I don’t know how to review this. I knew it was a short story but dang, I blinked and it was over. It’s a short, Christian Christmas story. Clarke writes beautifully and with meaning, but it was too short for me to have an opinion on it, to be honest.

The little surprise at the end (an afterword about Piranesi) was a 10/10 to read.

If you're looking for a short, sweet and slightly eerie read set in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell, look no further. This reads like one of the extended footnotes from that book but is a complete fairy story or saint tale in it's own right. It's lovely and cold. The perfect read in one sitting choice for a winter night.

Thanks to NetGalley UK and Bloomsbury UK Audio for the Audio ARC!

As a recent first-time reader of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I was very interested to learn of Susanna Clarke's new book. And especially intrigued by how totally different it obviously was: from outward appearances, more of a bedtime story than a magnum opus. However, The Wood at Midwinter quickly showed itself to be just as magical as Messrs Strange & Norrell, and just as sharply mysterious as Piranesi, to boot. A must read for any fan of magical literature.

While I enjoy Susanna's Clarke, I'm somewhat saddened to say I was not impressed by this short story. Felt a bit stiff, a bit abrupt.. Maybe I just think that author excels at novels?
I don't know, but it wasn't for me at all unfortunately.

This is the story of Meredis- an otherworldly soul who finds it hard to fully connect with people ; however she has unique skills - she can communicate with the natural world : trees and animals .

She finds a close empathy in all living beasts but one winter’s night whilst walking in the woods with Apple her pig and her dogs, she encounters a mysterious blackbird and a cautionary fox.

Meredis is drawn towards a strange pathway and is warned of communicating with the sight before her.

Susanna Clarke has created a wonderful winter fable that has shades of beauty and hunts of darkness.

The audio book read by Susanna Clarke allows the listener to enter her creativity more vividly and the afterword where she explains how she created the story and the influence of the music of Kate Bush upon her writing adds even more understanding and depth - the magical surrealism echoes storytelling of the past form many cultures

A one sit winter’s evening read or listen with a glass of wine or port and a fireside and candles to accompany.

Mesmerising and beguiling ; haunting and magical

I am having a really hard time understanding the story. Even with the afterword by the author (which I kind of enjoyed more than the story itself) there are still many unanswered questions.
I did enjoy the music accompanying the recording, it made the story feel more christmasy and helped set the atmosphere. However, the story itself felt somewhat pointless and the ending was so underwhelming. It might just be me and maybe I just did not get it. I liked the tone and the narrative style and also the different (animal) characters. It's basically just the plot that I found lacking.

A twist on the Christmas story, as it might have happened in the universe of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. This is a whimsical short story that reminds me very much of the kind of tale I might have read in a book of English fairy tales when I was little. Merowdis is an unusual woman- her sister calls her a saint - who goes into a wood with her dogs and a pig, and has a spiritual experience. The animals provide humorous commentary and advice. The audiobook has beautiful music to accompany the reading. It’s strange, unsettling, and very wintery.

Considering that this book is a fairy tale and that the paper version has illustrations, I have to say that perhaps the book would have been better than the audiobook. The music remains very beautiful however, and this tale read by the author herself certainly makes an impression. Very Christmassy.

Considerato che questo libro é una favola e che la versione cartacea ha i disegni, devo dire che forse sarebbe stato meglio il libro rispetto all'audiolibro. La musica resta molto bella comunque e questo racconto letto dalla stessa autrice fa certamente un certo effetto. Molto natalizio.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

A magical Christmas story about a girl who prefers the company of animals and nature in general to people. Beautifully written in Susanna Clarke's trademark style, there's a pinch of supernatural, naivety and humility. The audio version is read by the author which makes this a special little book, and her afterword is a perfect complement to the story.

I always love it when an author narrates their own work for an audiobook, as you know that all the nuance and depth will be correctly expressed, and such is the case with this wintry short story from Susanna Clarke, and with the added bonus of an Afterword from her, talking about her inspiration for the tale. I enjoyed Jonathan Strange some years back, and I found the cover of this book attractive, so I wanted to know more! Like other reviewers, my only complaint is that it was over too soon for me!

It's a short tale set in winter long past about a 19yr old girl, Merowdis, who is more at home in the forest with her dogs and pig than she is with her family, but what she yearns for most is a child of her own. She can speak to her animals and the trees, and her sister calls her a saint because she sees visions and sees no difference between animals, trees and people. But her parents are just bewildered by her, so her time in the forest is precious to her, and even the absence of her favourite sibling, Isolde, is a weight off for her, even as she's grateful to her sister for arranging for her visits with a small deception, for their parents would disapprove of a girl or alone, as:

"A woman alone was in danger, from all sorts of predatory creatures, bears, wolves...men." How true.

