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Helpless
From the internationally acclaimed author of The White Bone and The Romantic , a haunting and suspenseful novel of abduction and obsessive love Nine-year-old Rachel Fox has the face of an angel, a heart-stopping luminosity that strikes all who meet her. Her single mother, Celia, working at a video store by day and a piano bar by night, is not always around to shield her daughter from the attention--both benign and sinister--that her beauty draws. Attention from model agencies, for example, or from Ron, a small-appliance repairman who, having seen Rachel once, is driven to see her again and again.
When a summer blackout plunges the city into darkness and confusion, Rachel is taken from her home. A full-scale search begins, but days pass with no solid clues, only a phone call Celia receives from a woman whose voice she has heard before but cannot place. And as Celia fights her terror and Rachel starts to trust in her abductor's kindness, the only other person who knows where she is wavers between loyalty to the captor and saving the child. Will Rachel be found before her abductor's urge to protect and cherish turns to something altogether less innocent?
Tapping into the fear that lies just below the surface of contemporary city life, Barbara Gowdy draws on her trademark empathy and precision to create a portrait of love at its most consuming and ambiguous and to uncover the volatile point at which desire gives way to the unthinkable.
When a summer blackout plunges the city into darkness and confusion, Rachel is taken from her home. A full-scale search begins, but days pass with no solid clues, only a phone call Celia receives from a woman whose voice she has heard before but cannot place. And as Celia fights her terror and Rachel starts to trust in her abductor's kindness, the only other person who knows where she is wavers between loyalty to the captor and saving the child. Will Rachel be found before her abductor's urge to protect and cherish turns to something altogether less innocent?
Tapping into the fear that lies just below the surface of contemporary city life, Barbara Gowdy draws on her trademark empathy and precision to create a portrait of love at its most consuming and ambiguous and to uncover the volatile point at which desire gives way to the unthinkable.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2007
13 people are currently reading
886 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Gowdy
24 books244 followersBarbara Gowdy is the author of seven books, including Helpless, The Romantic, The White Bone, Mister Sandman, We So Seldom Look on Love and Falling Angels, all of which have met with widespread international acclaim. A three-time finalist for The Governor General’s Award, two-time finalist for The Scotia Bank Giller Prize, The Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, winner of the Marian Engel Award and The Trillium Book Prize, Gowdy has been longlisted for The Man Booker Prize. She has been called “a miraculous writer” by the Chicago Tribune, and in 2005 Harper’s magazine described her as a “terrific literary realist” who has “refused to subscribe to worn-out techniques and storytelling methods.” Born in Windsor, Ontario, she lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
November 5, 2017
I liked this well enough. Story of a young girl who is abducted. There are POV's from several characters, (which I liked) including the abductor. Another reviewer mentioned that the story was compelling but lacked depth and I agree with that. A good book but not a great book.
April 8, 2019
Helpless is the first book which I have read by Barbara Gowdy, a monthly author who was selected for the book group which I run on Goodreads. Despite the fact that Gowdy is a bestselling author in her native Canada, and has written quite a few books (one of which was selected for the Man Booker longlist!), I had never heard of her before she was selected. Of her work, Helpless - described as 'a haunting, provocative story of heart-stopping suspense', and called 'a thumping thriller' by The Independent - appealed to me the most, so I elected to read and review it.
Helpless follows a struggling single mother named Celia, who lives in a shabby top-floor apartment in downtown Toronto. She has one daughter, a 'beautiful' nine-year-old named Rachel, who is the focus of the novel. Rachel disappears on a hot summer evening during a blackout, taken to the house of a local repairman named Ron, and kept in a purpose-built bedroom in his basement. Although Ron and Rachel have never met, he falsely convinces himself that she is being abused at home, and that she should be his responsibility, rather than her mother's. Ron's feelings for Rachel are 'at once tender, misguided and chillingly possessive.'
Helpless is an uncomfortable book to read almost from the very beginning. In the first chapter, in which thirty seven-year-old Ron is introduced, lurking outside a school, she writes: 'He waited. Really young girls have never interested him. Neither have girls whose faces and bodies are starting to show their adult contours. His type is skinny, with olive to light brown skin and features that through some fineness of bone structure promise to remain delicate.' He takes this journey to a local school around once a week, sitting in his van and watching the young girls who pass him. On this occasion, he spies Rachel, and quickly becomes obsessed with her. He begins to follow her everywhere. Gowdy writes: 'Everything about her thrilled him: her thin brown arms, the insectlike hinge of her elbows, her prancing step, the shapely bulb of her head, her small square shoulders bearing the burden of her backpack...'.
Gowdy appears to be hyper-aware of how both a mother and daughter in this situation would feel. She writes the following when the police have become involved in the case: 'Celia's dread amplifies. She doesn't really think that Rachel is out in the open, but she doesn't rule out the possibility, either. Not knowing where she is turns every place, every house and garage and abandoned store, every trunk of every car and now every ditch and field, into a place she might be.'
The novel provides quite an involved character study of Celia. Regardless of the depth which Gowdy went into, and the exploration of her past - her unplanned pregnancy at the age of twenty-one, and her mother's death occurring just before Rachel was born - however, did not quite turn Celia into a believable protagonist. Rather, she remained flat, and had very little agency. I did not warm to Rachel either, who again felt two-dimensional. The only character who came across as vaguely realistic was Ron. His girlfriend, Nancy, serves a purpose in the storyline, protecting Ron from those who suspect him and the like, but I found her quite an irritating character.
