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jamesnotjim 's review for:
Codename Villanelle
by Luke Jennings
Having watched the Netflix series, Killing Eve, I wanted to see if the the source material was any good. I often enjoy seeing how film writers and directors rework thinks. I'll note from the outset I'm among the least qualified people for this particular review, as my usual fare is classics and literary fiction. In my head, this is a "trashy novel" read entirely for fun and as a break from any more serious pursuit. To me, novels of this sort are the literary equivalent of fast food. There's no crime in enjoying fast food, but no reasonable person eats it for every meal.
What first interested me about the series is the main character's name, Villanelle, which is the name of a particularly tricky poetic form I remember studying in school. Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art" is a popular example. That's a witty choice, and it's also very pretty word. So, I was intrigued.
Now that I have my elitism out of the way, let's consider the thing itself. The novel Codename Villanelle has an interesting publication history. It originated as four stories, each of which was published separately electronically. These were later combined and republished as the novel itself, first electronically and then in hardcover and paperback. It's the reverse of the normal course of things. But it clearly worked quite well. And there are two novels which have appeared since Codename Villanelle to continue the story.
My first reaction, as I dove into Codename Villanelle, was that the author, Luke Jennings, has an eye for detail and enjoys painting a scene. This generally serves him very well, as the novel (like the Netflix series) is set in a variety of interesting locations. But he sometimes abandons his gift and instead "describes" things merely by including the brand names of everything. He does this so much in places that I start to notice when he doesn't. I half expect him to tell me the particular brand name of the cultivar of the grass the characters walk on. I know that a certain amount of name-checking is useful for realism and, in places, to create an ambiance of sophistication, but, at many points, it becomes absurd and seems a lazy substitute from actually describing things, which is all the more sad given that describing things is Jennings chief gift.
Character development isn't his strength either. But the central characters are well enough drawn to be interesting, and Villanelle herself, while different, in some ways, from her character in the film version, is intriguing.
I don't want to spoil anything or go into too much detail here. I preferred the Netflix series to the novel upon which it was based. But I don't entirely regret taking a quick romp through the world of espionage and far too many brand names. Villanelle is an interesting character. And Jennings is not without talent as a storyteller. But I'm clearly not his demographic.
What first interested me about the series is the main character's name, Villanelle, which is the name of a particularly tricky poetic form I remember studying in school. Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art" is a popular example. That's a witty choice, and it's also very pretty word. So, I was intrigued.
Now that I have my elitism out of the way, let's consider the thing itself. The novel Codename Villanelle has an interesting publication history. It originated as four stories, each of which was published separately electronically. These were later combined and republished as the novel itself, first electronically and then in hardcover and paperback. It's the reverse of the normal course of things. But it clearly worked quite well. And there are two novels which have appeared since Codename Villanelle to continue the story.
My first reaction, as I dove into Codename Villanelle, was that the author, Luke Jennings, has an eye for detail and enjoys painting a scene. This generally serves him very well, as the novel (like the Netflix series) is set in a variety of interesting locations. But he sometimes abandons his gift and instead "describes" things merely by including the brand names of everything. He does this so much in places that I start to notice when he doesn't. I half expect him to tell me the particular brand name of the cultivar of the grass the characters walk on. I know that a certain amount of name-checking is useful for realism and, in places, to create an ambiance of sophistication, but, at many points, it becomes absurd and seems a lazy substitute from actually describing things, which is all the more sad given that describing things is Jennings chief gift.
Character development isn't his strength either. But the central characters are well enough drawn to be interesting, and Villanelle herself, while different, in some ways, from her character in the film version, is intriguing.
I don't want to spoil anything or go into too much detail here. I preferred the Netflix series to the novel upon which it was based. But I don't entirely regret taking a quick romp through the world of espionage and far too many brand names. Villanelle is an interesting character. And Jennings is not without talent as a storyteller. But I'm clearly not his demographic.