Salena GoddenBesprekingen

What is death? A better question would be, “Who is death?” Because in this novel death is a middle-aged black woman making her way in London, overlooked, unloved, and always, seemingly, present. Wolf has met her before, when he was just a child. But on that occasion she came for his mother. Amidst smoke and fire. As his mother was desperately trying to wake him up, screaming for him to run. To run! It sounds like the worst thing that could happen to a young boy, but maybe ending up with his mother’s parents was even worse. Of course eventually Mrs Death came for them too. Which was no bad thing. Wolf’s relationship with death or Death is unusual but it’s not as though any of us will be able to miss her when she comes for us.

Selena Godden creates a wonderfully sympathetic character in Wolf. But he is not merely a victim. He is also a poet and his view on life and death is singular. Do his conversations with Mrs Death take place solely within his own mind, or is she real? Both are true, perhaps. Mrs Death tells Wolf at least some of her story. The best bits being when she relates a specific death she has been party to, such as the tale of the 19th century temptress, Tilly Tuppence. Her tales and Wolf’s own progression to worsening mental health and eventual (possible) relief at writer’s retreat are interspersed with poems. These are mostly doggerel of a lyrical sort which you could imagine being set to music. It creates a bit of a hodgepodge. But a strangely compelling one.

It might not work for you. But then again, it just might.

Very gently recommended.

Very lyrical prose, and raw performance by the author herself. It's a very cathartic read. Also, very triggering. I had to take long breaks, and at times I wish it was over already. Do not read when you're depressed... Or maybe you should...

Among the many quotable quotes, I remember this (paraphrased): "life is s**t...might as well give a s**t"

The title and the blurb conned me into thinking that this might be my kind of read but actually this is just a creative writing exercise trying to fill 300 pages with blank paper and - even worse - poetry. The 'disclaimer' in the introduction promises that 'This book is short because life is short' and even though I did get through the experience in an afternoon, if I had known I was in for another Midnight Library lecture on being grateful for life and doing your bit to make the world less crappy, I could have saved myself even those few brief hours.

The pretentious wankerage sets in from the start, with Mrs Death - the (female) Grim Reaper who is sharing her life story with 'troubled young writer' Wolf through the conduit of a desk - ranting that 'Death is plastic, plastic is death' and 'Life shits life! Life is life everywhere'. What does that mean? No clue, but the author was obviously keeping a close eye on the word count, filling in with four letter padding where necessary: 'Like the last fuck before they shut down the machines, like the last fuck before they drop the fucking bomb. Fuck it.'

I was tentatively hopeful when the first chapter based on one of Mrs Death's cases, the first supposed victim of a transgender Jack the Ripper, captured my imagination but then the next contribution was written like verse/full of solidus/for no reason. There are full blown TED talks on the state of the world, shoehorned into the story under the pretext of a therapy session - 'So much death and war and destruction, famine and murder ... all caused by greed and destruction' - and constant motivational soundbites like 'see the death of the demanding chubby shit you were and the birth of the kind person you will become' and - of course - be (human) kind.

Mrs Death's resume reads like a rant on Twitter, ticking all of the right boxes - fires in tower blocks, the homeless, climate change, black lives matter. Wolf has mental health issues and childhood trauma, after his mother was killed in a fire and he was sent to live with his less than open-minded grandparents who didn't want a 'Biracial, Bisexual, Bigender and Bipolar' kid living with them. I think if the author had focussed on Wolf and his dual narrative, I would have been depressed, yes, but also impressed. Making Death a 'poor old black woman' cleaning hospital floors because 'only she that is invisible can do the work of Death' was also very clever. The poetry, polemic and weird 'Wear sunscreen' introduction, however, ruined the story I thought I was getting.

This book really was not my cup of tea, and I don't think being blamed for not being a 'hero' like David Bowie or NHS workers would lift my mood if I was grieving, but obviously there are people who will hashtag this onto a bestseller list somewhere and that's great for them and the author.

Mrs Death has shadowed her sister Miss Abundance from the start of Earth. Weary she has chosen a young poet to share her story. Wolfie is no stranger to death - father, mother, grandparents - yet through death discovers more about the ancestors as well. Death appears in many guises but is always a black woman and the stories are sad.
I found this a very disturbing book to read. It is magnificent in its strangeness! Interweaving black history, crime and mental illness, it take the reader on a wild journey where prose and poetry interweave. An odd review but the book defies categorisation, all I will say is that I am glad I've read it.

Death isn’t the grim reaper with his scythe and hooded cloak. Death is a black woman. Working class, easy to ignore, easy to step around or push aside. Wolf Willeford is no stranger to death. Their father disappeared and is believed to be dead. Their mother died when they were a child and so they are alone. Until Mrs Death comes into their lives and allows Wolf to see that they can live again rather than survive.

Wolf is gender neutral. They are a metaphor for grief and death, both of which effect everyone at some stage, regardless of gender. Mrs Death is depicted as she is because death is there, always in sight but invisible, waiting quietly (for the most part) in the wings until called.

The narrative is a stream of consciousness style that did take me a little time to get used to. The reader isn’t always aware of whether Mrs Death is really narrating her tale or if the whole book is Wolf sorting through their feelings of loss and suppressed grief. It is perhaps both.

Salena Godden is a poet and Mrs Death Misses Death is her debut novel. That poetry is abundant in the book, the cadence and flow of the story one which carries it and for me makes it. It is what appealed the most when I started to read the book and it kept me wanting to read.

