Fourth Island
A corpse washes up on the shore of Inis Mór, one of the three Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland. The islanders know that the dead man is not from the mainland (too far) nor from the islands—his sweater has a pattern unknown to them. The truth will surprise the residents of Inis Mór: the man is from the fourth island, Inis Caillte, a mysterious place where lost souls appear. The first lost soul we see retrieved by Inis Caillte is Jim Conneely, a curmudgeon from Inis Mór who becomes a new man on Inis Caillte. Dirty Nellie, Inis Mór’s whore, arrives at Inis Caillte when the pain in her belly becomes unbearable. The story moves from Inis Mor to Inis Caillte and back, following various characters.
This short novel is more poetry than story. If there is a plot, it isn’t particularly evident or suspenseful. We get a glimpse of the souls of characters, but no deep character development. The island/ocean setting is brought to life, but the fantasy one is confusing and possibly even contradictory. The date is 1840, but little historical detail is included. Readers seeking a historical novel of Ireland will be disappointed.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this reading experience, like a slow, peaceful float. It brought forth my curiosity in the way I wonder at cloud-shapes. Tolmie’s explorations of despair, deafness, the earth, and the sea are remarkable. As in a poem, the reader could try to puzzle out what things mean, if they mean anything at all, or merely ride the seafoam surface of the story. Recommended for those interested in a different reading experience.