The similarities which Jane Shilling in the Sunday Telegraph draws between Helpless and John Fowles' The Collector were, I felt, relatively unfounded. Yes, there are similarities in terms of the plot, but I found Helpless far less chilling and engaging. The novel reminded me rather of Lolita in the feelings of discomfort which it produced in me, and the disgust which I felt towards its main male protagonist. I was also reminded of Beth Hutcheon's Still Missing, told in quite plain prose, which deals with the disappearance of a young boy, and his mother's reactions.
The prose style of Helpless surprised me; it was largely nondescript and matter-of-fact, and I was not blown away by any of Gowdy's descriptions or scene-building. However, what did work well was the present tense which Gowdy employed; it enabled the novel to have an immediacy, an urgency. There was a good level of pace, and a nice rhythm to the novel's structure. The storyline did not seem quite consistent, though, and I wasn't satisfied with the book's ending, as it seemed to finish rather abruptly.
In some ways, Helpless was interesting and absorbing, but I did find that it became bogged down with detail and drawn out after the first few chapters. It lacked the impact which I would have expected from any book which deals with similar themes. I was not entirely impressed with Helpless, and did not find it particularly satisfying.
After reading quite a few reviews by those familiar with the rest of the author's work, however, it seems to be her least liked novel. I would definitely like to pick up another book by Gowdy in future, in order to see how it compares. Helpless does not feel like a wholly accomplished work for such a respected author to have written, particularly given that this was her seventh book. Regardless, it does give the reader a lot to consider.
Helpless follows a struggling single mother named Celia, who lives in a shabby top-floor apartment in downtown Toronto. She has one daughter, a 'beautiful' nine-year-old named Rachel, who is the focus of the novel. Rachel disappears on a hot summer evening during a blackout, taken to the house of a local repairman named Ron, and kept in a purpose-built bedroom in his basement. Although Ron and Rachel have never met, he falsely convinces himself that she is being abused at home, and that she should be his responsibility, rather than her mother's. Ron's feelings for Rachel are 'at once tender, misguided and chillingly possessive.'
Helpless is an uncomfortable book to read almost from the very beginning. In the first chapter, in which thirty seven-year-old Ron is introduced, lurking outside a school, she writes: 'He waited. Really young girls have never interested him. Neither have girls whose faces and bodies are starting to show their adult contours. His type is skinny, with olive to light brown skin and features that through some fineness of bone structure promise to remain delicate.' He takes this journey to a local school around once a week, sitting in his van and watching the young girls who pass him. On this occasion, he spies Rachel, and quickly becomes obsessed with her. He begins to follow her everywhere. Gowdy writes: 'Everything about her thrilled him: her thin brown arms, the insectlike hinge of her elbows, her prancing step, the shapely bulb of her head, her small square shoulders bearing the burden of her backpack...'.
Gowdy appears to be hyper-aware of how both a mother and daughter in this situation would feel. She writes the following when the police have become involved in the case: 'Celia's dread amplifies. She doesn't really think that Rachel is out in the open, but she doesn't rule out the possibility, either. Not knowing where she is turns every place, every house and garage and abandoned store, every trunk of every car and now every ditch and field, into a place she might be.'
The novel provides quite an involved character study of Celia. Regardless of the depth which Gowdy went into, and the exploration of her past - her unplanned pregnancy at the age of twenty-one, and her mother's death occurring just before Rachel was born - however, did not quite turn Celia into a believable protagonist. Rather, she remained flat, and had very little agency. I did not warm to Rachel either, who again felt two-dimensional. The only character who came across as vaguely realistic was Ron. His girlfriend, Nancy, serves a purpose in the storyline, protecting Ron from those who suspect him and the like, but I found her quite an irritating character.
The similarities which Jane Shilling in the Sunday Telegraph draws between Helpless and John Fowles' The Collector were, I felt, relatively unfounded. Yes, there are similarities in terms of the plot, but I found Helpless far less chilling and engaging. The novel reminded me rather of Lolita in the feelings of discomfort which it produced in me, and the disgust which I felt towards its main male protagonist. I was also reminded of Beth Hutcheon's Still Missing, told in quite plain prose, which deals with the disappearance of a young boy, and his mother's reactions.
The prose style of Helpless surprised me; it was largely nondescript and matter-of-fact, and I was not blown away by any of Gowdy's descriptions or scene-building. However, what did work well was the present tense which Gowdy employed; it enabled the novel to have an immediacy, an urgency. There was a good level of pace, and a nice rhythm to the novel's structure. The storyline did not seem quite consistent, though, and I wasn't satisfied with the book's ending, as it seemed to finish rather abruptly.
In some ways, Helpless was interesting and absorbing, but I did find that it became bogged down with detail and drawn out after the first few chapters. It lacked the impact which I would have expected from any book which deals with similar themes. I was not entirely impressed with Helpless, and did not find it particularly satisfying.
