REVIEW: My Absolute Darling

Book: My Absolute Darling
Publisher: 4th Estate Books
Genre: Fiction, Yong Adult
Rating: 4.5/5
Source: Publisher



Damn! This book is a masterpiece.
The writing is some of the finest I've ever come across in modern literature, and I dare say it actually got me out of the book rut I was in. 


At the start of "My Absolute Darling", it's clear by the descriptions--that Author Gabriel Tallent wasn't painting us a rosy picture of Turtle's home life --no matter how gorgeous the beach was. The old house up on the hill…with peeling white paint, boarded windows, an unfinished back deck, grainy redwood kitchen counters, and *Turtle*, 14 years old, has been sleeping on a plywood bed, with an army surplus bag pulled over her since she was 6 years old. 
She goes to sleep at night listening to rats eating off the dirty dishes in the kitchen. She wakes up in the mornings- going into that kitchen - getting a can of beer to toss to her dad grabs eggs for herself that she cracks right into her mouth. 

As I was reading throughout this story --there are so many situations where we see how the 'daddy' manipulates Turtle's thoughts - and is so clever at it. What Martin did next with the knife boggled my mind. He turned Turtle's thinking around- ( while still controlling and abusive) - to where she surrendered inward -- in the same way a turtle retreats it's head into its shell. 

The one thing that truly bothers me is hard to quantify here, but it has to do with the way it's written. It almost feels as if there's a deliberate attempt to stir adrenaline in the reader or even to reap enjoyment from reading about the graphic sexual abuse. I've seen this in some horror movies as well, where the creator appears to want the viewer to enjoy what they're seeing...

If I had to guess I'd say that this is the root cause of why so many of us feel uncomfortable, unsettled, or downright disturbed with this book. It isn't the story line per se, but the way that it's presented to the reader.

The prose is excellent. Gabriel Tallent writes in a measured, unmelodramatic but rather lyrical style, which brings the people, especially Turtle, wonderfully to life. Just as a tiny example, we get sentences like this: "She waits there in the grass, feeling her every thought stored up and inarticulate within her," and this sort of brilliant distillation of internal experience shines through the book. The sense of place is excellent and dialogue is completely convincing; I especially liked some wonderful episodes of the jokey, wordy, literate chatter of two High School boys as it contrasted with Turtle's near-silent inarticulacy. 

I find it hard to express quite how good I thought this book was. It is a rare combination of an utterly gripping story, excellent writing and genuine depth of content. 

Highly recommended.