Following on from her wonderful Fugitive Pieces, Michaels again brings her poetic style to play on a tale of four generations of the one family.
On a singular level, the writing in Held is beautiful, with many passages taking the breath away., What didn't work for this reader was the ambiguity of the narrative, which didn't successfully gel, leaving this a series of beautifully written fragments which didn't form a cohesive whole

I wanted to enjoy Held more than I did. The story opens in 1917 with wounded soldier, John, lying on the ground as memories from his life flood in. The novel feels more like a set of interlinked stories, musing on trauma, grief and love, rather than a novel. I found the poetic, fragmentary nature of the style interesting, but ultimately not as engaging as I would have liked.

I really wanted to love this one and initially I did. The writing was gorgeous, I can’t deny that. However, I really struggled with the constant time jumps. It was hard to feel connected to John when I couldn’t figure out what timeline we were in, or what was real or a dream. There was mystery and intrigue and passion clearly present in the book, but the method of delivery felt confusing and jarring.

Like a lot of other readers, I think, I found this novel to be both beautiful and enigmatic. The prose was exquisite and moving but ,at times, I found the plot, and the timeline hard to follow. But i have a suspicion that I will read this again and will be richly rewarded. Thoughtful and complex . Thank you to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This was a moving and thoughtful book, where language and its limits feel pushed, and we observe the failings of memory or of language to talk about some experiences.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The novel Held spans four generations. It is set during and in the aftermath of World War 1. It explores war, its effects and how difficult it is to escape its effects. It is unforgettable and deeply emotional.

I read the first part of this book the wrong way: 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. But it demands quiet, patience, attention and room for contemplation. Once I started giving that, it worked - most of the time.

It is a contemplative, poetic work with loosely connected stories from the early 20th century to the present day about all those feelings that are under the surface. Desire especially, in all its forms, but also loss and grief, longing and memories.

One has to be in the mood and willing to go along. Sometimes I was and it was beautiful, sometimes I wasn't and got annoyed.

3,5

Poetically written philosophy, aphorisms, metaphysical musings rather than a novel

I have mixed feelings about Held. I remember deeply responding to Fugitive Pieces, which is why I wanted to read this. If Michaels had written this AS philosophy, or a series of statements holding oppositions, mirror images, inviting deep reflection and feeling, almost like koans, I would have rated it higher.

The challenge is that the novel, if it includes protagonists with past, present, and perhaps future, implies a degree of narrative drive, a sense of page turning progression, a desire by the reader to know more of character, and for the characters to develop, deepen and journey in some way as life happens to them, and they engage and have story.

Alas, character and story are thin here, overburdened with the beautiful turned round statements which demand the reader put down the book – perhaps for days, and ponder.

“Is it belief that leads us to perceive an order, or order that persuades us”
“Everything listens when you sing, she thought, everything sings when you listen”
“Force always exists, whether two animate or inanimate things hold each other, or something animate holds something without will or desire”

By which time, on a return to the book, this faintly drawn character, these mentioned people, these friend’s daughters, partners, grandparents, are, whom??

The book is a series of jumping forwards vignettes, some with new characters, some with others met before, but character seems to be more of a vehicle for philosophical or metaphysical ideas to be expressed than much else.

This book reminded me in terms of its ‘what is it about’ ‘what is it’ more of John Fowles’ collection of philosophical, societal, aphorisms and reflective musings, The Aristos, than of any novel. The Aristos was a perfectly constructed book which contained some of what he explored in some of his novels, but he did not try to wrap round these debates into the novel form, Had he done so, I think I would have appreciated THAT book less deeply than I did. Just as I would have appreciated THIS book more had the novel-and-character and the metaphysicals not been entwined in a way which didn’t quite meet the best needs of either, for me.

I loved "Fugitive Pieces" which to my mind would be a fitting title for this book as the "pieces" in this non linear book kept on escaping me.

You feel like it would be better cutting up the book and then reordering it chronologically or "mindmapping" it in some way to see the links between the different plots and characters.

There were underlying themes of war, displacement, friendship and love , but sometimes the structure overwhelmed me and I didn't feel "held" . There are other books with similar structures which didn't have the same effect eg Daniel Mason "North Woods", so it's maybe not inherently the structure itself, but how it is "managed" by the author.

I did however love the lyricism of the style- there's no doubt that Michaels can distil thoughts into a few carefully chosen words.

Maybe one to return to in the future ?

The book (I'm not sure whether to refer to it as story) begins on the battlefields of WW1 where a soldier, John, lies injured, with his thoughts drifting back to childhood, to his first meeting with his lover, to times since then spent with her. Three years later, he's home, reunited with Helena, trying to pick up the life that was interrupted by war, but still carrying the physical and mental scars of battle, and still searching for that place and time when he felt 'held' and surrounded by love.

At this point it feels like the story might follow their life - but it doesn't. There's no linear plot, not even an overall story arc or a darting backwards and forwards to reveal something buried in the past. Instead the book is comprised of vignettes capturing a moment in time, highlighting important moments in the lives of John's family over four generations,with a linking theme of their search for that feeling of love and safety.

Overall I found this an odd book, maybe because I was expecting something more straightforward. The writing is beautiful and poetic, but the flitting from one generation to the next is confusing at first, and takes some getting used to. Having finished the book and being able to see it as a whole, I feel I can appreciate it more, and would like to reread it.

A memorable book, though somewhat difficult to tackle if used to more conventional narrative plots, as this is made up of short snippets capturing impressions in multiple lives at different times. Worth persevering with, though; just let the scintillating prose wash over you.

