The reviewer finds 'Three Miles Up' by Elizabeth Jane Howard to be a haunting and fresh ghost story, appreciating its canal ambiance and well-characterized characters. The story's eerie atmosphere and exploration of emotional themes leave a lasting impression.
The reviewer has a deep appreciation for 'Three Miles Up' by Elizabeth Jane Howard, noting its authentic canal setting and well-developed characters. The story follows two men and a young woman named Sharon as they navigate a mysterious canal, encountering ghostly phenomena and a shifting landscape. The reviewer highlights the story's eerie atmosphere, comparing it to works by Le Fanu and Hodgson, and praises its exploration of emotional themes and the search for the unknown. The haunting quality of the story is emphasized, suggesting it will stay with the reader long after finishing.
Quick quotes
The story of two men who argue with the frustrations such travelling entails, as well as its slow motion chugging pleasures, two men who are well-characterised and individual, finding it hard with all the coping and catering, and they somehow pick up a chance young female as a foundling called Sharon who helps them by being allowed to travel with them, affecting them differently in emotional terms with gender issues (“‘She is what women ought to be,’ he concluded with sudden pleasure; and slept.”)
This work itself is a special byway of literature that we all need to explore at least once. Trees and banks becoming heavy and black. A little white mist hanging over the canal. Black huddles of would-be cottages.
The search for the ultimate winding-hole, I guess.