Whilst in the forest Merowdis brings her yearning for a child to the trees, and in return is granted a vision, one which her pets try to avoid her seeing, but she looks anyway, and she sees her future, and what it will cost her. But that matters not to her, and she is triumphant.

The closing of the tale describes a painting of Merowdis and her child, and I don't know if it is true that the painting exists, perhaps inspiring the author, or whether it is just another part of this magical tale. And I'm kind of reluctant to Google it, because I think it's important in the dark times in which we live, to leave a chink of space open for the possibility for wonder and belief.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This really is a short story, I felt it had only just begun and we were at the end.
A sign of good writing, that I'm wanting more.
Always good to be read by the author.
An atmospheric read, that's perfect for the colder winter months.

I found the story itself to be too onirical an experience to say whether I liked it or not. in the end I think it is very forgettable. Like many other readers, I appreciated the afterword much more than the story. I enjoyed the author's narration much more, which managed to give the story just the right feel. I also really appreciated the presence of the sounds of the animals and the forest, which created the perfect atmosphere.

3.5 stars.

Another beautiful and poetic story from Susanna Clarke. "The Wood at Midwinter" is set around Christmas time in the same universe as Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. As with everything Clarke writes, this short story is atmospheric, perfectly crafted, and incredibly beautiful. The story follows Merowdis Scott, who can speak with animals and the forest. Her love for all living things is so vividly described that it brought tears to my eyes. I love how this short story manages to tell the tale of a saint, set a midwinter atmosphere, and beautifully intertwine the spirit of Christmas all at once.

I listened to it on audiobook, and although I am not usually a fan of music and sound effects in my audiobooks, they worked wonderfully in this one, helping to set the atmosphere. The afterword by Susanna Clarke was a pleasure to listen to and helped me understand the storyline a little better. I liked everything about this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a Christmas story without any materialistic approach—just the true Christmas spirit of love, compassion, and sharing.

There is something magical about woods in winter and I was really looking forward to listening to this on a cold winter morning, after NetGalley kindly allowed me to listen to it.

I felt an affinity with Merowdis and her love for nature and her animals and I could picture the scenes easily. This is set in the same universe as Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which I haven’t read, and although I originally thought this would be a fantasy story in its own right, in all honesty I’m not sure I fully understood it all and was left wanting more.

As I listened to the audio version, I didn’t get to see the illustrations that were available in the written version. I did enjoy the narration but overall it was just so short!

Interesting afterword about snow and Kate Bush, which provided another dimension to what I’d just listened to.

3.5 ⭐️

A quirky wee story

This was a fun listen, I loved the animals! I was left wondering but the afterword did help my understanding, I just wish it was longer!

The sound effects like the jingle bells made it feel Christmassy.

I loved the fact the MC is based on an autistic family member of the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced audio 🥰

I was kindly approved to listen to The Wood at Midwinter on Netgalley today and I honestly was so excited. I wish it could have been longer or as part of a series of folklore type read. I also wish I had read it as I believe it’s beautifully illustrated. It’s an extremely short listen, just over 20 minutes so I feel like the added illustration would have made a huge impact on the tale. Overall though a perfect midwinter palate cleanser!

"The Wood at Midwinter" by Susanna Clarke is a short story narrated by the author herself.
Thanks to the way in which it is recorded, this is perfect for a nighttime story.

Gorgeous.
Love Susanna Clark and this is the perfect winter bedtime story.
Sumptuous, folky and read beautiful with musical accompaniment.

I am such a big fan of Piranesi (and probably will be of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell) that the moment that I saw this book I wanted to read it. The Wood at Midwinter is a fairytale, a short story that the audiobook elevates with the sound production put into it. The vibe is so mysterious, so atmospheric, with leaves falling, animals and other things talking with Merowdis. I loved it, it is a perfect story to read near Christmas.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for this advanced copy.

The Wood at Midwinter is a short story about a young woman who loves animals and has her life changed by a vision brought by a stranger. Given the length the description for this book tells you the whole plot just about so there’s not much more to say.

This book is a cute idea but that’s kind of where it ends. It doesn’t have the whimsy and magic of other Susanna Clarke books so I was a little disappointed by that, I just had higher expectations. It’s not a bad short story but I don’t think it’s good enough to be published on its own, I would’ve liked to see it published in a collection of short stories.

The atmosphere is great and the writing is very concise. I did really like the audiobook narration. I love when an author narrates their own books so that was a pleasant surprise.