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When the Night Comes
The hauntingly beautiful story of a young girl transformed by the power of kindness from award-winning author Favel Parrett.
Running away from the mainland was supposed to make their lives better. But, for Isla and her brother, their mother's sadness and the cold, damp greyness of Hobart's stone streets seeps into everything.
Then, one morning, Isla sees a red ship. That colour lights her day. And when a sailor from the ship befriends her mother, he shares his stories with them all - of Antarctica, his home in Denmark and life onboard. Like the snow white petrels that survive in the harshest coldest place, this lonely girl at the bottom of the world will learn that it is possible to go anywhere, be anything. But she will also find out that it is just as easy to lose it all.
For Isla, those two long summers will change everything.
Favel Parrett delivers an evocative and gently told story about the power fear and kindness have to change lives.
Running away from the mainland was supposed to make their lives better. But, for Isla and her brother, their mother's sadness and the cold, damp greyness of Hobart's stone streets seeps into everything.
Then, one morning, Isla sees a red ship. That colour lights her day. And when a sailor from the ship befriends her mother, he shares his stories with them all - of Antarctica, his home in Denmark and life onboard. Like the snow white petrels that survive in the harshest coldest place, this lonely girl at the bottom of the world will learn that it is possible to go anywhere, be anything. But she will also find out that it is just as easy to lose it all.
For Isla, those two long summers will change everything.
Favel Parrett delivers an evocative and gently told story about the power fear and kindness have to change lives.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
October 18, 2016
Four stars just for the beautiful, beautiful way this author writes. I found myself rereading whole sections just for the pleasure of the written words.
It would have been five stars but I was disappointed in the characters. Bo was brilliant and all of his scenes were great. Isla was vague and her mother almost disappeared off the pages. What was there made me not like her at all. And did the brother have a name? If he did I did not notice it.
The best written character in the whole book was of course the Nella Dan and the author's retelling of the last few years of her life is masterful. Despite my criticisms this is a lovely little book and it is well worth reading.
It would have been five stars but I was disappointed in the characters. Bo was brilliant and all of his scenes were great. Isla was vague and her mother almost disappeared off the pages. What was there made me not like her at all. And did the brother have a name? If he did I did not notice it.
The best written character in the whole book was of course the Nella Dan and the author's retelling of the last few years of her life is masterful. Despite my criticisms this is a lovely little book and it is well worth reading.
June 14, 2015
What a beautiful, magic book! In telling the story of the Nella Dan's last two summers in the Antarctic and it's final trip to Macquarie Island, Favel Perrett has evocatively recreated what it is to sail to the ends of the Earth and witness the hauntingly beautiful landscape.
The little red ship, Nella Dan was leased to the Australian government for 26 years and spent more time than any other ship in the Antarctic. Many of her crew were Danish, like Bo the fictional cook in the novel who befriends Isla the young girl who tells her account of Nella Dan's stop overs in Hobart. Isla and her brother have recently moved to Hobart with their mother for a fresh start following her divorce from their father. When Bo befriends their mother and stays with the family during his stop overs, he takes Isla and her brother to visit the ship and tells them stories of his adventures at sea and visiting Antarctica. Isla comes to look forward to the visits of the little red ship and Bo, the man who is kind to them and teaches Isla that anything is possible in life.
Like Antarctica itself, the writing is sharp and clear and the story haunting. I especially loved the references to the movie Local Hero, one of my all time favourites, set in another windswept place where small kindnesses make a difference to people's lives. I also enjoyed the inclusion of tributes to Nella Dan from members of her crew and expeditioners included in the afterword, which showed the fondness people felt for the little red ship. 4.5★
September 20, 2019
Travel to Hobart, Tasmania, Antarctica, Macquarie Island being careful to not step on an elephant seal while your senses slow as the gorgeous imagery glides past. It is cold in Hobart and Isla is afraid of the dark. Mother, daughter Isla and her brother arrive with little to their name in search of a new start. As the story begins their reasons for flight are more implied than stated. Once they are settled Isla waits for the ferry and sees a stranger wave to her. Unsure at first, and without knowing why, she waves back. There is something they recognize in one another though they be strangers. There are those rare times when a person enters your life, if only for awhile, yet manages to leave behind parts of themselves you forever hold close. Such is the story of the girl, Isla and the sea going man, Bo. This man shows so much respect for people and nature. An extraordinary fellow not afraid to enter the world of children with wisdom, compassion and vision. He dramatically and positively impacts Isla’s life at a time when she most needs this. Over two summers he comes and goes always careful to leave a trace of himself behind. Through his words and actions he teaches Isla about holding on to one’s internal warmth and light when the world becomes cold and confusing. Then, he will always be with her as she finds her way, no longer afraid of the dark. Bo and Isla follow the circular procession of their time together, alone and together. While traveling to and landing on Anarctica Bo finds he must push himself to previously unexplored limits moving above and beyond. It is In the sea terns, seals, and frozen landscapes that he finds sparkles and glimmers of hope for his new beginning away from his haunted past. Favel Parrett writes such graceful and gentle prose. Nothing feels forced. This book is, for me, near perfect. It leaves you feeling like you’ve been softly embraced with all that is good in our world.
August 20, 2014
The ship Nella Dan was bright red – it lightened and brightened Isla’s day. Living with her brother and mother in Hobart, Tasmania was different from what she had envisioned. They had left mainland Australia when her mother and father separated, but she and her brother would ring their father every two weeks from the phone box down at the corner. But Hobart was cold and grey – the house they rented was cold and grey – their mother’s sadness was cold and grey and lonely.