After reading quite a few reviews by those familiar with the rest of the author's work, however, it seems to be her least liked novel. I would definitely like to pick up another book by Gowdy in future, in order to see how it compares. Helpless does not feel like a wholly accomplished work for such a respected author to have written, particularly given that this was her seventh book. Regardless, it does give the reader a lot to consider.
September 19, 2016
This is a disturbing book, one that once begun kept me turning the pages. It is very typically Gowdy, meaning that the protagonist is a humanized creep. And that is what marks Gowdy apart from the good writer — the ability to bring to her readers a feeling of understanding, and even some empathy, for a completely unsympathetic character. It seems anti-social to think and feel that a child abductor could be human, and not just a caricature of evil. But this is the power of Gowdy's writing.
Gowdy commented that the story she wanted to explore with Helpless was the anguish of a parent whose child disappears. And on the surface the disturbing part of this book is of a mother's horror of a child being abducted by a person or persons unknown. But somehow that story did not dominate the novel. Perhaps, during the writing, the writer's challenge of the abductor's motivation and humanity took over because that part becomes the central driving element of the novel. And what makes the book as disturbing, psychologically, as it is — and it is very disturbing — is the manner of Gowdy's portrayal of the kidnapper.
In her hands the human proceeded along an insane course of action within the bounds of fully justified logic and sound reasoning. There is a disturbing, unsettling empathy that is generated by this character as he proceeds along his path not as an insane evil creature, but as a frail human who has successfully denied to himself the nature of his nature. His self-delusion allows him to perfectly rationalize his actions; within his scope of self denied understanding his motivations are truly honourable and in this psychology he echos our own failings of self understanding, honesty and/or awareness. Not that many of us have stalked and kidnapped children! But where have we, for example, not fallen victim to own self denials, to our own delusions about our motivations or sense of social propriety? Who here on the planet has not rationalized and justified small selfish behaviours as being for some kind of altruistic 'best'? Where have we chosen to live a lie because it served an end which was made to look generous but served our ego's need? When have we mislead someone around us to support us, or manipulated someone to collaborate with us to assuage our feeling of doing something amoral? And how often are we unaware of why it is we do the things we do, ignorant of what motivates us?
... [To see my extended review of this complex book, please go to my blog @ egajdbooks.
Gowdy commented that the story she wanted to explore with Helpless was the anguish of a parent whose child disappears. And on the surface the disturbing part of this book is of a mother's horror of a child being abducted by a person or persons unknown. But somehow that story did not dominate the novel. Perhaps, during the writing, the writer's challenge of the abductor's motivation and humanity took over because that part becomes the central driving element of the novel. And what makes the book as disturbing, psychologically, as it is — and it is very disturbing — is the manner of Gowdy's portrayal of the kidnapper.
In her hands the human proceeded along an insane course of action within the bounds of fully justified logic and sound reasoning. There is a disturbing, unsettling empathy that is generated by this character as he proceeds along his path not as an insane evil creature, but as a frail human who has successfully denied to himself the nature of his nature. His self-delusion allows him to perfectly rationalize his actions; within his scope of self denied understanding his motivations are truly honourable and in this psychology he echos our own failings of self understanding, honesty and/or awareness. Not that many of us have stalked and kidnapped children! But where have we, for example, not fallen victim to own self denials, to our own delusions about our motivations or sense of social propriety? Who here on the planet has not rationalized and justified small selfish behaviours as being for some kind of altruistic 'best'? Where have we chosen to live a lie because it served an end which was made to look generous but served our ego's need? When have we mislead someone around us to support us, or manipulated someone to collaborate with us to assuage our feeling of doing something amoral? And how often are we unaware of why it is we do the things we do, ignorant of what motivates us?
... [To see my extended review of this complex book, please go to my blog @ egajdbooks.
January 2, 2010
Wow. Gowdy sure knows how to tell a gripping story.
The book tells the story of Celia, a single mother, whose daughter Rachel is 9 years old and exceptionally beautiful. When Rachel goes missing during a blackout, Celia desperately clings to her intuition that Rachel is still alive... meanwhile, the kidnapper watches the media coverage with interest, whilst keeping Rachel in his recently-renovated basement.
The book had me hooked from page one. The story is told from many different perspectives - Rachel, Celia, the kidnapper, his girlfriend and the family friend. Each perspective gives us more of an insight into the devastation caused by the kidnapper's actions. The book addresses the issues of mental instability - the kidnapper's reasons for his actions are not all they seem, the kidnapper's girlfriend disagrees with what he's done, but goes along with it for reasons of her own. The characters are well built, especially the kidnapper and his girlfriend. I also liked the characterisation of Rachel - I felt quite attached to her throughout the book and I thought that her emotions were very well written. The bond between Celia and Rachel is also well explored and whilst Celia held it together quite well, it was easy to interpret the desperation she was feeling. There are many moral issues raised in the book and they have been handled with care and compassion. It wasn't an easy read because of the subject matter and at times it felt quite uncomfortable, yet I'm glad I read it.
I felt compelled to keep reading and read the second half of the book in one sitting. I liked the ending, however I wanted to know more and felt that it could have done with an extra couple of chapters. That said, it doesn't take away from how well written this book is and I would definitely recommend it.
The book tells the story of Celia, a single mother, whose daughter Rachel is 9 years old and exceptionally beautiful. When Rachel goes missing during a blackout, Celia desperately clings to her intuition that Rachel is still alive... meanwhile, the kidnapper watches the media coverage with interest, whilst keeping Rachel in his recently-renovated basement.
