Rating: 4/5
Review:
Very nearly five stars
I found this book an absolutely riveting read. It is very well-written and the storytelling is extremely skilfully structured. We are told virtually at the beginning the details of the crime being investigated and who did it. The book is the story of an investigation into why the atrocity was committed, various people's views of the crime and its perpetrator, and who may have been culpable for failing to prevent it. I don't want to give away plot developments, because the way the story emerges is truly gripping, but central to the novel is bullying - its origins, its consequences, how people collude in order to avoid being bullied themselves and so on. It is generally horrifyingly believable, and written in a flat style but with an underlying rage which made the book (and me) burn with pity and indignation.
The structure is original and fascinating. The narrative alternates between fairly conventional (although well written) descriptions of the activities of the investigating detective, Lucia May, and what witnesses say in interviews with her. These are presented as monologues, and although it is plain that questions have sometimes been asked or responses given we get only the witnesses' words. I found this a really engrossing aspect of the book and it brought the testimony to life quite remarkably.
I couldn't quite give this book five stars. I was utterly gripped and very moved by it, but I wasn't altogether convinced that all of the voices in the monologues sounded quite genuine. The use of hot weather to create an oppressive feel was perhaps a little overdone. Also, thinking about it afterward some of the characters (particularly the headmaster) verged on caricatures and somehow I found it hard to believe that none of the mature, professional adults who witnessed or were affected by gross abuses had so much as spoken to anyone in a position to do something about it like a trusted manager or union rep. The author may possibly be justified in both these things to illustrate a genuine and horrifying problem, but they didn't quite ring true for me.
Nevertheless, I would recommend this very highly as a thoughtful, genuinely involving nearly five-star book.
No comments:
Post a Comment