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diana_eveline 's review for:
The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
"Between waking and being awake there is a moment full of doubt and dream, when you struggle to remember what the place and when the time and whether you really are."
This immensely emotionally loaded book tells the story of a mute boy, his alcoholic father and an emotionally distant woman. Nothing is what it seems and characters never cease to surprise. At first, these three seem to all bring something to the table that the others need, be it company, kindness or conversation. However, as the tension builds to an escaltion, they all realise how hard it is to come by the truth, to move on and to let others in.
This book really got to me. Especially the parts about Simon, explaining his actions and reactions in his head. I initially found it very difficult to understand how Simon could still love Joe, after all he has done to him. Just as I found it hard to understand how Joe could love and hurt Simon the way he does. For Joe, it comes down to him not knowing how else to get through to the child and the frustration of not getting the response he wants, momentarily forgetting that the boy can't speak. When it comes to Simon, Joe is his home. He doesn't know or understand anything else. That only makes the story more heartbreaking.
The book is beautifully human with a lot of flawed characters.
This immensely emotionally loaded book tells the story of a mute boy, his alcoholic father and an emotionally distant woman. Nothing is what it seems and characters never cease to surprise. At first, these three seem to all bring something to the table that the others need, be it company, kindness or conversation. However, as the tension builds to an escaltion, they all realise how hard it is to come by the truth, to move on and to let others in.
This book really got to me. Especially the parts about Simon, explaining his actions and reactions in his head. I initially found it very difficult to understand how Simon could still love Joe, after all he has done to him. Just as I found it hard to understand how Joe could love and hurt Simon the way he does. For Joe, it comes down to him not knowing how else to get through to the child and the frustration of not getting the response he wants, momentarily forgetting that the boy can't speak. When it comes to Simon, Joe is his home. He doesn't know or understand anything else. That only makes the story more heartbreaking.
The book is beautifully human with a lot of flawed characters.