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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
The book jacket describes the book as a “thrilling novel” which focuses on words: “what we say, how we say it, and what we really mean.” I found the book anything but thrilling and found that it lacked focus.
Hannah, a struggling freelance journalist, writes an article on a violent attack at a rave on a Yorkshire farm owned by Richard Spencer, a wealthy banker. The victim is Pegasus who tried to start a self-sustaining community on the farm. The attacker is Jake, the son of Lenny, a provocative conservative columnist who had a sexual liaison with Richard. The first third of the book is Hannah’s article; the rest of the novel explores the consequences of the article for various people involved like Hannah, Richard, and Lenny.
I’ve described the entire plot. Not much else happens. And that’s the problem because the book feels less like a novel and more like an essay. All that’s missing is a clear thesis statement, though my guess is that the author believes media cannot be trusted because everyone has his/her own agenda and will manipulate the truth to fit his/her purposes.
Characters are unlikeable and are developed primarily to serve as mouthpieces for a particular viewpoint. Lenny is a perfect example. She manipulates Hannah to write the story which brings attention to Lenny. Her treatment of her son is despicable though she uses him as an example to support her opinions about government policies. She believes she thinks most clearly when she’s had a couple of drinks. Her attack on an interviewer is downright vicious.
The book can be viewed as an analysis of modern-day British politics, but I found many parallels between Lenny’s opinions and those of the current Trump administration: “’The fastest-growing sectors of our economy are disproportionately hiring and promoting minority workers’” and “’We didn’t notice that the “myth” of meritocracy was turning into a curse’” and “’Look, we’ve got to stop with the self-policing. We’re so busy apologizing for ancient history and imagined offenses that we’re losing our economic edge.’” Lenny criticizes diversity, equity and inclusion programs which are one of Trump’s targets.
I guess my point is that there’s nothing new here. The comments about classism and the economy and the media have been expressed by many others so I don’t understand the effusive praising of the author’s intelligence. Maybe I’m not intelligent enough to understand the book?
The book jacket states that the book “dares you to look away,” but I had no difficulty looking away. I was bored much of the time and found it a plodding read. What saved it is the book’s brevity (152 pages). Obviously I was not the intended audience. Reviewers on the jacket use adjectives like “unputdownable” and “thrilling” and “tons of fun” but none of these describe my reaction.
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t feel like this book had a lot of original material… it felt so snarky and unhopeful.
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Natasha Brown's genius comes through in this second novel just as much as the first. It's challenging to figure out her angle - maybe that's the point. The story is full of twists and turns which I never would've guessed coming.
My two questions are:
1- why didn't she include Jake's perspective? That seems crucial to understand more about what happened, and also Lenny's life.
2- what was the question Martin asked Lenny at the end? If I had to guess I think it would be the """trans debate"""?
My two questions are:
1- why didn't she include Jake's perspective? That seems crucial to understand more about what happened, and also Lenny's life.
2- what was the question Martin asked Lenny at the end? If I had to guess I think it would be the """trans debate"""?
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes