A review by serendipitysbooks
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Hour of the Witch left me raging at misogynistic, patriarchal men. It’s the story of Mary Deerfield, a young Puritan woman who wants to divorce her abusive husband. However, the court takes his word over hers and orders her back to his home. The Mary has to appear before the court again, this time accused of witchcraft.

The atmosphere and pacing of the book is excellent. The author slowly reveals dialogue, events and situations that by themselves would mean nothing. But in a claustrophobic society seemingly obsessed with witchcraft, where someone is always watching for any sign of non-conformity, and where many have ulterior motives, they take on a much more sinister tone. The more I read, the more my stomach clenched and my pulse quickened. The inclusion of extracts from court documents at the start of each chapter added a sense of realism, as well as increasing the feelings of dread. As I read I found myself getting frustrated with Mary who didn’t always act with the caution or prudence perhaps necessary for a woman in a Puritan community. Which of course indicates a problem with Puritan society, for why should a woman (or anyone) life their live based on a fear of how other might interpret those actions?

As Mary’s two court cases unfolded I was also struck by the sad thought that little has changed for women. Sexual assault victims will surely relate to Mary’s behaviour being scrutinised more closely than that of the man who assaulted her. They also spoke to the risks run by women whose behaviour was outside the expected norm. More generally I was reminded of the importance of knowing witness motivation and the dangers of relying on circumstantial evidence. Talk about unsafe verdicts.

I had mixed feelings about the ending. My feminist self was delighted at these women sticking it (literally) to the men. And obviously it was great to see an injustice righted. But my literary readerly self felt it was more than a tad unrealistic.

All in all a chilling reminder of how society has treated women who don’t conform to the narrow prescribed norm. Thanks to @biblioreviews for organising a great buddy read.
 
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