Benefits from being read in a single sitting, so as not to break the spell; and is short enough to do som

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a possible review.

Anne Michaels is a lyrical, poetic writer and her meandering style is not particularly to my taste. This was a book I appreciated rather than enjoyed. I can see its merit but didn’t find it an easy read. It begins in 1917 with conscripted soldier John lying badly injured on a WWI battlefield, thinking about his past and immersing himself in his memories. The book then goes backwards and forwards in time and place, from 1902 to 2025, and from France to England and further afield. Its subject is memory, trauma, grief, love and war, a short poignant novel, a series of snapshots rather than a cohesive narrative. Its fragmentary style, whilst effective in many ways, actually left me distant from the characters. Not really for me, this one.

Book Review...


This is a book which demands your full attention and richly rewards you for it.

It begins in 1917 with a man injured on the battlefields of France. In 1920 he is home, broken and trying to rebuild his life. For the next hundred or so years we move through and between spaces in time visiting the generations to come examining moments of connection.

Each story is loosely connected and fragmentary. Every page throws up snippets of wisdom and the most striking imagery. The language is lush. I found it deeply moving and wanted to remember it in as much detail as possible. It's certainly one to savour. I loved it.

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Packed full of hauntingly beautiful prose, this book is a delight to get lost in. Delicately drawn accounts of lives that are linked and themes that underlie the different experiences of the characters over a very long time period. From the WW1 veteran haunted by ghosts to the contemporary aid worker making one last trip, the experiences are deeply felt and delicately conveyed. Just go with the language and enjoy the author's skill in evoking such a range of emotions.

If poetic, atmospheric writing is of paramount importance to you, and the lack of a story doesn’t bother you, you might just love Held by Anne Michaels. I, unfortunately, did not.

In a “story” (I use that word in the loosest possible sense) spanning four generations (probably of the same family - though this isn’t abundantly clear), award-winning poet and writer Michaels delves into life, love, death, science, war, grief, the evanescence of time and the mysteries of the universe. All of it is shrouded in mystery and vagueness, with beautifully descriptive language that while haunting, was devoid of emotion for me. The choppy, fragmented narrative didn’t help.

It’s a relatively short book at just over 200 pages but I knew not after I started it that I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Definitely a case of- it’s not you book, it’s me. Lots will love this but it wasn’t for me. It will probably make the Booker! 2/5 ⭐️

*Many thanks to the author and publisher @bloomsburypublishing for the arc via @netgalley. Held was published this month. As always, this is an honest review.*

The first part of the book about the soldier who lies dying, and remembers seeing ghosts in his photographs, was beautifully written, and haunting. However, like some of the other reviewers, I found the more modern story too confusing, and, perhaps experimental. It strikes me as one of those novels in which the writing is more important than the story.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781526659118
PRICE £16.99 (GBP)
PAGES 240

I finished reading Held nearly two weeks ago but have been struggling to write a review of this beautifully poetic but enigmatic book. I say enigmatic because characters’ thoughts often move imperceptibly between past and present. This is particularly the case in the first section of the book.

The book’s title is reflected in numerous ways: the physical act of being held, of being held in another’s memory or the force that holds two things together, such as an apple clutched in a hand. There are scenes of tenderness and intimacy, many of which are incredibly moving. One in particular, in which a woman lies in a bath cradling her dying husband, moved me to tears.

Objects, clothing or traditional customs provide connections between one generation and the next. Photography is a recurring motif. And there is subtle use of repetition with little details that bring to mind previous scenes. For example, a character remembering another person’s gestures – ‘how you held a glass, or a pen, or a fork and knife’ – or habits – ‘whether you opened and read a magazine from the front cover or the back’ – as a way of bringing them back to life, as it were. Or as evidence of intimate knowledge of another person. ‘Her small ways known only to him. That she matched her socks to her scarf even when no one could see them in her boots. That she kept beside the bed, superstitiously unfinished, the novel she had been reading the day they understood they would always be together… The boiled sweet tin she kept her foreign change in.’

Held‘s fluid narrative structure may not be to every reader’s taste but the beauty of the language (unsurprising perhaps given the author is a poet) makes it a rewarding read. Just go with the flow is my advice, as if listening to a piece of classical music that has moments of intensity interspersed with stillness.

If you love language and beautiful prose, then this is for you. Beginning with an injured soldier on a battlefield in France so begins a journey of fragmented moments and memories throughout several generations. It’s quietly beautiful in many ways, and I loved the idea of these many lives, connected yet disparate, all existing but with all these hidden moments. It reminded me very much of how when I’m doing family history research I know these salient points but I’m left to piece together the in between.
However, despite the positives it did lack an emotional catch for me, it felt a little too fragmented and bitty and I struggled to make an emotional connection.

I think I read this book too quickly to fully appreciate it. It had moments of stunning prose and profound emotion but overall I found the way it jumped perspectives and time periods off putting.

I was banned from reading this book by my daughter, who found me sobbing so hard I couldn't stop. Despite her strong words on the subject, I carried on reading, because as I told her, this book is so beautiful it hurts my heart.

Michaels is both a poet and a novelist. In short fragments she explores how humans hold on to memories of what is lost, especially as a result of war. Parts of it will always remain with me - the tiny imperfection made in knitting acting as signature and a way of returning dead sailors to their family; a daughter wearing her father's newly mended cap knowing he never saw the repair; men waiting in the darkness for a woman's return. Whilst, I wasn't sure her last few chapters were as strong as the rest of the novel, Michaels somehow manages to ensure the reader feels the emotions of love and loss she writes about, and while it hurt my heart, I was happy for it to do it!