Bear by Julia Phillips
Published by Hogarth
Publication date: June 25, 2024
Genres: Book Clubs, Fiction, Literary
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Small, character driven novels have not been good reading for me recently so I was surprised to be drawn into Bear. Somehow, author Julia Phillips makes the unexpected presence of a large bear in the lives of two downtrodden women magnetic. Elena and Sam are sisters living on an island off the Washington State coast. Bears are an unusual sight on the island, but the appearance of one is enough to change their lives in wholly unexpected ways.
Sam’s reminiscences of an idyllic childhood spent roaming the island are jarring in their juxtaposition to the banality of her life now, working the concessions stand on a ferry. Elena is a waitress at the local country club. The two pass their days locked into a routine of drudgery, caring for their chronically ill mother while facing the grind of medical bills, living expenses, prescriptions, all with no hope. As teens they dreamed of escaping together what was once their paradise, but as the years passed with their 30s approaching Sam feels she may be alone in wanting to get away.
The bear only serves to highlight the differences between them. What’s happening with it is expansive for Elena, but restrictive for Sam. It closes her off even more, making her look to the future as the only answer while Elena finds it comforting, a magical presence, helping her get through the day. This ultimately becomes a point of conflict, not just in the story, but in my ability to connect with either character. Elena is so pragmatic, dealing with finances, a mortgage, paying the bills, her mother’s medical care, all of it, and yet she becomes entranced by a bear to the point of acting dangerously foolish. It doesn’t add up. Sam, on the other hand, seems to have very little idea of reality at any time. That she could be in her late 20s and have no grasp of money and what a chronic long-term illness costs is unreal in and of itself.
Unfortunately, as events accelerate these dichotomies create cracks in the novel that weaken the structure past the point of saving. Phillips’ writing gives Bear an ethereal, almost hypnotic effect; her descriptive powers in relating the impact of coming in contact with something so unfamiliar and potentially dangerous are remarkable. But the action progresses in ways that felt contrived and implausible, making enjoyment or understanding of the final chapters impossible. Bear left me conflicted and not in a good way.
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*I received a free copy of this book from Hogarth in exchange for an honest review.*
I, too, was disappointed in this novel in the same way you were. Elena’s interaction with the bear did not fit her character at all. I often found Sam annoying and irritating. I LOVED Phillips first novel which gave me high hopes for her second. But if fell short. Still, Phillips is a good writer and she built up the suspense quite powerfully towards the end of this story but it just did not come all together as a great story.
Yes! I loved the writing, but disliked the story and the turn it took. She has some wonderful word play in her writing.