There is inevitably much discussion of death, from accidental to intentional to slipping quietly away. There is a different take on a famous murderer, focussing instead on the first victim. There are moments where the reader will recognise their own thoughts and feelings on the finality and fragility of life. That Mrs Death will visit us all at some stage is the one certainty in life. It is how we prepare for her that counts.

There is commentary on accidental deaths, the ones where human error, which should have been obvious, occur when common sense goes out of the window. Murders are touched upon, tragic accidents, illnesses and suicide, the whole gamut of how life ceases to be is considered.

Whilst about death, Mrs Death Misses Death is not wallowing or morose. It is about appreciating that one day, at a time and place unknown to the majority of us, life will one day cease. It is about looking at how society and the individual views death, how even dying has altered over the centuries, how mourning and grief don’t follow a pattern or rules.

Don’t expect a linear story. Unlike life, which take a step forward each day towards death, Mrs Death is slightly chaotic, sometimes rambling, breathless and incomprehensible, much like death itself. There are tragic moments, to have a book devoted to death is highly unlikely not to be emotive. It does make the reader think about mortality, about the incessant and instinctual need to delay it, to delay aging, an attempt everyone knows is futile before they start. However it also makes the reader stop and think, to appreciate the here and now. To perhaps not take that selfie so close to the edge of the Grand Canyon or simply look at how their every day actions could enhance their lives and not bring it one step closer to the end.

This book won’t be for everyone. The style will be off-putting for some. The focus will be a difficult one for many. However, it is not a morbid book. By listening to Mrs Death, Wolf faces their own grief at the loss of their mother and father, allows them to address the anger they felt towards them, the guilt for surviving when they didn’t.

An interesting novel, one which will divide readers but will make those of us who reach the final page think.½

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden is a literary feat exploring the grave topic of death. Mrs Death is portrayed as an old poor black woman overlooked by those who pass her by never knowing she holds their very lives in her hands.

"Only she that is invisible can do the work of Death. And there is no person more silenced than the woman, talked over, walked over and ignored than the woman, the poor woman, the poor old woman, the poor old black woman, your servant bent over a mop, cleaning the floor of a hospital. Did you see me today? Did you walk past?" Page 201

The portrayal of Death as anyone but a man in a dark robe with a scythe wasn't a shock to me and I was easily able to visualise Death as an old black woman. In the movie adaptation of The Shack by William P. Young, actress Octavia Spencer played the role of God and her performance was sublime. Mrs Death's character brought to life by Salena Godden with an expert hand was equally sublime.

However, when we meet Mrs Death she's exhausted by her work and seems to be seeking solace. Wolf Willeford is a struggling writer and when he purchases an antique desk, his connection to Mrs Death is strengthened. Mrs Death talks with Wolf and he begins to transcribe her stories.

"Mrs Death walks with me there. She tells me the river is one of her oldest friends. She says the Thames is filled with ghosts and old spirits. The floor of the River Thames is littered with engagement rings and the bones of dead babies. We stand together on the shore; we grow cold in the black shadow of the ghosts of slave ships, the clatter of the traders, the unloading of stolen goods and treasure, coffee, sugar and human cargo. Shadows of souls and the clatter of bones." Page 52

Wolf also transcribes stories of particular deaths that have stuck with Mrs Death over time. The Moors murders and the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017 are just two examples. On other occasions, Mrs Death attempts to impart her knowledge of the world in a direct appeal to Wolf and all of humanity in her advice on how to live life.

"To die is to have been alive, that is why you must live: live free, live wild, live true and live love alive. Let the fire burn you and the light blind you. Let your belly get full and fat and embarrass you. Let your words fall out and tumble carelessly and honestly. Let your passions be unlimited. And do your lifetime all in your own life time. And let all your shits stink and all your roses bloom. May your every success be a threat. Fuck being scared and infected with fear and doubt. Own your rejections and own your failures; they are an excellent wall to smash and to kick against. Every morning may you rise to fight and to create yet again, this time with both fists, and not with one hand behind your back." Page 64-65

This quote comes from an epic chapter narrated by Mrs Death and the entire chapter is full of quote-worthy moments I wanted to share here. Speaking to all of humanity and of course directly to the reader, Mrs Death says:

"I am Mrs Death and I am coming for you all. Accepting me is the first step, after that it gets easier, I promise you. Knowing me, knowing this, knowing that, that this all ends, is the best knowing you need to know." Page 65

We even get a chapter from the perspective of the Desk belonging to Mrs Death. You might harbour grave concerns this couldn't work but I can assure you it does. On reflection, it was one of the most enjoyable chapters of the entire book. Here's why.

"I have recorded every inky scratch of quill, the tap of her typewriter, the whisper of pencil and the slash of her fountain pen. Splashes of ink, wine and time. Now just put your ear here, Wolf, rest your head on my surface, you'll hear all the ghosts of scribbling pens of dreams from before. Stroke your fingertips gently across my red skin, as though it is braille, you'll be able to trace the hard-pressed writing from before." Page 86

The writing is sensual and full of life, love, death and meaning. The format contains many character perspectives and straddles multiple genres including fantasy, short stories, true crime and poetry in an overall presentation that felt unique to this reader. Beautifully presented in a hardback edition with black and gold dust jacket and complementary gold end papers, Mrs Death Misses Death is published today and I'm dying to discus it with other readers. (Sorry, couldn't resist).

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden addresses our mortality head on and doesn't shy away from the ugly nature of life, love, suffering and loss as we know it. It's definitely a wake up call for readers and a reminder of the misery and wonder of humankind while offering a life-affirming and hopeful message.

Author Salena Godden took me with her on a literary exploration of the important themes in life including: love, loss, time and death and I know I'm the richer for it.

Highly recommended.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *