， and the clash of violence and madness was fascinating and enthralling。 Viv was my favourite by far， she was hilarious and so very British。 But the whole world felt so real and truthful， and I loved the way everything unravelled and started to make sense and fit together。 This is a book I’m going to keep on my shelf， and potentially plan a winter coast trip just to give myself the right atmosphere for a re-read。 If historical fiction isn’t your jam you might need to give it half the book to convince you， but I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Christen
，
Wowowowow
Mathilde
，
Prachtig - 3 verhaallijnen door elkaar。Spannend。 Maar vooral beklemmend wanneer de situaties v geweld en misbruik jegens kinderen wordrn omschreven。En vragen oproepend over de reis v bevrijding v rolpatronen voor vrouwen。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bass Rock
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bass Rock&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bass Rock&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0