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A review by maplessence
Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand
3.0
3.5★
I'll start by saying I prefer reading uncensored. If a few offensive words or expressions are edited out, who knows what else could be changed?
But Brand's first anti-Semitic comment (yes, there was more than one) was tossed out so casually. For me this made it all the more shocking. This may explain why Brand's adult books are now so hard to find.
Before the book begins we are given a character list, which finishes with;
Kind of fun having clearly defined parameters, but the story goes off the boil at the end, because the author
An easy quick read and interesting as a depiction of life in wartime Britain. I enjoyed enough to search out Brand's best known adult book, [b:Green for Danger|1024750|Green for Danger|Christianna Brand|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436252130s/1024750.jpg|1010989]
Edit; 18/8/17 Just to clarify (after discussion with other members of the Reading the Detectives Group )Brand has her characters think or say racist things. This doesn't mean Brand herself is racist. I guess this has parallels with the recent [b:The Black Witch|25740412|The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)|Laurie Forest|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956992s/25740412.jpg|45580046] controversy.
I'll start by saying I prefer reading uncensored. If a few offensive words or expressions are edited out, who knows what else could be changed?
But Brand's first anti-Semitic comment (yes, there was more than one) was tossed out so casually. For me this made it all the more shocking. This may explain why Brand's adult books are now so hard to find.
Before the book begins we are given a character list, which finishes with;
Among these very ordinary people were found two victims and a murderer.
Kind of fun having clearly defined parameters, but the story goes off the boil at the end, because the author
Spoiler
decides to give everyone a turn at being Chief Suspect. This manages to become both tortuous and boring for this reader. & I was disappointed that Fran wasn't one of the victims. Even though this book was written in 1941, both Fran & her slightly less annoying sister Venetia were written as Bright Young Things & Fran came across more as a Spoilt Brat - in particular her behaviour at the inquest. Were we meant to find that appealing? Or even understandable?Seriously???An easy quick read and interesting as a depiction of life in wartime Britain. I enjoyed enough to search out Brand's best known adult book, [b:Green for Danger|1024750|Green for Danger|Christianna Brand|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436252130s/1024750.jpg|1010989]
Edit; 18/8/17 Just to clarify (after discussion with other members of the Reading the Detectives Group )Brand has her characters think or say racist things. This doesn't mean Brand herself is racist. I guess this has parallels with the recent [b:The Black Witch|25740412|The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)|Laurie Forest|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956992s/25740412.jpg|45580046] controversy.