So when the beautiful bright ship entered Isla’s life, and Bo, a sailor whose home was in Denmark found and befriended the family, Isla was enthralled. Nella Dan travelled to Antarctica on a regular basis, taking men, and fresh food to the inhabitants – Bo worked in the galley, preparing meals for the sailors. The stories he told Isla and her family brightened their lives – stories of the beautiful white birds which lived in Antarctica called petrels; stories of Denmark and the little boat he had which his father had owned; stories of his time on board Nella Dan.
As Isla was changed by the kindness of Bo, her perception of the world grew – but as we all know, life has a way of altering in an instant. Her enjoyment of the time spent in Bo’s company, her love of the Nella Dan which would never diminish…Isla’s young life was enhanced in a wonderful way…
What an amazing novel! Evocative, pure, resonating and powerful, this second novel by Aussie author Favel Parrett is absolutely beautiful. The writing is inspiring, the descriptions of Hobart, Antarctica and Bo’s home in Denmark are such that I felt I was there, experiencing the icy cold and frigid beauty. The Nella Dan is a real ship, and I have included the link to her description and detail for those interested. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-an...
So when the beautiful bright ship entered Isla’s life, and Bo, a sailor whose home was in Denmark found and befriended the family, Isla was enthralled. Nella Dan travelled to Antarctica on a regular basis, taking men, and fresh food to the inhabitants – Bo worked in the galley, preparing meals for the sailors. The stories he told Isla and her family brightened their lives – stories of the beautiful white birds which lived in Antarctica called petrels; stories of Denmark and the little boat he had which his father had owned; stories of his time on board Nella Dan.
As Isla was changed by the kindness of Bo, her perception of the world grew – but as we all know, life has a way of altering in an instant. Her enjoyment of the time spent in Bo’s company, her love of the Nella Dan which would never diminish…Isla’s young life was enhanced in a wonderful way…
What an amazing novel! Evocative, pure, resonating and powerful, this second novel by Aussie author Favel Parrett is absolutely beautiful. The writing is inspiring, the descriptions of Hobart, Antarctica and Bo’s home in Denmark are such that I felt I was there, experiencing the icy cold and frigid beauty. The Nella Dan is a real ship, and I have included the link to her description and detail for those interested. I have no hesitation in recommending this novel highly.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-an...
March 8, 2015
Two words came to mind after finishing When The Night Comes...
Deliciously haunting.
That first bite. Crisp buttery flakes, sweet warm custard oozing - sharp marzipan and almond. The eggs, the sugar, the crunch of pastry - made with big hands. Made with skill and care. Made for breakfast - to start the day - to greet the sun. A magic loop of pastry.
Read it.
4.5 stars
Deliciously haunting.
That first bite. Crisp buttery flakes, sweet warm custard oozing - sharp marzipan and almond. The eggs, the sugar, the crunch of pastry - made with big hands. Made with skill and care. Made for breakfast - to start the day - to greet the sun. A magic loop of pastry.
Read it.
4.5 stars
November 27, 2017
The book begins with Isla, her mother and her younger brother relocating to Hobart from the mainland after the breakdown of the parents' marriage. Life's a bit hard for this little family, but things begin looking up when the mother befriends Bo, a cook on the Antarctic supply ship, Nella Dan. Bo loves the ship and his life at sea, and Isla loves the stories he tells when the ship is in port and Bo comes to stay at their house. The story covers two Antarctic seasons - 1985/86 and 1986/87 - and over that time, Isla starts high school, becomes inspired by one of her teachers, and learns from Bo that life is full of possibilities.
It doesn't sound like it adds up to much when I set it out like that, but I love, love, LOVE this book! The setting is quintessentially Hobart, at the time when I first arrived there to live myself. Everything was new and exciting, and the Nella Dan (a real ship) was as much a part of the Hobart landscape as the tower of Wrest Point Casino. So for me it was such a nostalgic read; tripping down Kelly's Steps to Salamanca on a Saturday morning to visit the market, with the red bulk of Nella Dan just off to the side; hauling into the Nosebag in Lower Sandy Bay for one of their infamous pancake blowouts (the cafe is not named in the book, but it could be nowhere else); walking down Hill St in West Hobart, all the while thinking what goes down must come back up ...somehow...; gazing into the window of the sweetshop on Hampden Rd on the way home from uni; driving up Molle St wondering if the car will continue to obey the laws of physics or will it just flip over from that ridiculous angle; and on it goes. And this is not to mention the soundtrack to that time, which is part of the story, but also set out in detail in Parrett's Suggested Playlist at the back of the book.
I hadn't remembered the fate of the Nella Dan, after a quarter of a century of service to the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition, so it was really poignant to read the tributes paid to her by past crew members, at the back of the book. What a wonderful piece of history.
This is a book I will happily read again one day.
It doesn't sound like it adds up to much when I set it out like that, but I love, love, LOVE this book! The setting is quintessentially Hobart, at the time when I first arrived there to live myself. Everything was new and exciting, and the Nella Dan (a real ship) was as much a part of the Hobart landscape as the tower of Wrest Point Casino. So for me it was such a nostalgic read; tripping down Kelly's Steps to Salamanca on a Saturday morning to visit the market, with the red bulk of Nella Dan just off to the side; hauling into the Nosebag in Lower Sandy Bay for one of their infamous pancake blowouts (the cafe is not named in the book, but it could be nowhere else); walking down Hill St in West Hobart, all the while thinking what goes down must come back up ...somehow...; gazing into the window of the sweetshop on Hampden Rd on the way home from uni; driving up Molle St wondering if the car will continue to obey the laws of physics or will it just flip over from that ridiculous angle; and on it goes. And this is not to mention the soundtrack to that time, which is part of the story, but also set out in detail in Parrett's Suggested Playlist at the back of the book.
