This is one of Barbara Coymns’ later novels. It is based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm of the same name; you know then that this isn’t going to be an easy read. The plot is very similar until about the last quarter of the book. Comyns reinterprets the ending in a more feminist way; to say more about that would give too much away. Comyns weaves the fairy tale into a normal domestic life in a very subtle way. Bella is estranged from her mother, has a scar on her face courtesy of the idiocy of a previous boyfriend who was very controlling and has a child as a result of a one night stand. The father we never meet, but his ethnic origin comes into play several times in the book at telling moments which act as turning points. From the first paragraph the fairy tale element is very much to the fore:“I noticed a beautiful fair woman standing in the courtyard outside her house like a statue, standing there so still. As I drew nearer I saw that her hands were moving. She was paring an apple out there in the snow and as I passed, looking at her out of the sides of my eyes, the knife slipped, and suddenly there was blood on the snow. She turned and went into her house before I could offer to help”Bella gets to know the woman, Gertrude and her husband Bernard and becomes part of their circle of friends, almost family. The Juniper Tree is in the garden and plays an important role, as do the magpies that nest within. Revolving around the main characters are a whole variety of others creating a tension of nationality, gender and even class all contained in what appears to be a gentle slow-paced story narrated by Bella. Yet there is an almost imperceptible undercurrent which builds. Like the fairy tale it is macabre and disturbing. It is beautifully written and quite unexpectedly good. I’ve had it on my bookshelves for years and I should have read it sooner. It explores the nature of friendship, single parenthood, mental health (and its treatment) and many of the sinister undercurrents of human interactions. It’s all centred around a musty antiques and bric-a-brac shop with lots of cups of tea and walks in the park. Very English, but with a real edge and fairy tale quality.4.5 stars
From the very first paragraph where the woman cuts herself peeling an apple and her blood gets in the snow you know this is going to be a bit unsettling, quaint and charming for sure but with that underlying unease and violence. Barbara Comyns writes beautifully - lovely clean sentences with these little unexpected, uncanny touches that make you think 'fuck yeah comyns' ('Mary took off her soiled white raincoat, which reminded me of a dirty candle, and we sat together in the back room drinking tea.')The Juniper Tree is a sad little tale, a fable, the mundane and the dreamlike both together, with some real horror too, but i also found it quite comforting, with that bedtime story thing which feels like someone stroking your hair and calling you mama's pretty boy.
