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A review by rworrall78
The Selfless Act of Breathing by J.J. Bola
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
To (mis)quote Mark Kermode, I'd rather see someone try to do something original and miss the mark than for them to play it safe.
They were bits of this book that worked brilliantly. The main character with a limited amount of money to spend before he plans to kill himself. The abrupt ends to some of the chapters followed by the bank balance. Even the very hit and miss flights of imagery and philosophy sometimes really hit the mark.
But there was so much that just didn't make sense.
<Spoiler>why did Pastor Baptiste kill himself out of nowhere. Why did Michael come back? Why did the headteacher not say a thing when he clearly gives her the speech of a desperate man? Why was Dwayne killed, why was Michael jealous of Jalil's sham marriage? Why does Belle compare compare Michael favourably to a woman, for him to behave exactly like a stereotypical man in the very next chapter. Also, man falls deeply in love with sex worker and then tells her to stop doing her job...I think that was the point I really checked out. What was the Mr Barnes subplot about? there were hints at some really important themes like alienation from heritage, the devastation of war, the expectation and the sacrifice of parents. They were never fully developed. I didn't feel like I understood why Michael felt the was way he did. I know there doesn't have to be a why, but it felt like there were contributing factors that were ignored.
I did get a real sense of distance and dissociation. It made Michael behave despicably particularly towards the women in his life. But maybe that was the message.
All in all interesting and ambitious but a bit of a frustrating read.
They were bits of this book that worked brilliantly. The main character with a limited amount of money to spend before he plans to kill himself. The abrupt ends to some of the chapters followed by the bank balance. Even the very hit and miss flights of imagery and philosophy sometimes really hit the mark.
But there was so much that just didn't make sense.
<Spoiler>why did Pastor Baptiste kill himself out of nowhere. Why did Michael come back? Why did the headteacher not say a thing when he clearly gives her the speech of a desperate man? Why was Dwayne killed, why was Michael jealous of Jalil's sham marriage? Why does Belle compare compare Michael favourably to a woman, for him to behave exactly like a stereotypical man in the very next chapter. Also, man falls deeply in love with sex worker and then tells her to stop doing her job...I think that was the point I really checked out. What was the Mr Barnes subplot about? there were hints at some really important themes like alienation from heritage, the devastation of war, the expectation and the sacrifice of parents. They were never fully developed. I didn't feel like I understood why Michael felt the was way he did. I know there doesn't have to be a why, but it felt like there were contributing factors that were ignored.
I did get a real sense of distance and dissociation. It made Michael behave despicably particularly towards the women in his life. But maybe that was the message.
All in all interesting and ambitious but a bit of a frustrating read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, and Sexual content