The Waters

. . . the result is beautifully crafted and compelling, like holding up a prism and seeing the many ways the light refracts. . . . it is this place of pine forests, the sound of the surf, the smell of sea lettuce, the estuary, brown and sluggish, that permeates these chapters. Like Winton’s Western Australia, the all-pervasive sun and wild arc of the beach form a memorable and convincing stage for the failed dreams, the drunkenness, the camaraderie and the casual violence – barely mentioned but never forgotten – under the big uncaring sky.

Sally Blundell, Newsroom

Carl Nixon’s fifth novel, The Waters, is true to his roots as a short-story writer: . . this is less a typical novel following the story of the Waters, a troubled family from near Christchurch, and more a collection of Waters-adjacent short stories that jump between characters, points of view and decades to build this dark family drama from the outside in. . . . Pat’s drinking and Marika’s mental health spiral out of control, creating a ripple effect across the decades on the lives of each child’s life, partners, their own children, colleagues –anyone, really, that knows or encounters them. Nixon’s special exploration of one family’s trauma from the perspectives of characters sometimes only circumstantially connected drives home the broader implications of surviving and dealing with abuse. . . . The novel moves from 2001 to 2019 before jumping back to the 80s and then the 70s. Nixon uses this temporal span to contemplate the generational nature of trauma: the novel asks us whether the past can truly be overcome, or even just forgotten for a moment. . . . Through his multiple points of view, Nixon explores the diversity of human nature, the many dimensions that a person relegated to the role of villain may contain. Pat may be a philandering alcoholic, but he is also very protective of his children. Mark is unstable, but he’s also a successful businessman. Despite our best efforts to paint people in ‘a single ugly hue’, this is often not the full story. In The Waters we see the complexity of a family, the many important and secret stories that combine to create a bigger picture.

Rebecca Hill, Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books

Each of Carl Nixon’s stories that comprise The Waters is honed to its essence. The writing is clutter-free and each character is crystal-clear. . . . Short stories, a series under one cover, a novel in 21 pieces – it’s difficult to define this cleverly curated collection. More than an assembly of character studies, each piece is a slice-of-life . . . Cleverness, craftsmanship and clean, clear writing share the wheelhouse that navigates the collection through, you know. Dark waters.

Mark Peters, Gisborne Herald