The book had me hooked from page one. The story is told from many different perspectives - Rachel, Celia, the kidnapper, his girlfriend and the family friend. Each perspective gives us more of an insight into the devastation caused by the kidnapper's actions. The book addresses the issues of mental instability - the kidnapper's reasons for his actions are not all they seem, the kidnapper's girlfriend disagrees with what he's done, but goes along with it for reasons of her own. The characters are well built, especially the kidnapper and his girlfriend. I also liked the characterisation of Rachel - I felt quite attached to her throughout the book and I thought that her emotions were very well written. The bond between Celia and Rachel is also well explored and whilst Celia held it together quite well, it was easy to interpret the desperation she was feeling. There are many moral issues raised in the book and they have been handled with care and compassion. It wasn't an easy read because of the subject matter and at times it felt quite uncomfortable, yet I'm glad I read it.
I felt compelled to keep reading and read the second half of the book in one sitting. I liked the ending, however I wanted to know more and felt that it could have done with an extra couple of chapters. That said, it doesn't take away from how well written this book is and I would definitely recommend it.
March 10, 2011
Barbara Gowdy achieves something remarkable in this book. In this spell-binding story, which I barely put down and was sorry to finish, she made me care deeply about a beautiful young girl, her flawed mother, a hard-bitten former addict -- and a pedophile.
The title refers to the forces that all of these characters struggle against, and illustrates the adage that, if we really know someone, we will understand them and why they do what they do. We will understand that, if we were them, we would probably act like them.
It's a beautiful story, and a spectacular accomplishment. I could feel those parts of my mind that judge others harshly softening, being transformed into something more permeable and illuminated.
The title refers to the forces that all of these characters struggle against, and illustrates the adage that, if we really know someone, we will understand them and why they do what they do. We will understand that, if we were them, we would probably act like them.
It's a beautiful story, and a spectacular accomplishment. I could feel those parts of my mind that judge others harshly softening, being transformed into something more permeable and illuminated.
October 3, 2007
gowdy, a marvelous author of quirky experimental fiction, takes the straight road with this story of perverted desire and misses a great chance to investigate and complicate the place where (im)morality, love, desire, sex, and need meet. this is a bland book that will make you side with the child abductor, not because he's sympathetic (besides being a pedophile, the poor bastard is bald, fat, sweaty, and an all-around sad sack), but because he's the least sickeningly normal of all the characters.
May 7, 2019
This book started out going nowhere, and never got any better.
October 3, 2022
The story of a child abduction told from the perspective of the abductor, his accomplice, the child, and the mother. Goody does an excellent job of humanizing the abductor, no small feat.
October 5, 2019
This is an intriguing book. It proves to be not what you were expecting at all. The premise is a very scary one and this is a gentle approach to an awful situation.
September 24, 2011
Barbara Gowdy rarely disappoints. Her novels appear on bestseller lists around the world, and she no doubt has a loyal fan base. Helpless, Gowdy’s sixth book, contains everything her readers have come to expect from her work – intelligence, sympathy, perception, and solid writing.
Helpless details the abduction of Rachel, the nine-year-old daughter of Celia Fox. The young girl – considered an uncommon beauty by everyone that meets her – becomes the object of one man’s dark obsession, which in many ways is simply a grosser extension of the way the rest of the male world has come to regard her. Rachel and her mother, for instance, are stopped in the street one afternoon, out-of-the-blue, by a modelling agent promising riches.
The abduction by Ron, a pedophile in denial, occurs during a massive city-wide power outage, understandably plunging the lives of those around the girl into chaos. The novel balances the story of Rachel and her captors with that of Celia, her frantic mother. There is a brief flirtation with the Stockholm Syndrome, and an uncomfortable rapprochement between Rachel and Ron.
The strength of this novel is clearly in the character of Ron, and to a lesser extent, Jenny – Ron’s mislead and frantic accomplice. The rest of the novel’s myriad contributors pale in comparison. Even Celia, the novel’s supposed protagonist appears two-dimensional in Ron’s shadow. Rather than portray him as a dark unknown entity, Gowdy skirts the dangerous territory of creating sympathy – if not acceptance – for a man struggling with his own monstrous desires, not wishing to do harm but deluding himself and those closest to him.
That being said, Helpless smolders with anticipation, but never truly ignites. It dallies with the dark undercurrents of pedophilia but pulls away to safety before anyone gets burned. The plot and language are competent but without risk. The character of Ron is fascinating in his sickness, but it is difficult to believe that Rachel’s life and welfare are ever indeed at risk.
Helpless offers its readers a glimpse of possible evil, but then allows them to retreat, and ultimately sleep soundly.
Helpless details the abduction of Rachel, the nine-year-old daughter of Celia Fox. The young girl – considered an uncommon beauty by everyone that meets her – becomes the object of one man’s dark obsession, which in many ways is simply a grosser extension of the way the rest of the male world has come to regard her. Rachel and her mother, for instance, are stopped in the street one afternoon, out-of-the-blue, by a modelling agent promising riches.
