The Town That Forgot How to Breathe

by Kenneth J. Harvey

Book Overview

Something strange is happening in the seaside town of Bareneed. Mythical creatures that formally existed only in mariner's dreams, are being pulled from the sea. Perfectly preserved corpses of villagers long ago lost at sea are being washed upon the shore. And residents of the town are suddenly suffering from a mysterious illness that is making them forget how to breathe. Recent divorce Joseph Blackwood has returned to his hometown in hopes of reconnecting...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312342225
• ISBN13: 9780312342227
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 471 Pages
• Weight: 1.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Alienation and the Painful Loss of Family Connection

The Town That Forgot to Breathe is one of the most original and interesting novels that I have ever read. Our alienation from our roots, our families and ourselves is a common topic for modern novelists. However, few of them are able to take such a poignant and powerful route to capturing the pain of those problems. Mr. Harvey has written a book that virtually defies genre description. The best I can do is to call it a modern fantasy fable . . . with an undertone of horror. As the book developed, I often felt that I was in Stephen King's grip . . . but then a ray of love and light would penetrate the fog and uplift me. It's a startling use of contrasts that makes reading the book very engaging and intense. I found it hard to put down. The depressed fishing village of Bareneed, Newfoundland finds itself beset with all kinds of unexpected events. People in town suddenly find themselves becoming angry, thinking murderous thoughts and losing their ability to breathe. At the same time peculiar fish begin being found . . . with even more peculiar contents in their mouths. After that the sea begins to disgorge even more unusual contents. I love books with remarkable characters and this book has several of them. The one who will stay with you longest is an old woman, Miss Eileen Laracy, whose fianc?as lost at sea when she was young. She's lived her whole life in the fishing town of Bareneed and never lost of child-like view of the world. Her eyesight is filled with beautiful auras around people, spirits and visions of what's coming next. Young Robin Blackwood will also intrigue you. She's the daughter of Joseph Blackwood (who's separated from her mother, Kim) who has brought her to Bareneed for a little vacation and to visit his great uncle. Robin soon finds herself also in contact with the spirit world. Tommy Quilty is a retarded man who knows more about love and values than everyone else in town combined. He is able to show the power of love to deal with our problems. Lieutenant-Commander French has an equal grasp of the scientific and the spirit worlds, and straddles them in helpful ways for the citizens of Bareneed. Doug Blackwood has been a fisherman all of his life and hews to the hard values of work and virtue. There are some other memorable characters I won't mention because describing them might spoil the story. The book is enlivened by remarkable local dialect captured in the dialogue that rings and sings in your mind as you read it. I found myself reading some of it aloud for the pure joy of the sounds. Don't read ahead to the end. You'll find yourself spoiling some nice surprises if you do.

The Town ... review

A book that you can't put down! Kenneth Harvey masterfully brings the delightful rural characters of Bareneed, Newfoundland to life and makes you feel that you are there sharing their experiences. As the tale unfolds you gain an insight into rural Newfoundland traditions and marvel at the author's ability to weave the local characters into this tale of suspense and mysterty. But best of all, there is a basic lesson for all of us in this book.

The Town That Forgot How To Breathe

"The people react against the invading culture or the loss of identity. A mass hypnosis kicks in, one that everybody believes because they have to, in order to survive. Mentally, I mean. Survive beyond what has been taken away from them."Ken Harvey's The Town That Forgot How To Breathe is an exciting and fast-paced novel that portrays what can happen to people when they lose their identity.The connection between breathing and identity is wonderful, and Ken's story-telling abilities are finely tuned. Set in an isolated village in Newfoundland, Ken brilliantly unravels a moving tale of a community enduring inexplicable events that challenge their physical and psychological survival.Other commentaries sometimes make comparisons to Stephen King, but in my opinion Ken's work is far more thought provoking and engaging. Ken Harvey has a unique voice that draws the reader into the interior of the narrative. This is a highly creative and intelligent novel.

Hold YOUR breathe ....

After reading only a few pages I knew I was in for a great read .. Joseph Blackwood and his eight year old daughter,Robin arrive in rural Newfoundland for a brief holiday only to become surrounded with cliff hanging suspense..I thoroughly enjoyed being carried away on a rustic island full of colourful characters ripe with underlying traditions and the suspense of never knowing or guessing what the next page would reveal.... The talent of the author makes you feel you are in his descriptive settings meeting these island characters and loving it all ....I highly recommend this book.