Ross Raisin: God's Own Country
An uncomfortable read - and not just because of the deeply disturbing turn towards the end of the book. I found the book problematic because of the way the author pitches his main character Sam Marsdyke.
It's obvious from the beginning that Marsdyke is a disturbed individual, but he comes across as being unaware or unconcerned about the consequences of his actions rather than having any insight or understanding. In this sense he seems to have a medical condition rather than being maliciously evil. But this is at odds with the thoroughly repulsive character he becomes by the books end.
Without a doubt the books strength lies in its language. At times Marsdyke's narration comes across as "Clockwork Orange-transported-to-North Yorkshire" and despite his twisted, delusional state of mind some of Marsdyke's observations are laugh-out-loud funny.
An interesting debut.
No comments:
Post a Comment