I hadn't remembered the fate of the Nella Dan, after a quarter of a century of service to the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition, so it was really poignant to read the tributes paid to her by past crew members, at the back of the book. What a wonderful piece of history.
This is a book I will happily read again one day.
May 12, 2020
I hadn't read a lot of Australian fiction when I found Favel Parrett but I have come to adore her writing. She has a natural way with words, making her novels an effortless and enjoyable read. I often find myself re-reading particular passages, just to soak them up a second or third time. Her prose is beautiful, often melodic or nursery-rhyme like in it's consistency or repetition.
I was blown away by Parrett's debut novel, the utterly moving Past The Shallows, so naturally I couldn't wait to get my hands on her sophomore effort. The memory of Past The Shallows was still strong; I was so taken with the story and the rescue of the two brothers that it could be argued it affected my reading of this new book. In truth, no follow-up novel could ever compare to that one. It was just magical.
When the Night Comes is not to be written off, however. Certainly not. It is a great second work; full of beautiful depictions of the Antarctic, fairytale-like passages and concepts of the dark, the sea, the fragility of life, death, sibling relationships and parenthood. The storytelling is skillful, the characters are wonderfully evoked and I became so engaged with them.
Although not as transfixing as her first, When the Night Comes is a wonderful novel from Parrett. I am a big fan.
I was blown away by Parrett's debut novel, the utterly moving Past The Shallows, so naturally I couldn't wait to get my hands on her sophomore effort. The memory of Past The Shallows was still strong; I was so taken with the story and the rescue of the two brothers that it could be argued it affected my reading of this new book. In truth, no follow-up novel could ever compare to that one. It was just magical.
When the Night Comes is not to be written off, however. Certainly not. It is a great second work; full of beautiful depictions of the Antarctic, fairytale-like passages and concepts of the dark, the sea, the fragility of life, death, sibling relationships and parenthood. The storytelling is skillful, the characters are wonderfully evoked and I became so engaged with them.
Although not as transfixing as her first, When the Night Comes is a wonderful novel from Parrett. I am a big fan.
January 1, 2015
The Icebreaker MV Nella Dan sailed between Hobart and the Antarctica for the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions every year, taking men, women and fresh food to various bases and bringing home those who have served their time. She did this for 26 years until she ran aground in high winds in 1987 close to the Macquarie Island station, the 45 crew members were all saved. The owners decided that salvage was not possible and she was towed out to sea where she sank in true Viking fashion, in flames. This moment of Australian maritime history has been used as a back drop by Favel Parrett as she relates the story of Isla and Bo. The story is told from the points of view of both Isla and Bo. Through Bo we learn about life at sea and how he came to work on the Nella Dan. Isla tells us about life in Hobart after her parents divorce and her mother moves Isla and her brother to Hobart for a new start. Until Bo comes into their lives life is sad and lonely for the small family. Bo is larger than life and tells them about life on board ship, life at the bases, the beautiful birds and the total utter peacefulness of the Antarctica. The progression of the story, with the occasional back filler, is beautifully told. The chapters are short and the few traumatic events are dealt with quickly, a just a few words eloquently summoning the intense feelings without allowing the characters, or the reader, to wallow in emotion for very long. Parrett draws you into her story with sparse but evocative writing. There is not one superfluous word, it is bare bones writing – but so full of information that the lack of wordiness is not a problem. Like the voyage to Antarctica life is full of unexpected risks that need to be overcome; Bo teaches Isla that these risks should be met head on and conquered and then a smooth patch will be found and life will continue on. Most of Isla’s point of view is from her as a child, although towards the end she speaks as an adult and you understand how the events that tookplace in 1986 and 1987 have shaped who she is today. A beautiful story and thoroughly recommended.
June 22, 2015
When the Night Comes by Favel Parrett
A haunting and beautifully related tale about growth and growing up, in all its guises.
A tale concerning a beautiful red Danish ship named "Nella Dan" which sails between Hobart and Antarctica, a Danish sailor who works aboard her, a young girl, her brother and their mother.
The tale is gently and quietly related through various stages of growth from a child's perspective and also the perspectives of significant adults.
It's about cause and effect, and the impact of big and small incidents in the lives of those people, how those incidents affect and influence their personal and emotional development.
The voice of this story is a noticeably quiet and compelling one, its almost like a whisper in your ear...or like thoughts as in a daydream, a sort of fugue, like staring off into space while it is being quietly narrated to you. I felt as though I were listening to it rather than reading words on a page.
Favel Parrett has done a beautiful job of capturing the nuance which is inherent in the personalities of her characters, and through her words, has played it for us to hear.
This story insinuates itself onto you and makes you ask questions, it makes you hungry for more information.
It delivers.
4★s.
September 3, 2015
I just loved this delightful, thought provoking story. It is mainly told from the perspective of Isla, who is a young girl living with her younger brother and mother in Hobart,Tasmania. Her parents are newly separated and her mother is doing the best she can to make ends meet. Jo is a sailor aboard a red ship called the Nella Dan that docks at the harbour near Isla's house. Jo becomes part of Isla's life through her mother, and tells Isla stories about his life on the ship- travelling from Denmark to Antartica.
I loved the relationship between Isla and Jo. Isla is a sensitive girl and comes across as being rather lonely and unsure of herself. Jo gives her hope and teachers her things about life.The atmosphere that Favel Parrett creates in this novel is beautiful. She describes the Antarctic landscape, the ship, and Tasmania in such a way that made me feel I was there and had experienced it too. Even the cover of the novel is lovely. The only small issue I had was the way Favel Parrett writes. It took me a couple of pages to get used to it as she tends to repeat things, for example-
"Down where we were, there were no windows. Down where we were, there were only fluoro lights and bunk beds". She does that a little bit at the beginning, but then I did not notice it so much by the end of the book.
