North Woods tells the story of a plot of land over centuries and its inhabitants. Ranging from spinster twin sisters, to beetles, to a painter, to many more.

You can argue that this book is just a collection of short nature stories that are all connected by this plot of land / cabin in the middle of the woods - you wouldn’t be wrong. Some stories were more catching to me than others, but they all still held my attention.

I ended up listening to this as an audiobook and first off - I had to move the speed up to 1.75 because of how slow the reading was. The prose were absolutely great and beautiful in the story, just so many words. This really makes it seem that I don’t like it, but I totally did, I just needed it sped read.

This novel has stories told through letters, journal entries, historical records, a true crime magazine, and poetry that showcase human’s beautiful connection with nature that involve forbidden love, enslavement, insecurity, mental health, and climate change.

Overall, this is a beautifully written novel filled with stories that will possibly make you think about your childhood home, or of the older buildings and houses around you, and all that they have witnessed. Those who love literary fiction with historical fiction will fall in love with this.

*Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A beautiful book, told in a collage of styles and across a sprawling timeline, that creates a panoramic portrait of a landscape and the people (and plants and animals) who live on it. Daniel Mason is a skillful writer and researcher—the historical voices never sound stilted or overwrought (unlike THE VASTER WILDS, which is similar in aim and genre and much worse in execution.)

I enjoyed the formal experimentation, especially in contrast to his former book, THE WINTER SOLDIER, which was much more straightforwardly historical fiction. As an eBook, I found that I stalled out a little between the sections and forgot where I was, but I assume a real paper book would solve most of my complaints pacing-wise.

The form very much reminded me of Jenny Erpenbeck's VISITATION, that focuses on different generations living in a house throughout 19th and 20th century German history, and also George Saunder's LINCOLN IN THE BARDO.

Another winner from Mason. Years ago we discussed his first novel The Piano Tuner in book group and I’ve looked forward to his novels ever since. North Woods is set in the north woods of Massachusetts and follows the residents of a house from Puritan times past today and into the future. Themes of history, environment, nature, hope weave through Mason’s wonderful storytelling. The language is beautiful and the text using a number of literary forms - prose, poetry, songs, letters, lectures and visual arts.

This was a challenging read but I'm glad I stuck with it. Loved the different perspectives. The prose was stark but every word felt like it mattered.

I absolutely loved this highly unusual story. It's the story of America found, lost, remade, destroyed, rebuilt, and on and on. I really liked each and every character who found himself or herself in the North Woods. As the timeline grew, I was sad to let each storyline and its characters shift from one to the next, although I quickly became involved with the next - this novel's originality shimmers. Unforgettable, and it's going to be a reread for me at some point. Plus, it makes you crave a truly deliciously crisp apple.

I was captivated by this beautifully crafted story of a patch of land and its morphing house over the centuries in Western Massachusetts. Mason does a masterful job capturing this quirky and endearing cast of characters with much wit and pathos along the way. This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’m sorry it ended.

I really loved this book and especially the idea of it. The story of one house and its inhabitants over hundreds of years. Some stories more compelling than others but I loved it when they'd overlap a little. Many charming elements. Loved the ending and loved seeing the house reclaimed by nature. I want to read it again knowing all I know now.

This is a book like none other. It's about a house in western Massachusetts built within the woods. The woods are the common element in the story, and the characters come and go as the story spans several hundred years. The stories vary from funny to fascinating to macabre. The individual storylines are captivating and addictive. The writing is lush, and each character's eyes describe the woods in great detail. You can feel the breeze and taste the apples. The story is told with narrative, poems, almanac entries, and illustrations. Not all storylines are tied up nicely before moving on. I like to be left guessing. I am amazed at the author's ingenuity in writing this novel.

When I read that the structure of North Woods was a collection of interconnected short stories, I knew I wanted to read it. That structure is like bookish catnip for me. But Daniel Mason sets his novel apart from the usual by focusing not on family across generations or multiple characters in the same town, as is the norm, but on one particular piece of land in western Massachusetts throughout the centuries. Not only is the novel fantastically written, with descriptive nature writing and well-drawn characters, it is sharp and funny to boot. Mason trusts his reader to pick up on the "Easter egg" callbacks to previous stories, and making those connections as a reader is delightful as a result. This novel will stick with me for a long time, and may end up on my top ten of the year.

Thanks to the publisher at NetGalley for the ARC.