The abduction by Ron, a pedophile in denial, occurs during a massive city-wide power outage, understandably plunging the lives of those around the girl into chaos. The novel balances the story of Rachel and her captors with that of Celia, her frantic mother. There is a brief flirtation with the Stockholm Syndrome, and an uncomfortable rapprochement between Rachel and Ron.
The strength of this novel is clearly in the character of Ron, and to a lesser extent, Jenny – Ron’s mislead and frantic accomplice. The rest of the novel’s myriad contributors pale in comparison. Even Celia, the novel’s supposed protagonist appears two-dimensional in Ron’s shadow. Rather than portray him as a dark unknown entity, Gowdy skirts the dangerous territory of creating sympathy – if not acceptance – for a man struggling with his own monstrous desires, not wishing to do harm but deluding himself and those closest to him.
That being said, Helpless smolders with anticipation, but never truly ignites. It dallies with the dark undercurrents of pedophilia but pulls away to safety before anyone gets burned. The plot and language are competent but without risk. The character of Ron is fascinating in his sickness, but it is difficult to believe that Rachel’s life and welfare are ever indeed at risk.
Helpless offers its readers a glimpse of possible evil, but then allows them to retreat, and ultimately sleep soundly.
May 11, 2010
What I enjoy most about Barbara Gowdy's work is her willingness to take risks, and her interest and ability in portraying misfits, the disenfranchised, and outcasts of society.
This novel's POV alternates between five characters. There's Celia, a single mother, her beautiful nine year old daughter, Rachel, their loyal and generous landlord, Mika, Ron, a nerdy man struggling with pedophilic tendencies, and Ron's quirky and naive girlfriend, Nancy.
When Gowdy published this book she was accused of empathizing with pedophiles and as a result was compelled to defend her work. But of course, as a writer, her goal was merely a curiosity and a desire to study this abnormality, all wrapped in a suspenseful story.
Following is a snippet of an interview with Gowdy that helps show what she was up to:
An Interview with Barbara Gowdy
How did you first become interested in the theme of child abduction?
I found myself wondering, What is the worst thing that could happen to a person? The answer I came up with was losing a child. Not to death, but actually losing a child, finding yourself faced with the unspeakable fact of her disappearance. So I decided to try to write a novel about that. The challenge became how to make the story readable, how to offer hope to the character of the mother and to pull back on the tension.
You have described the book as a suspense novel and also--this might be surprising to some readers--as a 'love story.'
Ron, the abductor, is desperately in love, clearly, an unrequited love, a hopeless, illegal love, but it's pure and true in its way.
Because of the subject matter, I hesitated in choosing this book to read. But, nothing nasty happens and the result is a real page turner. My only complaint is that the ending seemed to unfold too quickly. Even at 300 pages, I could have gone on for another 200.
It's a good read, and job well done!
This novel's POV alternates between five characters. There's Celia, a single mother, her beautiful nine year old daughter, Rachel, their loyal and generous landlord, Mika, Ron, a nerdy man struggling with pedophilic tendencies, and Ron's quirky and naive girlfriend, Nancy.
When Gowdy published this book she was accused of empathizing with pedophiles and as a result was compelled to defend her work. But of course, as a writer, her goal was merely a curiosity and a desire to study this abnormality, all wrapped in a suspenseful story.
Following is a snippet of an interview with Gowdy that helps show what she was up to:
An Interview with Barbara Gowdy
How did you first become interested in the theme of child abduction?
I found myself wondering, What is the worst thing that could happen to a person? The answer I came up with was losing a child. Not to death, but actually losing a child, finding yourself faced with the unspeakable fact of her disappearance. So I decided to try to write a novel about that. The challenge became how to make the story readable, how to offer hope to the character of the mother and to pull back on the tension.
You have described the book as a suspense novel and also--this might be surprising to some readers--as a 'love story.'
Ron, the abductor, is desperately in love, clearly, an unrequited love, a hopeless, illegal love, but it's pure and true in its way.
Because of the subject matter, I hesitated in choosing this book to read. But, nothing nasty happens and the result is a real page turner. My only complaint is that the ending seemed to unfold too quickly. Even at 300 pages, I could have gone on for another 200.
It's a good read, and job well done!
February 8, 2009
I stayed awake until the early hours of this morning to finish this book, it is strangly compelling, yet very disturbing at the same time.
The recent tragic cases of child abduction gives this novel a very fresh and vivid sense of horror, it is far from an easy read and every time I put it down I had a stragne sense of almost voyeurism.
Rachel, the little girl at the centre of the story is exceptionally beautiful - her mother is bringing her up single-handedly but in almost poverty stricken conditions. Rachel has never met her father, yet adores the idea of her father that she has conjured up in her mind. Apart from her mother, their landlord, Mika is the only other important person in her life. Then there is Ron, the strange geeky repairman who has become transfixed by Rachel from afar and has convinced himself that she is unhappy and being ill-treated. Ron's girlfriend Nancy is a sad, abused woman who needs to be loved and although she finds it very difficult to deal with what Ron is doing, and his reasons - she goes along with his plans.
Many issues are covered in the story - many that most of us dont want to have to consider, and hopefully will never have to experience personally. It is very well written and the urgency to turn over to the next page increases towards the end.
'Enjoyed' is not the correct word to use - but I would recommend it.