This is a beautifully written story that deals with loss, change and hope. I highly recommend giving it a go.
I loved the relationship between Isla and Jo. Isla is a sensitive girl and comes across as being rather lonely and unsure of herself. Jo gives her hope and teachers her things about life.The atmosphere that Favel Parrett creates in this novel is beautiful. She describes the Antarctic landscape, the ship, and Tasmania in such a way that made me feel I was there and had experienced it too. Even the cover of the novel is lovely. The only small issue I had was the way Favel Parrett writes. It took me a couple of pages to get used to it as she tends to repeat things, for example-
"Down where we were, there were no windows. Down where we were, there were only fluoro lights and bunk beds". She does that a little bit at the beginning, but then I did not notice it so much by the end of the book.
This is a beautifully written story that deals with loss, change and hope. I highly recommend giving it a go.
October 18, 2018
Have I missed something here? I have met a few Antarctic Expeditioners over the years and was enthralled by the stories and photos / video clips, and on a working trip visited the Antarctic Division in Hobart. With that in mind, I was looking forward to reading this tribute to the Nella Dan. Instead, some fictionalised bland one-parent family drama, interspersed with visits from a crew member, with segments moving forward and back, some seemingly at random.
Verdict: dismal, disjointed, and a contender for the most boring book I have read all year, against stiff opposition from “The Accident on the A35”.
Verdict: dismal, disjointed, and a contender for the most boring book I have read all year, against stiff opposition from “The Accident on the A35”.
March 30, 2017
I was looking forward to reading When the Night Comes after reading Past and Shadows. However, I was disappointed with the characters they did not make sense. When the Night Comes is about two young children, who had to move to Tasmania with their mother after their parents separated. Reading When the Night Comes you will follow Bo's life one of the chefs on broad the Nella Dan. The two stories were intertwined when Bo became a friend of Isla mother.
I love the way Favel Parrett incorporate Nella Dan which is an actual ship of the Australian Antarctic Program into the story. Also, I enjoy Favel Parrett style of writing and the way she combines her characters with social issues that can affect her readers.
I do recommend this book
I love the way Favel Parrett incorporate Nella Dan which is an actual ship of the Australian Antarctic Program into the story. Also, I enjoy Favel Parrett style of writing and the way she combines her characters with social issues that can affect her readers.
I do recommend this book
August 8, 2019
Favel Parrett is an Australian author whom I have heard a lot of praise about of late, but she still seems to be relatively under the radar in the United Kingdom. She has been called 'a fresh and vital voice in Australian fiction' (The Australian Women's Weekly), and a 'strong voice' in the field of Australian literature (The Canberra Times). I have been eager to read many more works set in Australia, and by authors who live there, since I visited in 2015-2016. Thankfully my local library had a copy of Parrett's When the Night Comes, which was first published in 2014.
When the Night Comes is described as 'a powerful and haunting novel set on the very edge of the world.' Told by two protagonists, the novel takes place in Tasmania and Antarctica between 1986 and 1987. We meet a young girl named Isla, who has moved to a relatively isolated community with her mother and younger brother, and a 'modern viking' named Bo, who comes from Copenhagen and is working as a cook on a ship called the MS Nella Dan. The voyage takes him to Antarctica, as the scientists on his ship have been tasked with surveying krill and zooplankton, as well as conducting a survey of Heard Island. Bo gives Isla 'the gift of stillness, of watching birds... She shows him what is missing in his life.' I am drawn to books in which quite different protagonists are drawn together, and was suitably intrigued by what When the Night Comes promised.
The novel opens with Isla and her family journeying to their new home on the island of Tasmania. She recounts the choppy, difficult crossing: 'I must have fallen asleep because when I woke the whole world was rocking and shaking and I was rolling in my bed. Not just from side to side, but up and down as well.' She goes on to comment: 'It was only the ship that was keeping us safe. Only thin layers of steel and an engine pumping away in the dark were keeping us above the water, which would gladly swallow us all up like we had never ever been.'
In this descriptive prose, which carries on throughout the novel, Parrett proves that she is great at creating atmosphere. Of the relatively deprived place which Isla and her family move to, she writes, for instance: 'Battery Point, where the houses were old and solid like tombstones, and there were never any people on the streets or in the front gardens. There were never any people anywhere. Just my brother and me, walking fast, always looking behind us.'
Searching for belonging is a constant thread in this novel. In Bo's narrative, Parrett writes: 'Tonight, all these weeks in, I just wanted to step onto the solid frozen earth and say, I am here. Only a cook, but here all the same.' I really admired the way in which Parrett uses loneliness and belonging to pull both of her protagonists together, as well as the way in which she causes their friendship, and in turn their confidence, to grow. Isla comments: 'But silence was easy with Bo. It was not lonely and I could think. I could think about the sky and about the light and how things changed. I could stop holding myself so very tightly.'
When the Night Comes is a relatively quiet read, but it is one which I found highly engaging. The characters are realistic, and Parrett keeps at the forefront of her novel their concerns and their sadnesses. Her descriptions throughout are lovely, and she maintains believable narrative voices for both of her lead characters. The novel is philosophical at times, and really causes one to think about what it really means to exist. Things do happen as the novel goes on, but the focus, really, is upon the protagonists, and how various events affect them.
