What an interesting story. I was frustrated for a bit but only because I couldn't figure out why I needed to have so many points of view. We originally hear from the "weird" upstairs neighbor, then Mr. M the writer, then his wife, then young Herman, then young Laura....then the freaking history teacher. So much going on but how does it all fit. Logically it fits because Mr. M writes a book based on an actual occurrence. Forty years ago a teacher (Landzaat) has an affair with a student (Laura), can't handle when she breaks up with him and then he goes missing. Of course the student and her new boyfriend (Herman) are prime suspects. So we learn early on (this isn't a spoiler) that weird guy is the boyfriend. So all narrators, except M's wife, are parts of this original story and M is the writer. I guess you could call it a different way to do character development.
So we know how the book M writes ends and the narration from the past is what actually happened. Its all jumbled together though. We go from present day 70+ year old M, his wife, and his stalkery neighbor...back 40 years to Herman, Laura, their friends, and the elicit affair. It sounds like it should be confusing but it isn't. M is written to be a jerk. You don't want to like him. He is a pompous has been writer who still thinks he is relevant. His wife (much younger) and daughter are there for show. He probably cares but they are more of a security blanket for an aging man. Weird guy/Herman is disturbing. You keep waiting for him to do something really crazy. Clearly someone who could kill his old teacher, lie about it, and get away with it wouldn't blink at harming the writer who retold the story. Laura is a young girl. She is gorgeous. She can have any boy she wants. She is a good person who made some bad decisions.
All in all it was a great story. Towards the end it is hard to put down (read my random ramblings). You start trying to piece it together. You think you know and then BAM you were totally wrong. I can honestly say I did not see that coming. I thought I had it figured out. Nope, not even close. The mystery stays a mystery until the very end. Not your typical who done it. Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
SPOILERS
I really honestly thought Herman killed Landzaat. The whole book builds him up to be some loner only child who gets his kicks by being a jerk. He is detached from reality. Every time older Herman was narrating I thought for sure M's wife, child, or M himself was going to be harmed in some way. He is not made to be likeable. Clearly he manipulated Laura into loving him and made sure the competition was removed. I mean what normal kid films a teacher laying dead on the floor. He is grilling M about the details in his book. Why he said this, why he left out a particular person, why didn't he want to interview Laura and Herman. He is unstable. He is detached. He is dangerous. And he is pushing himself into M's life.
Laura liked Herman right off the bat. Something about him but she didn't want to admit it. So she lost him to her friend while on a group vacation. The group stays friends and she in a fit of rebellion seduced her history teacher. Him being of unsound mind falls for it and they begin their affair. She is his side piece...he is married with two kids. She doesn't want to be his side piece so she does something stupid. She leaves an earring at his place for his wife to find...then she breaks up with him to date Herman.
Landzaat had an affair with a student. He is not a good person. The problem isn't just the affair. Its the aftermath of the break up. He can't handle the fact that she left him, a man, for some gangly boy her own age. A boy who isn't a jock, who isn't overly attractive, who isn't him. He becomes obsessed. He stalks her. He shows up when she is on Christmas break with Herman. He plans it all out. He will show up there and win her back. Then it changes, he will show up there and fake a car issue causing them to leave in the snow storm to find help. He will kill himself making it look like the kids did it so he can ruin their lives. What is wrong with him!?!?!
Mr. M was also not likeable but not in the "he's a murderer" type of way. More like he is just an jerk. He is an old man who no longer holds his tongue. He says things that are awful. It is implied that he is racist...I think. He gets into a fight with another writer and gets his butt kicked. His life is falling apart. He figures out in his concussed state that weird guy is Herman but before the big reveal from Herman, M slips away into a vegetative state. Oh no we will never know and Herman just watches as the wife tries to help.
Landzaat is back, wait what? He changed his mind he didn't want to die. He faked it all. He decided to run off just as Herman said. He faked amnesia and will show up again in a few months. He finds out about the book and contacts M. He thinks the writer should know the real story. But M already has his story, the kids killed the teacher. He doesn't want to change it. In a fit of career preservation M kills the teacher. What?!?! The end.
I got this book for free from Blogging for Books to read and give my honest review.
| page 94 | 23.0% | "Can I just say...the men in this book are awful! Mr M and the neighbor need a swift kick in the groin...." | ||
| 01/25 | page 325 | 81.0% | "I thought this book was about revenge but I'm really not sure. Its all over the place...different points of view. The stories interconnect but I am still not sure what the point is. Its interesting but very odd." | |
| 01/25 | page 334 | 83.0% | "Good lord man she is 16...pull yourself together...she can't be that great in bed....talk about voodoo punani." | |
| 01/25 | page 342 | 85.0% | "So is this like a repeat thing. He stole the younger girl from the older man in HS and will now steal the younger wife from the old dude as an adult....seriously...what is the point of this book....." | |
| 01/25 | page 347 | 86.0% | "So now M knows who he is.........?" | |
| 01/25 | page 362 | 90.0% | "If it turns out the M has been love sick dude this whole time I will throw the book and my coworkers will think I am insane." | |
| 01/25 | page 363 | 90.0% | "What the e actual...this book is so weird!!!!!" | |
| 01/26 | page 396 | 99.0% | "This book is messing with my brain!!!!!" | |
No comments:
Post a Comment