The novel opens up many pleasures for literary readers, in its pacing, in its observations, and especially in the ventriloquism of Havelock’s old-school prose. But it’s not, mostly, a book about pleasure ... A harrowing book, to be sure, but never nihilist, or defeatist, or cynical. Its joy in ultimate survival comes through.
At times, the book can feel repetitive, like we are covering the same ground again and again, as the characters rehash the attack. While many readers will appreciate his recreation of a lost, hidden world to the exclusion of much else, others might yearn for more focus, for the kind of intricate plotting we saw in A Brief History. But perhaps this unravelled feeling is simply because the rage that underlies this novel is unfinished — this book means it can no longer be ignored.
A bleak and uncompromising exploration of rage and survival; of trauma and its afterlife ... The formal design, however, is not without flaws. The overlong narrative sags in places, tarrying where it should speed along ... Ultimately, these are redeemable shortcomings in an otherwise remarkable novel.
Captivating and epic ... James renders his characters’ tumultuous inner lives with striking imagery and energy; their dialogue is rapid, keen, and hard-hitting. In all, a gritty, powerful, and gripping read.
ury. As a gay Jamaican writer, James brings profound personal stakes to this register. The result is a more intimate and less mythologized prose than in his previous work with a gravity that is felt on every page.