When the Night Comes is described as 'a powerful and haunting novel set on the very edge of the world.' Told by two protagonists, the novel takes place in Tasmania and Antarctica between 1986 and 1987. We meet a young girl named Isla, who has moved to a relatively isolated community with her mother and younger brother, and a 'modern viking' named Bo, who comes from Copenhagen and is working as a cook on a ship called the MS Nella Dan. The voyage takes him to Antarctica, as the scientists on his ship have been tasked with surveying krill and zooplankton, as well as conducting a survey of Heard Island. Bo gives Isla 'the gift of stillness, of watching birds... She shows him what is missing in his life.' I am drawn to books in which quite different protagonists are drawn together, and was suitably intrigued by what When the Night Comes promised.
The novel opens with Isla and her family journeying to their new home on the island of Tasmania. She recounts the choppy, difficult crossing: 'I must have fallen asleep because when I woke the whole world was rocking and shaking and I was rolling in my bed. Not just from side to side, but up and down as well.' She goes on to comment: 'It was only the ship that was keeping us safe. Only thin layers of steel and an engine pumping away in the dark were keeping us above the water, which would gladly swallow us all up like we had never ever been.'
In this descriptive prose, which carries on throughout the novel, Parrett proves that she is great at creating atmosphere. Of the relatively deprived place which Isla and her family move to, she writes, for instance: 'Battery Point, where the houses were old and solid like tombstones, and there were never any people on the streets or in the front gardens. There were never any people anywhere. Just my brother and me, walking fast, always looking behind us.'
Searching for belonging is a constant thread in this novel. In Bo's narrative, Parrett writes: 'Tonight, all these weeks in, I just wanted to step onto the solid frozen earth and say, I am here. Only a cook, but here all the same.' I really admired the way in which Parrett uses loneliness and belonging to pull both of her protagonists together, as well as the way in which she causes their friendship, and in turn their confidence, to grow. Isla comments: 'But silence was easy with Bo. It was not lonely and I could think. I could think about the sky and about the light and how things changed. I could stop holding myself so very tightly.'
When the Night Comes is a relatively quiet read, but it is one which I found highly engaging. The characters are realistic, and Parrett keeps at the forefront of her novel their concerns and their sadnesses. Her descriptions throughout are lovely, and she maintains believable narrative voices for both of her lead characters. The novel is philosophical at times, and really causes one to think about what it really means to exist. Things do happen as the novel goes on, but the focus, really, is upon the protagonists, and how various events affect them.
February 11, 2016
Australian author Favel Parrett draws the reader in with writing that is simple and spare, but also beautiful and poetic. Isla, her brother, and her mother move to Tasmania to get a new start. They live near the harbor in Hobart where a red Danish icebreaker, the Nella Dan, docks on its way to Antarctica. Bo, a crewman, becomes involved with the lonely, impoverished family. One of his gifts to the young teen Isla was his storytelling, showing her that there was a big world out there to enjoy and explore. Bo looked at his surroundings with wonder and awe, such as when he viewed the nests of the snow petrols in Antarctica: "Babies so small, so perfect and white. I'm careful not to get too close, not to disturb them. I keep walking up, away from the nests, and when I reach the top the view hits me with full force. The whole of the rich blue bay, still. Perfect. Nella Dan there in her spot, reflecting red off the water. The sky cloudless. Giant white cliffs running on and on, then out to the horizon, icebergs lined up for all of time, blue and brilliant white taking up the whole scene. Every blue that there is--that exists. One million shades of blue and white. The scale of it all measured against me, one man standing here. Just one man, small and breathless."
Bo's other great gift was the warmth, kindness, and hope he brought to Isla and her brother, acting as a father figure. "My brother and I walked on the stone streets, the past there like an owl watching us from the rusty rooftops. Huge eyes and then sharp claws that tried to pick at us as we walked. Tried to take our warmth--steal our joy--take the light away. But kindness was a shield."
The ship, the Nella Dan, is based on an actual Danish supply ship with a warm, tight crew who loved working on her. The Nella Dan is very much a character in the book. The reader is transported from the streets of Hobart to the frozen ground of Antarctica to an island off the coast of Denmark. In a series of vignettes we see the world through the eyes of Bo and Isla.
Picture and information about the Nella Dan:
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-an...
Bo's other great gift was the warmth, kindness, and hope he brought to Isla and her brother, acting as a father figure. "My brother and I walked on the stone streets, the past there like an owl watching us from the rusty rooftops. Huge eyes and then sharp claws that tried to pick at us as we walked. Tried to take our warmth--steal our joy--take the light away. But kindness was a shield."
The ship, the Nella Dan, is based on an actual Danish supply ship with a warm, tight crew who loved working on her. The Nella Dan is very much a character in the book. The reader is transported from the streets of Hobart to the frozen ground of Antarctica to an island off the coast of Denmark. In a series of vignettes we see the world through the eyes of Bo and Isla.
Picture and information about the Nella Dan:
http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-an...
July 6, 2015
I'm a terrible reviewer when it comes to books set in Tasmania. I know it so well, I love it so much, that I am harsher and more irritable of faults with books set there than I would have been were they set somewhere else. It's unfair, I know, but I'm adding this disclaimer so that you know my views are coloured by that.
I just don't feel Parrett captured Tasmania at all. Writing that such and such went down this street, then up that street, then....etc, doesn't make for capturing the heart or soul of a place. It just tells me something I could see on a Google map. I know these places Parrett refers to. I carry pictures of those places in my heart, but yet Parrett could not evoke those pictures or memories for me. Again, I felt like she was just some random on the street giving me directions on how to get from A to B.
Of course many books don't have a strong sense of time or place, and that is a conscious decision on the part of the author. I didn't feel that was the case here. I felt Parrett had attempted to land her book in a distinct time and place and it didn't work out. Unfortunately for me, I'm within a couple of years of age of her protagonist and so grew up in the same era as the character. I know Tasmania, and I know Tasmania in that era.
