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A review by thebookboy
Oligarchy by Scarlett Thomas
4.0
I don't know what I expected from this book, but it definitely exceeded whatever I had in mind.
There's something about stories of people in boarding schools that really appeal to me, and Oligarchy so effortlessly captured the strange isolation of being in an environment where multiple characters are forced to interact with only the smallest segment of society around them.
The girls are mostly vindictive, snobby, nasty little madams, but what do you expect from a boarding school which clearly emphasises class disparities, barely addresses blatant eating disorders, and which is run by truly incompetent staff?
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the book is it's interesting obsession with eating disorders, body image and the pressures faced by young girls in society. Although we are arguably moving towards a more tolerant "love yourself as you are" time, it's easy to believe how girls in such a unique situation would quickly spiral into these conditions, and reading about their thoughts, weird diets and obsessions over their weight was a really interesting insight to these mental disorders as a whole.
There are plenty of characters who stick out for the right reasons. Tash is an interesting Russian student whose father leads a shady life, Rachel is a "fat" girl who quickly becomes the envy of all as her eating disorder steps up a notch (excessive exercise as an eating disorder is well explained here) and there are plenty of other characters who help this novel feel rich and alive with their speech quirks, their obsessions over Estella from great Expectations and other really rich detail.
I absolute adore the weird little stories the girls tell each other - drowned princesses, dark gems, women ravished by sultans - it's exactly the sort of school lore that these institutions tend to have, and it created a wonderful atmosphere of childhood innocence against the dark realities of their everyday lives.
If I had to criticise something, I would say that the overall resolution of the novel is a bit underwhelming. I could of happily read so much more about these characters, and the wrap up of the story does seem a bit lacking somehow, but not enough to detract too much from the novel as a whole.
If you like quirky novels that also tackle very real issues, Oligarchy is one not to be missed.
4.5 stars
There's something about stories of people in boarding schools that really appeal to me, and Oligarchy so effortlessly captured the strange isolation of being in an environment where multiple characters are forced to interact with only the smallest segment of society around them.
The girls are mostly vindictive, snobby, nasty little madams, but what do you expect from a boarding school which clearly emphasises class disparities, barely addresses blatant eating disorders, and which is run by truly incompetent staff?
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the book is it's interesting obsession with eating disorders, body image and the pressures faced by young girls in society. Although we are arguably moving towards a more tolerant "love yourself as you are" time, it's easy to believe how girls in such a unique situation would quickly spiral into these conditions, and reading about their thoughts, weird diets and obsessions over their weight was a really interesting insight to these mental disorders as a whole.
There are plenty of characters who stick out for the right reasons. Tash is an interesting Russian student whose father leads a shady life, Rachel is a "fat" girl who quickly becomes the envy of all as her eating disorder steps up a notch (excessive exercise as an eating disorder is well explained here) and there are plenty of other characters who help this novel feel rich and alive with their speech quirks, their obsessions over Estella from great Expectations and other really rich detail.
I absolute adore the weird little stories the girls tell each other - drowned princesses, dark gems, women ravished by sultans - it's exactly the sort of school lore that these institutions tend to have, and it created a wonderful atmosphere of childhood innocence against the dark realities of their everyday lives.
If I had to criticise something, I would say that the overall resolution of the novel is a bit underwhelming. I could of happily read so much more about these characters, and the wrap up of the story does seem a bit lacking somehow, but not enough to detract too much from the novel as a whole.
If you like quirky novels that also tackle very real issues, Oligarchy is one not to be missed.
4.5 stars