The Well by Catherine Chanter

The Well

Catherine Chanter

Is narrator Ruth a saint who will save the world from a dystopian future, or a mentally disturbed obsessive who must 'have it all'? I am not sure, but I did find The Well an ambitiously disturbing read which made me think again about subjects as diverse as social media, the Church of England, and drug abuse. Would be a great title for reading groups.

Extract
'Don't walk out now,' he ranted, but then he backed away, holding his hands out as if I were a vampire, 'Don't push me too far Ruth,' he said. 'You push people too far .... You put us together, me and Lucien, and pull us apart as if you're a puppet-master .... It's all gone wrong and there'll be no going back now. Just like before.'
Parallels
  • A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard
  • River - TV Series
  • Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke
Borrow this book
Violence
Explicit sexual content