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A review by camilleisreading24
The Bellwether Revivals by Renaud Morin, Benjamin Wood
4.0
It took me a good 50 or 60 pages to really get into this book-- but from that point, I was hooked. A quote on the back cover compares "The Bellwether Revivals" to one of my favorite novels, Donna Tartt's "The Secret History." In a macro sense, these novels do have certain similarities: both are set in and around an elite college campus; both concern the induction of a curious outsider, of lesser means, into a cliquish and mysterious group of wealthy, intellectual undergraduates; both concern a tragedy at the hands of the group's de facto leader, whose brilliance is tinged with madness.
But the similarities end when one begins to get into the heart of this story, and I think that is a positive thing. Almost nobody can measure up to the near perfection of Tartt's prose-- and is it any wonder, considering she spends about 10 years writing each novel? Matt Wood's novel is very good, but it can't measure up to "The Secret History."
Oscar is a young caretaker working at a nursing home near Oxford University. He meets the lovely Iris Bellwether and is drawn into the close circle of her friends and narcissistic brother, Eden. All except Oscar are musically inclined. Eden is the resident organ scholar (who knew such a thing existed?), iris plays cello, and their friends are talented singers and musicians. This book is as much about the budding romance between Oscar and Iris as it is a psychological study of Eden's personality. He is conceited and obnoxious, but wildly talented. He seems to know things before they happen and to be privy to conversations that happen out of his earshot. The title of the novel concerns a series of experiments Eden conducts in which he uses music to heal people.
One of the things I found quite interesting about this novel is how it walks a thin line between danger and safety. The characters in the novel are often able to rationalize Eden's behavior as annoying but harmless, and it is unclear whether he is truly dangerous or simply a bit of pill for most of the book.
I liked the writing style a lot and the character of Oscar is likely to stay with me for some time. This book also stoked my interest in reading about narcissistic personality disorders, and I was disappointed that the book written by the character Herbert Crest is fictional. I would recommend this novel, but don't go into it expecting another "The Secret History." Give it a chance to stand on its own.
But the similarities end when one begins to get into the heart of this story, and I think that is a positive thing. Almost nobody can measure up to the near perfection of Tartt's prose-- and is it any wonder, considering she spends about 10 years writing each novel? Matt Wood's novel is very good, but it can't measure up to "The Secret History."
Oscar is a young caretaker working at a nursing home near Oxford University. He meets the lovely Iris Bellwether and is drawn into the close circle of her friends and narcissistic brother, Eden. All except Oscar are musically inclined. Eden is the resident organ scholar (who knew such a thing existed?), iris plays cello, and their friends are talented singers and musicians. This book is as much about the budding romance between Oscar and Iris as it is a psychological study of Eden's personality. He is conceited and obnoxious, but wildly talented. He seems to know things before they happen and to be privy to conversations that happen out of his earshot. The title of the novel concerns a series of experiments Eden conducts in which he uses music to heal people.
One of the things I found quite interesting about this novel is how it walks a thin line between danger and safety. The characters in the novel are often able to rationalize Eden's behavior as annoying but harmless, and it is unclear whether he is truly dangerous or simply a bit of pill for most of the book.
I liked the writing style a lot and the character of Oscar is likely to stay with me for some time. This book also stoked my interest in reading about narcissistic personality disorders, and I was disappointed that the book written by the character Herbert Crest is fictional. I would recommend this novel, but don't go into it expecting another "The Secret History." Give it a chance to stand on its own.