A beautifully written book following the inhabitants of a house in the Northeast over the course of centuries. The cast of characters is vast and the writing style reflects this. Mason does a magnificent job of crafting his writing to the character, which is a style I have not encountered before. The descriptions of nature and the beauty of it were top notch. Excellent read.

North Woods is the location version of an intergenerational story. Instead of following one family through years, this story followed a cabin/hunting lodge over the years: how it changed from a hiding ground to apple orchard to hunting ground to murder scene to simply a house.

I believe that places have their own memories too and these memories impact what comes after. If you know that the new place you bought was once an apple orchard, your reaction would be different than it being a murder scene. What if it is t both and many more? What if you find bits of each past life in your land and house?

I'm curious of what's happening in places that I have once been. Houses, dorm rooms, classes, offices... I'm curious if people experience similar things to me. Are the places that I thought to be a sad and dark, do others find light in them? North Woods is a good response to those questions I have.

Excellent writing however I was not a fan of many of the characters. The words were a joy to read and so many do love the book. I am the unusual outlier as a reader of this novel.

4.5⭐️

North Woods by Daniel Mason is a beautifully written novel. Spanning centuries, the narrative tells us the stories of those who inhabit a home deep in the woods of Western Massachusetts. Through these stories, we explore not only the history of the land, the people and animals but also how the concept of home and shelter evolve over time and the precious bond human beings have with nature. Forbidden love, enslavement, belongingness and insecurity, rivalry, mental health, climate change and survival are only a few of the themes that are deftly woven into the fluid narrative.

The strength of this novel is the writing and the vivid imagery that transports you to the "north woods”. The landscape changes over time, stories begin and end and generations of people come and go, leaving an imprint on the land – a legacy of joy, sorrow, loneliness, tragedy and renewal. Told through letters, journal entries, historical records, an article from a true crime magazine and poetry, this is a story that must be read with time and patience. Overall, Daniel Mason’s North Woods is an immersive experience that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Random House and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on September 19, 2023.

An absolutely superb exploration of a place and its history. Mason excellently maneuvers the reader through the course of the book, and through centuries of time. Love and pain are constant companions on the voyage, and never surprise or disappoint. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I love the conceit of this novel of interlocking short stories: the book tells of the inhabitants of one specific house in Western Massachusetts, from the Puritan era and then over the course of many centuries. We meet a pair of Puritan lovers, a soldier-turned-farmer determined to grow the best apples of the world, spinster sisters whose ghosts come to haunt the property, a pair of doomed lovers, a participant in a prison pen pal program, a panther. This didn't have the emotional resonance I find in my favorite novels, but there is much to admire in what I can only call a very good book: the ingenious looping and overlapping of some of the stories, the strong epistolary components throughout, the emotional pull of some of the threads.

Two people build a cabin in the woods to get away from their colony. Little do they know how history will wind its way through the cabin and the people that follow them. In this tale, history lives through the ages and this book tells the tale of a few of them.

A story about a specific location and house and the occurrences over a few centuries. Interesting premise for a book. This was not the easiest book to read and I had to force myself to stay with it. I’m glad I did. The story all came together by the end.

Mason's playful, imaginative fifth work of fiction crosses centuries and genres to tell the history of one patch of forested Western Massachusetts land and its inhabitants. Rather like in a linked short story collection, each chapter is set at a different time and interspersed with documents such as almanac pages, historical reports, journals, letters, photographs, and songs. The style shifts to suit the period and mimic a certain literary genre. While I admired the novel's sweep and ambitious blend of forms, I felt limited emotional commitment. The historical pastiches of the early chapters, though convincing, are rather dull, making for a slow start. There is then insufficient time with certain players. I was most engaged with the story of the S. family, followed by Teale and the Osgood sisters. (Full review at BookBrowse.)

A terrific read. Daniel Mason is incredible at his craft. I recommend this book at our store for the person whose looking for, lack of a better word, a good read. Mason is very descriptive in his writing, so if that's not your thing I wouldn't recommend this title, but I would highly recommend giving him a chance. I've got so many little movies in my head from scenes he's written. He wrote one scene: a man picking an apple in the tangled woods, and I think about it daily. I cannot stop recommending this title.
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One house, multiple lives. Old puritan New England and onward. It reads like a fairy tale with seperate but all connected narratives. Mason uses such specific language to describe the land and seasons that he makes you feel like you're there with the characters. At times this book may ask you to work a little harder but in the end it is such a rewarding read.

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A top book of 2023. Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing for coming together and sharing this title with readers.

North Woods was a fantastic read. I loved the story being told over the centuries and how the house was steadfast. It is a wonderful read for fall.