I have to say though, that I'm not quite sure what Parrett was aiming for with her book. Much of it felt like small vignettes of her own life. The type of thing you often write in creative writing classes. This was then juxtaposed with the story of the Nella Dan, and of a man who crewed on her. I didn't feel the two stories gelled, and I was left with two disparate plots that never quite worked together.
I can see why others like the book. For me, a combination of the novel's plot and structure, along with me being a hard taskmaster around Tasmania, meant this didn't work for me.
I just don't feel Parrett captured Tasmania at all. Writing that such and such went down this street, then up that street, then....etc, doesn't make for capturing the heart or soul of a place. It just tells me something I could see on a Google map. I know these places Parrett refers to. I carry pictures of those places in my heart, but yet Parrett could not evoke those pictures or memories for me. Again, I felt like she was just some random on the street giving me directions on how to get from A to B.
Of course many books don't have a strong sense of time or place, and that is a conscious decision on the part of the author. I didn't feel that was the case here. I felt Parrett had attempted to land her book in a distinct time and place and it didn't work out. Unfortunately for me, I'm within a couple of years of age of her protagonist and so grew up in the same era as the character. I know Tasmania, and I know Tasmania in that era.
I have to say though, that I'm not quite sure what Parrett was aiming for with her book. Much of it felt like small vignettes of her own life. The type of thing you often write in creative writing classes. This was then juxtaposed with the story of the Nella Dan, and of a man who crewed on her. I didn't feel the two stories gelled, and I was left with two disparate plots that never quite worked together.
I can see why others like the book. For me, a combination of the novel's plot and structure, along with me being a hard taskmaster around Tasmania, meant this didn't work for me.
May 18, 2014
A deceptively simple book. Emotionally resonant. Poetic yet sparse. A more mature novel than her award-winning and much praised debut Past the Shallows. This is a book with a firm sense of place and with a huge beating heart.
February 9, 2017
I should have read some quotes before buying this book. Then I would have immediately been put off by the poetic/pretentious writing and could have saved myself from reading “When the night comes” and wouldn’t have had to write a 1-star review. I rarely, so rarely give out 1 stars, but I just can’t find anything I like about “When the night comes” - it is a desolate wasteland of sheer nothingness.
Firstly, the writing: I just couldn’t get into it. The sentences are so disjointed, they might actually seem poetic to some people. I get that. Only that I don’t like poetry. There, I said it. I prefer chunky novels.
The only noticeable plot consists of strange freak accidents that make the main characters sad. Just because. Happy characters don’t make for a good emotional cry story, do they? Lucky that Parrett threw in some sadness to make her book more deep and meaningful.
Speaking of the characters: One of the two is a thirteen year old girl, the second one is a middle aged man. The narration alternates between the two of them from a first person's POV. Both of the characters sound exactly the same. Sometimes it took me two pages of a three pages chapter to figure out who is actually talking. Both characters have the exact same way to unfeelingly observe everything that’s going on around them. That way the reader feels completely removed from the story. Can anyone please explain to me why Parrett writes like that? I don’t know why the author would do such a terrible thing!
I had to put the book down every 10 pages because I just couldn’t stay focussed on the pages. Even writing this review makes me fall asleep…
The thing I was most bitterly disappointed by was Favel Parrett’s inability to bring her setting to life. I’ve been to Hobart myself, walked along the harbour, looked at the ships and imagined how it would be like to get on one of them and travel the Antarctica. It’s been on my bucket list ever since! Yet somehow Parrett was unable to evoke any feelings or emotions in me about that memory of mine.
The most interesting part about "When the night comes" was the little chapter at the end after the story was already over, which summed up the historical facts about the Nella Dan. Sad, I know.
Firstly, the writing: I just couldn’t get into it. The sentences are so disjointed, they might actually seem poetic to some people. I get that. Only that I don’t like poetry. There, I said it. I prefer chunky novels.
The only noticeable plot consists of strange freak accidents that make the main characters sad. Just because. Happy characters don’t make for a good emotional cry story, do they? Lucky that Parrett threw in some sadness to make her book more deep and meaningful.
Speaking of the characters: One of the two is a thirteen year old girl, the second one is a middle aged man. The narration alternates between the two of them from a first person's POV. Both of the characters sound exactly the same. Sometimes it took me two pages of a three pages chapter to figure out who is actually talking. Both characters have the exact same way to unfeelingly observe everything that’s going on around them. That way the reader feels completely removed from the story. Can anyone please explain to me why Parrett writes like that? I don’t know why the author would do such a terrible thing!
I had to put the book down every 10 pages because I just couldn’t stay focussed on the pages. Even writing this review makes me fall asleep…
The thing I was most bitterly disappointed by was Favel Parrett’s inability to bring her setting to life. I’ve been to Hobart myself, walked along the harbour, looked at the ships and imagined how it would be like to get on one of them and travel the Antarctica. It’s been on my bucket list ever since! Yet somehow Parrett was unable to evoke any feelings or emotions in me about that memory of mine.
The most interesting part about "When the night comes" was the little chapter at the end after the story was already over, which summed up the historical facts about the Nella Dan. Sad, I know.
February 18, 2015
Unbearable. The blurb and other reviews made this book sound incredibly enticing and beautiful, and I was bitterly disappointed. Other people seem to enjoy it, so I hope it's just me being stupid and ignorant to not see the value of this book.
The writing was lacklustre, with hardly any delineation between the stories from Bo and Isla. Very focused on narrating the scraps of memories, without revealing any meaningful descriptions or creating an atmosphere or sense of character. Little insight into characters. Nothing happened until nearly halfway through the book, and it seemed to have little impact. The experience of reading this book was like looking at a fishbowl; I felt distinctly separate from that tiny, boring world. For all that time spent looking at it I still had no idea what it felt like to be wet.
