A review by andrewspink
Shampoo by Bert Moerman

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I read the blurb, I didn't really expect to enjoy this book. Emotional trauma messing up families for decades after the event isn't really my thing. What I did like, right from the beginning, was the setting in a small family business which was undergoing a transition as the director/owner retires. The company I work for is in that situation, and we are all wondering what that will mean for us. There were a few strange things, which perhaps indicates that Bert Moerman doesn't really know how such companies work. The statement that no one understood the workings of the factory, but that it still worked. The idea that shampoo has so many ingredients that it is am immensely complex product. The scene of a director dictating a letter to a secretary, which must be decades out of date.
Nevertheless, I got a lot out of this book, and for precisely those aspects which I expected not to enjoy. The way that the family bottled up and then processed the trauma of their mother's death was very convincing. The way that the events of that evening were slowly revealed to us, paralleled with them coming to the surface in the family members' experience, was very well done. Switching perspectives between the characters doesn't always work, but here it was done very well.
A surprisingly good read!