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Every now and then, you come across a novel that’s just so frighteningly real, so frightening possible, that it takes your breath away. We Need to Talk About Kevin, for me, was that novel - I finished all five hundred odd pages in three sessions. One on the night I bought it, one on the flight back, and one last night. The story follows his mother, Eva Katchadourian’s attempts to understand herself, her mudering son, and their highly complex relationship, as followed through a series of letter written from her to her ex-husband. The novel hit especially close to home, given we’ve just had a daughter - what makes a child decide to start slaughtering their classmates, and, when you get right down to it, is it the fault of the parent or not? And, in the grand scheme of things, does it even matter whether it was? Some have commented that neither Kevin, his mother, nor his dad are truly believable characters. To a certain extent, this is probably true - there’s a certain degree of caricature to them. However, as the novel is written entirely from Eva’s perspective, there’s an almost tangible requirement for postmoderist interpretation. How much of what is written truly what happened, and how much is due to personal bias and a lack of perspective? There’s depth here, and the story screams for interpretation and consideration, not just a simply reading. The book’s brilliant. I don’t want to say any more for fear of possibly spoiling the story for anyone who reads it, but suffice to say, it’s right up there as a must-read. As of today, Dymocks has it in their top 101, letting you buy three books for the price of two. To be blunt, you’re a fool if you don’t immediately go out and buy this one. Seriously. You may not love it, but if you have kids, you’re thinking about having kids, or even if your kids have left home, it’s enough to make you wonder. |
Recommended? "yes"