The writing was lacklustre, with hardly any delineation between the stories from Bo and Isla. Very focused on narrating the scraps of memories, without revealing any meaningful descriptions or creating an atmosphere or sense of character. Little insight into characters. Nothing happened until nearly halfway through the book, and it seemed to have little impact. The experience of reading this book was like looking at a fishbowl; I felt distinctly separate from that tiny, boring world. For all that time spent looking at it I still had no idea what it felt like to be wet.
August 25, 2014
Straight up - I did not love "Past the Shallow" and thought its literary praise unwarranted. Same goes for "When the Night Comes". Not a fan of her style, for example, the third sentence on page one reads:
Mum was quiet, and my brother was quiet, and when we
finished eating a man in a white uniform came over and
said that the ship was going through the heads very soon
and that the forecast was for very rough seas.
Ughhh.
The short, disjointed novel is narrated by Isla, a teenage girl in Hobart and her mother's boyfriend Bo, a Danish sailor, on board an Antarctica supply ship. The descriptions of the ocean, ship-life and character summations are fine and evocative. However, two narrator's short pieces of disjointed prose together do not make a cohesive novel.
Comparing Parrett to Winton, (as some reviewers have) is, in my view, unjustified.
Mum was quiet, and my brother was quiet, and when we
finished eating a man in a white uniform came over and
said that the ship was going through the heads very soon
and that the forecast was for very rough seas.
Ughhh.
The short, disjointed novel is narrated by Isla, a teenage girl in Hobart and her mother's boyfriend Bo, a Danish sailor, on board an Antarctica supply ship. The descriptions of the ocean, ship-life and character summations are fine and evocative. However, two narrator's short pieces of disjointed prose together do not make a cohesive novel.
Comparing Parrett to Winton, (as some reviewers have) is, in my view, unjustified.
October 18, 2014
I'm very late to the Favel Parrett party. In fact, this book had been out two months before I finally requested a copy. Everyone had been so effusive in their praise I think I worried that I'd struggle and have that sense of shame you feel when you're unable to appreciate true beauty.
Twelve-year old Isla, her brother and mother have travelled to Tasmania following her parents' separation. The family's early days in their new world seem bleak and Isla's mother, somewhat distant.
Things change however, when Danish seaman Bo appears on the scene.
For me, this book is essentially about people coming into our lives at certain times and the impact they have.
To me Parrett's work is lyrical. It's easy to read. It did take a little getting used to but the writing reeled me in and kept me entranced until the words stopped.
Read the full review in my blog: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
Twelve-year old Isla, her brother and mother have travelled to Tasmania following her parents' separation. The family's early days in their new world seem bleak and Isla's mother, somewhat distant.
Things change however, when Danish seaman Bo appears on the scene.
For me, this book is essentially about people coming into our lives at certain times and the impact they have.
To me Parrett's work is lyrical. It's easy to read. It did take a little getting used to but the writing reeled me in and kept me entranced until the words stopped.
Read the full review in my blog: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
May 27, 2014
Favel Parrett’s first book, Past the Shallows, remains one of the most starkly beautiful pieces of fiction I’ve ever read. So it was with (let’s face it) an invasive level of enthusiasm that I went after her second book. And then read it in three hours, sitting by the side of a public pool and ignoring my children, adorable though they are.
For a little while, I thought When the Night Comes to be a vastly different book from Shallows (I call it that because it lives inside my body and we are on quite familiar terms). It is set in Tasmania, Denmark and Antarctica in the 80s, where the latter is extremely localised. It has a romance element, where the other doesn’t, and it is told from two perspectives.
Read the rest of this review on my blog
For a little while, I thought When the Night Comes to be a vastly different book from Shallows (I call it that because it lives inside my body and we are on quite familiar terms). It is set in Tasmania, Denmark and Antarctica in the 80s, where the latter is extremely localised. It has a romance element, where the other doesn’t, and it is told from two perspectives.
Read the rest of this review on my blog
April 14, 2015
This book is about a young girl, Isla, who has just moved to the town of Hobart with her brother and her mother. The relationship between Isla and her mother is very vague because the story is about Isla and Bo. Bo is a cook aboard an Antarctic supply ship, the Nella Dan. Bo and Isla are both lonely and concerned about what their life means and what the future holds.
When Nella Dan makes its stops at Hobart, Bo stays with Isla and her family. Again, the relationship between Bo and Isla's mom is very vague. However, during these short stopovers, Bo teaches Isla how to cook, tells her stories about his life at his home in Denmark, and shares his travels aboard the Nella Dan. During their time together, both Bo and Isla find answers to some of their questions and are changed for life.
It was hard for me to imagine an adult man spending such quality time with a young girl that it changed both of their lives so dramatically forever. The author's writing didn't convince me that that kind of relationship was established. There never was a strong plot or character I could connect to. The author wrote in beautiful poetic prose using strong imagery like W. Carlos Williams and stressed themes such as home, loneliness, time (how important each moment can be) and change. I didn't mind her use of phrases a lot instead of complete sentences, and the use of alliteration was beautiful poetry. However, I did get tired of the symbols. She uses the same one repeatedly on almost every page. She uses a real ship as a character in the story, the Nella Dan, and everything involving ship life is the most interesting thing about the book. People who are interested in ship life may enjoy this short book.
Rating 2.5
When Nella Dan makes its stops at Hobart, Bo stays with Isla and her family. Again, the relationship between Bo and Isla's mom is very vague. However, during these short stopovers, Bo teaches Isla how to cook, tells her stories about his life at his home in Denmark, and shares his travels aboard the Nella Dan. During their time together, both Bo and Isla find answers to some of their questions and are changed for life.
