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A review by husnaibrahim_
All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
3.5
This story, in its own unique way, intrigued me, but I can't say if I truly enjoyed it, primarily because of the unsettling elements, or if I hated it because of just that.
The source of my unease lies in whether it’s the storyline itself, particularly involving Dr. Alan, or the way in which he tells it. It's peculiar; his pompous and air of self-importance, making it a bit difficult to warm up to. There's an underlying sense of misogyny, narcissism, and manipulation beneath his logical assessment. Yet, it's equally challenging not to understand why he's this way. This complexity makes me question whether I dislike him in general or just the circumstances in which we find him.
It was even more surprising that the author was a woman, yet it appears because she’s a woman, she can artfully portray a well-hidden misogynist under the guise of a supposedly progressive man.
Nevertheless, this narrative was interesting. It wasn’t one of those beautifully written or narrated books about the typical tragedies involving women. Instead, it presents Jenny as the somewhat central character, with a cast of strikingly flawed characters, each grappling with their own shortcomings. The character I connected with most was Tom, his determination in transforming guilt and helplessness into a mission to find his daughter's rapist felt too real and just brutal. However, I'm unsure about my feelings toward him and Charlotte as a couple.
And I wish I had more I could say about Charlotte but I don’t. I can't say I connected with her deeply. I struggled to understand her and her 'two sides,' but I guess some things might be beyond our own individualistic understanding. Just like I couldn't fathom why Dr. Alan said some certain things about his wife. It all leaves a bitter taste.
The revelation that Dr. Alan knew the truth but led us, readers, and Jenny's family to believe he was helping her recover her memories was a bitter twist. Instead of reporting it to the police, which he could have easily done since he had been in contact with them frequently, he allowed this elaborate deception to unfold. No wonder he was so adamant that his son didn’t do it and could have in fact even been the victim. It’s all just so twisted but I guess he found a way to justify that too. Justify what he did to them all and what happened to Bob. I mean it’s just like he said, he was just ‘trying’ not to ‘confuse’ her memories. Yet did exactly that.
Then there’s the fact that he showed no remorse for his role in what happened to Bob. It was truly unsettling. I mean bob is not a good man that is a fact but Dr Alan is one sick individual. I know we are supposed to understand him and his choices after what we came to know but I just somehow don’t. And I just find it difficult to empathize with him. The empathy is there but not as much as it should have been. The man is just a deeply complicated character.
And this complexity is why I believe this book deserves a good rating. I somehow feel like the author intended for us to feel conflicted, not to actually like Dr. Alan even after everything that unfolds in the book. To somewhat understand his decisions, but also not understand it? To recognize that he needs to see a specialist just as much as Jenny does, and perhaps, in some twisted way, Jenny is his own form of therapy?
It's a complicated story that left me intrigued but also really conflicted, not because it's poorly written, but because it's well-written in its own unique way.
The source of my unease lies in whether it’s the storyline itself, particularly involving Dr. Alan, or the way in which he tells it. It's peculiar; his pompous and air of self-importance, making it a bit difficult to warm up to. There's an underlying sense of misogyny, narcissism, and manipulation beneath his logical assessment. Yet, it's equally challenging not to understand why he's this way. This complexity makes me question whether I dislike him in general or just the circumstances in which we find him.
It was even more surprising that the author was a woman, yet it appears because she’s a woman, she can artfully portray a well-hidden misogynist under the guise of a supposedly progressive man.
Nevertheless, this narrative was interesting. It wasn’t one of those beautifully written or narrated books about the typical tragedies involving women. Instead, it presents Jenny as the somewhat central character, with a cast of strikingly flawed characters, each grappling with their own shortcomings. The character I connected with most was Tom, his determination in transforming guilt and helplessness into a mission to find his daughter's rapist felt too real and just brutal. However, I'm unsure about my feelings toward him and Charlotte as a couple.
And I wish I had more I could say about Charlotte but I don’t. I can't say I connected with her deeply. I struggled to understand her and her 'two sides,' but I guess some things might be beyond our own individualistic understanding. Just like I couldn't fathom why Dr. Alan said some certain things about his wife. It all leaves a bitter taste.
The revelation that Dr. Alan knew the truth but led us, readers, and Jenny's family to believe he was helping her recover her memories was a bitter twist. Instead of reporting it to the police, which he could have easily done since he had been in contact with them frequently, he allowed this elaborate deception to unfold. No wonder he was so adamant that his son didn’t do it and could have in fact even been the victim. It’s all just so twisted but I guess he found a way to justify that too. Justify what he did to them all and what happened to Bob. I mean it’s just like he said, he was just ‘trying’ not to ‘confuse’ her memories. Yet did exactly that.
Then there’s the fact that he showed no remorse for his role in what happened to Bob. It was truly unsettling. I mean bob is not a good man that is a fact but Dr Alan is one sick individual. I know we are supposed to understand him and his choices after what we came to know but I just somehow don’t. And I just find it difficult to empathize with him. The empathy is there but not as much as it should have been. The man is just a deeply complicated character.
And this complexity is why I believe this book deserves a good rating. I somehow feel like the author intended for us to feel conflicted, not to actually like Dr. Alan even after everything that unfolds in the book. To somewhat understand his decisions, but also not understand it? To recognize that he needs to see a specialist just as much as Jenny does, and perhaps, in some twisted way, Jenny is his own form of therapy?
It's a complicated story that left me intrigued but also really conflicted, not because it's poorly written, but because it's well-written in its own unique way.