The recent tragic cases of child abduction gives this novel a very fresh and vivid sense of horror, it is far from an easy read and every time I put it down I had a stragne sense of almost voyeurism.
Rachel, the little girl at the centre of the story is exceptionally beautiful - her mother is bringing her up single-handedly but in almost poverty stricken conditions. Rachel has never met her father, yet adores the idea of her father that she has conjured up in her mind. Apart from her mother, their landlord, Mika is the only other important person in her life. Then there is Ron, the strange geeky repairman who has become transfixed by Rachel from afar and has convinced himself that she is unhappy and being ill-treated. Ron's girlfriend Nancy is a sad, abused woman who needs to be loved and although she finds it very difficult to deal with what Ron is doing, and his reasons - she goes along with his plans.
Many issues are covered in the story - many that most of us dont want to have to consider, and hopefully will never have to experience personally. It is very well written and the urgency to turn over to the next page increases towards the end.
'Enjoyed' is not the correct word to use - but I would recommend it.
January 12, 2014
With a depth of imagery and a remarkable knowledge of human behaviour that is unattainable for most writers, Gowdy presents us with love in various forms - parental, perverse or otherwise - and displays the intensity that can make our most earnest attempts at caring for someone devastating. She clears the darkness and lets us inside places unimaginable, whether we think we want to make the journey or not.
She has clearly done her homework, which would have been extensive and substantial, for this work. Detail and accuracy allow the story to shine. There are no weak characters. All are developed and true, from the primary and secondary to the most minute and even the animals. Her ability to humanize Ron is nothing beyond incredible.
Read this book and bask in Gowdy's achievement.
She has clearly done her homework, which would have been extensive and substantial, for this work. Detail and accuracy allow the story to shine. There are no weak characters. All are developed and true, from the primary and secondary to the most minute and even the animals. Her ability to humanize Ron is nothing beyond incredible.
Read this book and bask in Gowdy's achievement.
July 9, 2015
The plot sounded good when I picked this book randomly off the library shelf. I suppose it's good enough because I finished it. BUT, i couldn't wait to get done with it so I can move on to something more pleasurable and with more substance. It just didn't feel like very deep writing or much thought put into the characters or the personalities. It felt disjointed, somehow and without substance. (Oh, I said that already.) For example, I didn't even know the story was set in Canada until 3/4 of the way through the book. I was glad to be done with it.
October 16, 2009
Yikes, scary portrayl of abduction where you actually feel somewhat sorry for the abductor.
October 21, 2016
Creepy. Gripping. Suspenseful. A parent's worst nightmare. Overall a good read.
September 16, 2018
Celia Fox is a single mother who works from Monday to Thursday as a video store clerk, but on Friday and Saturday nights she plays jazz and blues at a piano bar in a local motel, occasionally allowing her nine-year-old daughter to sing duets with her. Rachel is an exceptionally beautiful child, attracting attention wherever she goes, including from modelling agency scouts. The constant struggle with money momentarily tempts Celia to respond to one such scout who chases her and her daughter along the street, treats them to tea in a café and hints that Rachel’s looks could earn as much as $1000 for high end assignments. However, she soon decides that Rachel is far too young to start trading on her looks and anyway, she has seen how some men are already looking at her daughter. They rent an apartment in the house of their landlord Mika, who is a good friend and often looks after Rachel when Celia is working. Whilst money is tight, they are just about managing, although the future feels precarious and Celia often feels guilty that she isn’t providing more security for her daughter.
Ron Clarkson owns a business, repairing small appliances and, as a side-line, restores old, collectible models of vacuum cleaners: in a rather nerdy, obsessional way he knows everything there is to know about every model. A darker obsession is his predilection for hanging around all the local primary schools, feasting his eyes on young girls. Although he recognises that his interest is not socially acceptable, he does pride himself on being able to control his underlying sexual compulsions, believing that this sets him apart from justifiably despised paedophiles. He becomes aware of Rachel and, convincing himself that her mother is neglectful, and that Mika is sexually molesting her, he decides that he should rescue her and provide a safe, loving home for her. To this end he remodels the basement of his house into a no expenses spared “little girl’s dream” bedroom. He also promises his girlfriend Nancy, who is desperate for a child, that they will adopt one; little does she know that he has already made the choice and that he will make her complicit in the abduction of Rachel. A major, area-wide power cut offers him an unexpected opportunity to snatch Rachel, triggering a city-wide search for her and plunging Celia into a spiral of despair and guilt.
This is a very dark and disturbing story and there were moments when I was reading when I felt distinctly uncomfortable about feeling so engaged with the developing storyline. In managing to make Ron a flawed human being rather than an evil monster, as she exposed the childhood experiences which led to his subsequent behaviour. As a reader I was aware that the twisted logic of his compulsion to rescue and to care for a child whom he regarded as neglected and abused was a rationalisation of his darker, unacceptable compulsions. Yet the author forced me to recognise the influences of his own experiences as a child, as well as his self-denial in his desperate struggles to control his adult urges. Although there was never a moment when I reached a point of any degree of acceptance of what he was doing, I certainly had moments when I felt twinges of sympathy for this lonely, inadequate man, even as I felt repulsed by both his attitudes and his behaviour – a very disturbing reading experience.
