Calling it now, this is going to make the Booker longlist. Clear is a short, meditative novella about near extinctions: what happens to our relationship to the idea of home or to the continuation of a dying language, when being forcibly removed from our land? Davies outlines a portrait of a minister who sails to a remote Scottish island to remove its last inhabitant. Over time, the two build a friendship despite not speaking the same language. But the minister carries the guilt that his visit holds an ulterior motive, and he must upend this stranger's life. The historical context behind this novella of the Scottish Clearances is fascinating and new to me. Yet, despite being beautifully written and bursting with atmosphere and historical significance... for me, this was a longer read than it should've been. The summary was so promising but it took me so long to finish. I did NOT want to pick this up! I think the flaw in Clear is that it's just an outline. It feels very half-formed; shallow and rushed in its character development, despite its short page count. There's a suggestion throughout the book that the plot is building to something greater—that the theme of a dishonest friendship, a connection built on deceit, will ultimately crescendo. But it doesn't. Clear sustains one-note the whole time. Its emotion is suppressed by the melancholy of its atmosphere. I kept expecting a shift or a transformation, but everything is kept at the surface. SpoilerYou're gonna tell me you're even going to use Chekhov's Gun and then... not use it?? There was so much about this that could've worked, but we needed more time. More depth. More willingness to not just stand on the edge of this island looking into the water but to actually dive into it. I wish this book all the best – it was just not for me!!