Our book group choice for September 2020 is Everything Under by Daisy Johnson. The dictionary doesn’t contain every word. Gretel, a lexicographer by trade, knows this better than most.
Everything Under is a 2018 novel by Daisy Johnson that tells the story of Gretel, a young woman who returns to the canals of England after sixteen years to search for her estranged mother. The novel is a dark and twisty tale that explores themes of family, identity, and the power of myth.
Gretel’s childhood was spent on a canal boat with her mother, a mysterious and solitary woman. When Gretel was ten years old, her mother suddenly disappeared, and Gretel was taken in by her aunt and uncle. Sixteen years later, Gretel is a successful journalist, but she is still haunted by her childhood on the canals. She decides to return to the place where she grew up, hoping to find answers about her mother’s disappearance.
Gretel soon discovers that the canals are a dangerous and unpredictable place. She is drawn into a world of petty crime, drug addiction, and violence. She also encounters a strange creature that she calls the “bonak,” a creature that seems to be both real and imaginary.
As Gretel gets closer to the truth about her mother, she begins to question her own identity. She is no longer sure who she is or where she belongs. In the end, she must face the “bonak” and come to terms with her past in order to find her way forward.
Everything Under explores a number of themes, including family, identity, myth, and the power of the past. The novel shows how the past can have a profound impact on the present, and how it can be difficult to escape from our own histories. The novel also explores the nature of identity, and how we can be shaped by our relationships with others.
Johnson’s writing is evocative and atmospheric. She creates a vivid sense of place, and her descriptions of the canals are both beautiful and disturbing. The novel is also full of suspense, and the reader is kept guessing until the very end.
The novel also explores the themes of gender fluidity and gender identity. Gretel’s mother is a transgender woman, and Gretel herself is gender-fluid. The novel challenges traditional notions of gender, and it shows how gender can be fluid and ever-changing.
Everything Under was a critical and commercial success. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and it was praised for its writing, its themes, and its originality.
Discussion Questions for Everything Under
- How did you find the experience of reading this book?
- What did you think of the voice of the narrator?
- How easy did you find it to follow the different strands and shifting landscape?
- What did you think of the different sections and the changes between the characters’ viewpoints?
- What happened to the dog Otto?
- How did Charlie die?
- What role did myth and fairy tales play in the developing narrative?
- There are long descriptions of seemingly irrelevant incidents like the Chinese meal with Fiona, cooking and eating the bonak, and Sarah’s self harm; in retrospect what purpose do you think these served?
- Did the narrative devices like the doubling of the boats, the Gretels, the trans characters, provide illumination or obfuscation of the author’s intention?
- Would it be better read as a riddle, a myth or a detective story?
- Would you recommend this book?
Individual Ratings
Catherine's Rating 
Sue's Rating
Baljit's Rating
Willow's Rating
Anthony's Rating
EmmaT's Rating
DKB's Rating