In addition to child abuse, this story explores the increasing sexualisation of young girls, society’s views on single parent families, with the extra condemnation which accompanies their childcare arrangements, the complex police procedures which are set in motion whenever a child goes missing, procedures which all too often throw suspicion on anyone close to the child which, fuelled by unwanted media attention, adds to the stress experienced by family and friends.
I am full of admiration for Barbara Gowdy (an author who had escaped my reading-radar!) for having the courage to write such a controversial, thought-provoking novel, for the skill with which she developed her complex, flawed characters and the way in which she controlled the escalating tension in the increasingly sinister plot. I think that the range of themes this story covers would make it a good choice for reading groups – although I imagine some debates will be rather heated!
I am left wondering how Barbara Gowdy has escaped my reading-radar until now! However, after this thought-provoking story she is now firmly on it and I look forward to catching up on some of her other novels.
Ron Clarkson owns a business, repairing small appliances and, as a side-line, restores old, collectible models of vacuum cleaners: in a rather nerdy, obsessional way he knows everything there is to know about every model. A darker obsession is his predilection for hanging around all the local primary schools, feasting his eyes on young girls. Although he recognises that his interest is not socially acceptable, he does pride himself on being able to control his underlying sexual compulsions, believing that this sets him apart from justifiably despised paedophiles. He becomes aware of Rachel and, convincing himself that her mother is neglectful, and that Mika is sexually molesting her, he decides that he should rescue her and provide a safe, loving home for her. To this end he remodels the basement of his house into a no expenses spared “little girl’s dream” bedroom. He also promises his girlfriend Nancy, who is desperate for a child, that they will adopt one; little does she know that he has already made the choice and that he will make her complicit in the abduction of Rachel. A major, area-wide power cut offers him an unexpected opportunity to snatch Rachel, triggering a city-wide search for her and plunging Celia into a spiral of despair and guilt.
This is a very dark and disturbing story and there were moments when I was reading when I felt distinctly uncomfortable about feeling so engaged with the developing storyline. In managing to make Ron a flawed human being rather than an evil monster, as she exposed the childhood experiences which led to his subsequent behaviour. As a reader I was aware that the twisted logic of his compulsion to rescue and to care for a child whom he regarded as neglected and abused was a rationalisation of his darker, unacceptable compulsions. Yet the author forced me to recognise the influences of his own experiences as a child, as well as his self-denial in his desperate struggles to control his adult urges. Although there was never a moment when I reached a point of any degree of acceptance of what he was doing, I certainly had moments when I felt twinges of sympathy for this lonely, inadequate man, even as I felt repulsed by both his attitudes and his behaviour – a very disturbing reading experience.
In addition to child abuse, this story explores the increasing sexualisation of young girls, society’s views on single parent families, with the extra condemnation which accompanies their childcare arrangements, the complex police procedures which are set in motion whenever a child goes missing, procedures which all too often throw suspicion on anyone close to the child which, fuelled by unwanted media attention, adds to the stress experienced by family and friends.
I am full of admiration for Barbara Gowdy (an author who had escaped my reading-radar!) for having the courage to write such a controversial, thought-provoking novel, for the skill with which she developed her complex, flawed characters and the way in which she controlled the escalating tension in the increasingly sinister plot. I think that the range of themes this story covers would make it a good choice for reading groups – although I imagine some debates will be rather heated!
I am left wondering how Barbara Gowdy has escaped my reading-radar until now! However, after this thought-provoking story she is now firmly on it and I look forward to catching up on some of her other novels.
August 11, 2018
What did I just read?
No I'm sorry. This book lost me when tried to make me sympathize with a pedophile. OMG.
So. This book upset me. For starters the 9 year old girl acts like a teenager. The Mom acts like an idiot. And the bad guy tries to pretend he's normal. The girl gets kidnapped and 8 days later likes her captor? The captor is in love with a 9 year old. He's like 50?! And he thinks that's okay? He's surprised when he finds out she's 9, he thought she was 8. Like that makes it better? And then he says it's okay that he kidnapped her because her mother was horrible, and his fucking girlfriend goes along with it.
WTF?!
So why did this get 3 stars? Well, I'd give the book 2 stars on the plot alone. When I wasn't creeped the hell out by the characters, or angry at them, I was pretty interested.I wanted to know what was going to happen and how she'd get away. The fact that she gets away with barely anything happening to her is a godsend. But I digress. What saved this book was the way it was written. The prose itself was absolutely magical. I just didn't like the topic or the characters.
No I'm sorry. This book lost me when tried to make me sympathize with a pedophile. OMG.
So. This book upset me. For starters the 9 year old girl acts like a teenager. The Mom acts like an idiot. And the bad guy tries to pretend he's normal. The girl gets kidnapped and 8 days later likes her captor? The captor is in love with a 9 year old. He's like 50?! And he thinks that's okay? He's surprised when he finds out she's 9, he thought she was 8. Like that makes it better? And then he says it's okay that he kidnapped her because her mother was horrible, and his fucking girlfriend goes along with it.
WTF?!
So why did this get 3 stars? Well, I'd give the book 2 stars on the plot alone. When I wasn't creeped the hell out by the characters, or angry at them, I was pretty interested.I wanted to know what was going to happen and how she'd get away. The fact that she gets away with barely anything happening to her is a godsend. But I digress. What saved this book was the way it was written. The prose itself was absolutely magical. I just didn't like the topic or the characters.
