Book Review
Sep. 24th, 2009 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariAugust
by Gerard Woodward
This novel follows the life of the Jones family from 1955-1970, as seen through the prism of their yearly August camping vacations in northern Wales. Over the years, the family descends from contented togetherness into increasing troubles and dysfunction. The mother, Colette becomes addicted to sleeping pills and sniffing glue. The eldest son, Janus, while a gifted pianist, proves to be a somewhat disturbed young man and quite an unpleasant jerk who treats his family and associates very badly. I very much disliked Janus - his parents (especially Colette) clearly showered him with love, support, and encouragement and he repays them with cruelty. He was the only character in the book that I had trouble mustering up any sympathy for.
But that's the beauty of this book. I had strong feelings toward the Joneses not as characters but as people. Woodward does not over-dramatize the family's troubles - despite the dysfunction that develops, there is no melodrama, moralizing, or excess of sentiment. The author instead approaches the story and the people with an almost stark and blunt clarity. And he manages to do so with good prose that seamlessly shifts from dispassionate narration to lyrical glimpses of the characters' inner lives.
by Gerard Woodward
This novel follows the life of the Jones family from 1955-1970, as seen through the prism of their yearly August camping vacations in northern Wales. Over the years, the family descends from contented togetherness into increasing troubles and dysfunction. The mother, Colette becomes addicted to sleeping pills and sniffing glue. The eldest son, Janus, while a gifted pianist, proves to be a somewhat disturbed young man and quite an unpleasant jerk who treats his family and associates very badly. I very much disliked Janus - his parents (especially Colette) clearly showered him with love, support, and encouragement and he repays them with cruelty. He was the only character in the book that I had trouble mustering up any sympathy for.
But that's the beauty of this book. I had strong feelings toward the Joneses not as characters but as people. Woodward does not over-dramatize the family's troubles - despite the dysfunction that develops, there is no melodrama, moralizing, or excess of sentiment. The author instead approaches the story and the people with an almost stark and blunt clarity. And he manages to do so with good prose that seamlessly shifts from dispassionate narration to lyrical glimpses of the characters' inner lives.