It was hard for me to imagine an adult man spending such quality time with a young girl that it changed both of their lives so dramatically forever. The author's writing didn't convince me that that kind of relationship was established. There never was a strong plot or character I could connect to. The author wrote in beautiful poetic prose using strong imagery like W. Carlos Williams and stressed themes such as home, loneliness, time (how important each moment can be) and change. I didn't mind her use of phrases a lot instead of complete sentences, and the use of alliteration was beautiful poetry. However, I did get tired of the symbols. She uses the same one repeatedly on almost every page. She uses a real ship as a character in the story, the Nella Dan, and everything involving ship life is the most interesting thing about the book. People who are interested in ship life may enjoy this short book.
Rating 2.5
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May 30, 2014A beautiful piece of writing. Favel has such a talent for writing beautiful, sparse prose that is extremely evocative and melancholy. The scenes set on the ship, and in Antarctica are particularly memorable for me, and she's done a brilliant job of weaving in the research from her own travels just enough to make these scenes very authentic without overdoing it.
May 5, 2015
This was such a beautiful story. Favel Parrett has a way with words. Her gentle, yet powerful story was so hard to put down. I loved this book!
September 2, 2023
This book was good in many ways. It had great descriptions and interesting enough characters, but that’s where it ended for me. In my opinion it was lacking a clear plot and by the end a lot was left unanswered.
August 29, 2014
Favel Parrett's debut, Past the Shallows, caught the imagination of the Australian literary community in 2011. When the Night Comes is her highly anticipated second novel, in which Parrett tells the story of Isla and Bo whose lives are briefly entwined during the late 1980's.
Twelve year old Isla has recently arrived in Hobart with her newly divorced mother and younger brother. A quiet and thoughtful girl she isn't finding it easy to adjust, feeling dislocated and lonely.
Bo is a Danish galley chef on the 'Nella Dan', a supply ship sailing regularly between Tasmania and Antarctica. He loves the rhythm of life at sea, is awed by the majesty of Antarctica, and takes pride in following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Bo and Isla meet when Bo becomes Isla's mother's lover over a period of 18 months or so during his periods ashore and When The Night Comes explores their brief connection, in amongst a series of life changing events.
Parrett is skilled at creating vivid scenes for the reader that also reverberate with emotion,
"...when I reach the top the view hits me with full force. the whole of the rich blue bay, still. perfect. Nella Dan there in her spot, reflecting red off the water. the Sky cloudless. Giant white cliffs running on and on, then out to the horizon, icebergs for as far as you can see. Icebergs lined up for all of time, blue and brilliant white taking up the whole scene. Every blue that there is - that exists. One million shades of blue - and white. The scale of it all measured against me, one man standing here. Just one man, small and breathless."
I have to admit at about a quarter of the way through the novel I actually wondered if I could finish the book, finding the often disjointed prose and repetitive phrasing irritating. However by the half way mark I'd finally settled into the dreamlike rhythm of the narrative and gained as appreciation for its unique tempo. I eliminated all distractions (i.e. sent the kids to bed) and began again, reading it straight through this time absorbed by the bitter chill, the moving water and the growing light.
When the Night Comes is a quietly powerful novel that demands all of the reader's attention, and rewards those that give it willingly.
September 12, 2014
This is a quiet and unassuming heart-breaker. Parrett's a minimalist, and the first half of the book is gentle and slow-moving, with narration from two perspectives - Bo, an assistant cook an Antarctic supply ship and Isla, an adolescent girl living in Hobart. Their lives intersect over the two seasons Bo spends docked in Hobart, and the story is told in a fragmented style, jumping backwards and forwards in time. The quiet lives of the two characters are set against beautifully described settings, be they the grey brick city of Hobart, the icy landscape of Antarctica or the claustrophobic but welcoming interior of the ship. The last section of the book is stunning, making the reader realise how much they've come to love the ship that Bo sails on (and the Isla adores) and how brief moments in lives can resonate across time and geography. It's surprisingly moving and an even better book than Parrett's earlier (and excellent) Past the Shallows.
March 30, 2015
This is the first novel I have read by this author but it won't be the last. This book was unlike anything I've read, in part because of the area that I knew little about. The character of Isla is so beautifully described I felt I could feel her emotions, sadness at her parents separation, then hope and excitement for a life lived in another land, isolation when they first set up household in a cold and gray house, then love and friendship when Bo enters her life.
The author writes in sparse poetic phrases that were wonderful to describe the cold gray city of Hobart and the description of the Nella Dan which was bright red and enlightened and brightened Isla's life.
This story of a mother, brother and sister is a must read for book clubs, there is so much to discuss. I would encourage readers to find out more about the Nella Dan which was a read ship.
The author writes in sparse poetic phrases that were wonderful to describe the cold gray city of Hobart and the description of the Nella Dan which was bright red and enlightened and brightened Isla's life.
This story of a mother, brother and sister is a must read for book clubs, there is so much to discuss. I would encourage readers to find out more about the Nella Dan which was a read ship.
February 23, 2020
A special little book. The broken isolation of two single patented children in grey bleak Hobart saved by the generosity of just one person to change a life. I loved the ice, sea and personality of the ship seen through Danish sailors eyes. Bo’s communication through cooking and the references to two of my favourite movies is wonderful.
July 1, 2017
This book was like walking through a dreamscape. There were haunting scenes of breath taking beauty on the ocean and soft tenderness between the characters. Although the narrative moves through time, it felt seamless as if the story was winding its way through strong currents. I loved Bo best of all. Five stars.
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