![]() A big, shiny one-piece which obscures how small and dull I feel inside. “Everywhere I go it’s as though I’m wearing a spacesuit which buffers me from other people. One of the things that has stayed with me most in the weeks and months following reading this is the depiction of Ray’s sadness and isolation. Then Ray’s dreams about One Eye’s past, in which Ray sees through One Eye’s eye(s), transform second person into first person, narrowing the distance even further between these two lonely figures. Ray’s first person narrative regularly breaks into second person, as he addresses his observations and recounts his memories to One Eye. Third person descriptions of One Eye bookend the narration. ![]() The two take almost equal roles in the narration. Much of this is down to Baume’s beautiful writing style, which is well-crafted without ever feeling laboured, as well as her characterisation of Ray and his relationship with One Eye. I found this book utterly absorbing, moving, even devastating. It also makes liberal use of quotations, but they’re too beautiful for me to apologise for that. This post discusses the end of Spill Simmer Falter Wither in detail. When One Eye attacks another dog, Ray panics packs up their lives and takes to the road. Both outcasts from society, they become companions in loneliness. ![]() ![]() ![]() Spill Simmer Falter Wither is the exquisitely crafted, exquisitely sad tale of a man, Ray, and a dog, One Eye. ![]()
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