The Book of Speculation

A Novel

By: Erika Swyler

Narrated by: Ari Fliakos

"Dear Mr. Watson, I came across this book at auction as part of a larger lot I purchased on speculation. The damage renders it useless to me, but a name inside it - Verona Bonn - led me to believe it might be of interest to you or your family...."

Simon Watson, a young librarian on the verge of losing his job, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home - a house, perched on the edge of a bluff, that is slowly crumbling toward the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a traveling carnival reading tarot cards and seldom calls.

In late June Simon receives a mysterious package from an antiquarian bookseller. The book tells the story of Amos and Evangeline, doomed lovers who worked in a traveling circus more than 200 years ago. The paper crackles with age as Simon turns the yellowed pages filled with notes, sketches, and whimsical flourishes. His best friend and fellow librarian, Alice, looks on in increasing alarm.

Why does his grandmother's name, Verona Bonn, appear in this book? Why do so many women in his family drown on July 24? Is there a curse on his family - and could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in six years, risk the same fate in just a few weeks? In order to save her - and perhaps himself - Simon must try urgently to decode his family history while moving on from the past.

The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's gorgeous and moving debut, a wondrous novel about the power of books and family and magic.

©2015 Macmillan Audio (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator Ari Fliakos has complete control over this tale of magical realism as he underplays the drama and makes the outlandish seem plausible.... Fliakos's performance enhances a terrific book. Listeners will enjoy letting him guide them through the surreal elements of Swyler's story." ( AudioFile)

A wonderful blend of magical realism and fantasy

This book plays around with the Slavic myth of the Rusalka, a type of water nymph. At one point, the Rusalka was a symbol of fertility, but in later years, they became malevolent in stories. They’re believed to be the result of a woman committing suicide by drowning or being violently murdered by drowning. Since their life was fated to be a full one, they continue their lives as Rusalka, luring men to their deaths. However, this is not their sole way of being created. I did a Google search to get all this information since I love learning about new mythology, but the book does a fair job of painting a portrait of the tragic story of the Rusalka. I would call this fantasy, but it is very light fantasy with the magic realism being much more pronounced throughout the story. Much like Mandel’s Station Eleven, this is one of those books that defies it genre by being moving and poetically written. There’s so much going on with family secrets, betrayals, old pains, and how one’s past can come together to be an almost self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s a painful read with so many wins being punctuated by devastating defeats that shapes the history of not only the Watson family but the families that are interconnected with the Watsons.

I probably would’ve rated this book much higher, but I did find it a little hard to connect with the characters, and while this book worked largely on the idea of a thread weaving together many lives, it still felt too coincidental rather than feeling like it smoothly pieced together the many puzzles making up a history that was larger than any of the characters could imagine. I cared more about the story being told about their ancestors than the modern day tale that was unfolding. However, Ari Fliakos was simply amazing. At first, I didn’t know if I was going to like the tone he used for Enola, but as I continued to listen and learned more about the character, that clipped, sarcastic tone he used for her fit the eccentricity of her character well. In fact, he did a wonderful job of making all the characters feel so distinct from Churchwarry’s jolliness to Peabody’s larger than life magnetism to Evangeline’s pensive wistfulness to Frank’s simple straightforwardness. I even loved his southern accents which sounded mostly right and used that softened twang just the way it’s supposed to be. Where I might’ve just rated this 3 stars, Fliakos’ narration was beautiful and swayed some of my opinion on its rating.

The Book of Speculation is a haunting, poetic story that shows how wants, heartache, and wishes can breathe intent into actions that were done simply out of love, how generations can fall into those same cycles until someone tries to break the “curse.” This book has just the right amount amount of myth, magic, and realism that can cause its readers to ponder the ideas presented, and if I’d had the chance to care a little more about the characters that Swyler introduced me to, this book would’ve definitely been a home-run for me.

Pleasently Surprised

Very engaging and lots of unexpected twists. The set up is a little slow but once it catches its momentum you don't want to put it down!

Engaging!

Listening to this book felt very indulgent. I became completely immersed by the story, so much so I found myself relistening to chapters to savor the story before completion. Definitely check it out.

Stick with this one

I wasn’t sure I was in the right mood for the tempo of this novel at first- the narrator had to grow on me a little. But a few chapters in I was hooked. More like 4.5 overall and on the story. Should appeal to lovers of magic realism.

An interesting tale

The book starts slow. I wasn't sure if it was worth my time. I'm glad I stuck with it. The story switches between two different stories, at times each held my interest, at times each seemed tedious. But at the end both became enormously more interesting and I really enjoyed the surprising way they were tied together. It's a book I'm still thinking about and I can see myself revisiting.

This book was touching and magical.

I love books that change your thoughts on people and places; that get you so involved that when the last words read, you get a rush of mourning. That is this book.

Old fashion fun at the carnival

I have come to love books about books, libraries and such, that is what drew me to this book.
I have always enjoyed a well written book that can move the reader from past to present rather seamlessly, Book of Speculation is no disappointment. The story of Amos and Peabody is touching. The carnival life of the 19th century boisterous and flamboyant.
Present day Simon, Churchwary, Inola and the lot make an interesting cast of characters.
The narrator does a very good job with the carnival voices, some of which are quite a challenge I am sure. The story comes to life with the magical revealing as told by Ari Fliakos.
If you are someone that enjoys good storytelling than look no further. Completely avoid this book if you are bothered by the occult and the occasional foul word.
Happy listening.

Nice story, difficult listening

I found the plot quite interesting and well-built. I struggled with the flat-voice narration, it was difficult to connect to, thus making it a challenge to stay focused on the book, rather than let your mind wander.

Perfect Mix of Magic and Realism

Where does The Book of Speculation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is by far one of my favorites, simply because it was such a nice change for me. The story felt like part novel, part fairytale, part folklore. I could listen to the narrater all day long. All his many voices brought each character alive for me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Book of Speculation?

Too many to list!

Which character – as performed by Ari Fliakos – was your favorite?

My favorite character was Simon. He was such a sweet and witty character and the fact that he was a male librarian, but still cool, made me like him more. Second favorite, the electric boyfriend!

Any additional comments?

If this is going out on a limb for you to read a magical tale, give this one a shot. You may realize you have found a new genre!

Outstanding family lore

Loved the generational stories - floating forward and back in time. Mesmerizing carnival tales. Well written and fabulously performed.