The Rest is Silence

"The Rest is Silence is a beautiful and Canadian tragedy that lingers in the mind long after the final page. I will remember this novel: where I was when I read it and how it made me feel so immediate; and I will read it again. ... The language is textured, almost poetry or music, like velvety moss on a rock. One could read it aloud and never stumble over a misplaced word. Sink into this book: it is a midnight skinny dip, a bonfire, a shooting star." -- Amy Andersen * Scene *
"The Rest is Silence is a thoughtful and considerate story, engaging and intriguing at every level. Scott Fotheringham's first novel is a gem — equal parts poetic meditation and page-turner. ... the novel has nice momentum and doesn't dwell. Fotheringham has the rare skill of great timing: he gives each episode in the novel just enough time before moving on, introducing a new angle. So, despite its luxurious style, the novel doesn't dwell or sulk — every page offers something new to add to the human study. ... The novel certainly has something to say about human abuse of the natural world, but the thesis is tucked into a compelling and endless exploration of relationships and affection, ambition and loss. Fotheringham doesn't preach, and he doesn't deflect: he simply allows the novel to be honest about not having any answer other than a kind of fraught plea that we try to love what we have and remember what we've lost." -- Amanda Tripp * Maple Tree Literary Supplement *
"The novel's precise, straightforward descriptive prose is very well suited to the narrator's experiences, conveying quiet contentment, beauty, and endurance. ... The Rest is Silence emphasizes overlap and connection between its themes, which makes its content more interesting and thought provoking. ... The Rest is Silence is a surprisingly moving read. ... beautiful, sad, refreshing and well worth reading." -- Joanna Graham * Winnipeg Review *
"The Rest is Silence is an interesting read, and it invites further study." * Canadian Literature *