June 12, 2019
Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
Read Full Review at www.lifeloveliteratureclub.wordpress.com
This is an uncomfortable, heartbreaking and sometimes hard to read story but I enjoyed it and found myself flying through it, wanting to know Rachel's fate.
Helpless tells the story of Celia, and her beautiful nine year old daughter, Rachel. One summer night, there is a blackout in their neighborhood in Toronto. It is on that night that Rachel is taken by a man named Ron and kept in his basement, which he has renovated into a little girls dream bedroom. Ron's motivation for kidnapping Rachel is that he thinks she is being "abused" by her mother and the men in their lives.
This story is told from multiple POVs, which I enjoyed. My heart broke for Rachel and Celia and
I hated when she started liking Ron. There were times I almost put the book down. Without giving anything else away, I loved the ending. It was better than I had hoped for and what I had predicted.
I appreciate Gowdy for writing such a controversial and heartbreaking novel and taking us into our own fears. I will definitely be reading more of her work!
Read Full Review at www.lifeloveliteratureclub.wordpress.com
This is an uncomfortable, heartbreaking and sometimes hard to read story but I enjoyed it and found myself flying through it, wanting to know Rachel's fate.
Helpless tells the story of Celia, and her beautiful nine year old daughter, Rachel. One summer night, there is a blackout in their neighborhood in Toronto. It is on that night that Rachel is taken by a man named Ron and kept in his basement, which he has renovated into a little girls dream bedroom. Ron's motivation for kidnapping Rachel is that he thinks she is being "abused" by her mother and the men in their lives.
This story is told from multiple POVs, which I enjoyed. My heart broke for Rachel and Celia and
I hated when she started liking Ron. There were times I almost put the book down. Without giving anything else away, I loved the ending. It was better than I had hoped for and what I had predicted.
I appreciate Gowdy for writing such a controversial and heartbreaking novel and taking us into our own fears. I will definitely be reading more of her work!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2018
This one's about a 9-year-old girl kidnapped by a pedophile who is convinced he's rescuing her from an abusive home. He and his girlfriend keep her in a specially constructed room in the basement. He's an appliance repairman who also collects rare old vacuum cleaners.
I think I've read this one before - the vacuum cleaner thing really rang a bell. Or maybe I've seen the movie. In any event, it's not my favourite Barbara Gowdy novel, so it's too bad if I accidentally read it twice.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. One was the constant references to how gorgeous the kid was. The other was the whole premise of a stranger kidnapping a kid off the street. I get irritated by books and movies that feed into that whole scary stranger thing, when what kids really need is protection from the pedophiles their parents know and trust.
I think I've read this one before - the vacuum cleaner thing really rang a bell. Or maybe I've seen the movie. In any event, it's not my favourite Barbara Gowdy novel, so it's too bad if I accidentally read it twice.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. One was the constant references to how gorgeous the kid was. The other was the whole premise of a stranger kidnapping a kid off the street. I get irritated by books and movies that feed into that whole scary stranger thing, when what kids really need is protection from the pedophiles their parents know and trust.
September 2, 2021
More of a 3.5/5! This book made me so uncomfortable, I thought I would not finish it. It was an interesting concept and it made me think about an obsession with a particular human. There is a girl named Rachel that gets kidnapped by what I would describe as a pedophile but the author tried to portray it as a man with pedophilic feelings. That was different thinking for me. I loved that there were different POVs to this book. I thought Ron (the kidnapper) was absolutely disgusting but I could see that the author tried to make him understandable and likeable. I really wanted to know what happened at the end!!! It was disappointing to some extent but I loved learning about the character's minds and really how all of them functioned.
September 23, 2021
This little girl Sometimes acted like a 20 something girl. Towards the ending the story was more interesting but I still liked more Ron's Childhood story so many things the author didn't explain about it but that was more engaging than the Main story I really didn't get a lot of stuff I'm still confused like why the Mother had money but didn't want to spend it? What about his cheating Dad and ex boyfriend? What about the lover she tried to had sex once and he couldn't because he was thinking in the little girl? Like that was fucked. I didn't get a lot of things like I said although some didn't need an explanation at the end it's just that I tend to focus on that kind of stuff. Didn't get what Ron was feeling at the end either, I feel Bad for him and I hate him at the same time. Poor soul
January 23, 2025
This is a book that I was reading and thought it would be something very different . It started to get uncomfortable to read about a little girl who a man in his later 30’s kidnaps because he wanted to save her from her life he feels is tough and she willl learn to love him in time and he can give her anything she will ever want . He just wants to save her . She’s a beautiful little 9 year old girl . But something sinister starts to happen in the book . His thoughts , his lingering ache to be with her and care for her . She’s so beautiful. Why the author has to keep referring her beauty throughout the book seemed overkill .but overall the book was just ok . Not a book I can recommend .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
Rating Gowdy's Helpless is helpless. There's little to question about its well-crafted suspense and creepiness in a plot that could be summarized by two whispered words in the ear of any urban parent: amber alert. It's off the scale. But barely a blip as a literary exploration of any of a number of possible subjects: freedom v. protection, psychotic obsession, the media spectacle, the victimization of friends and relatives: all there but all at the shallow end of the pool. A "summer read?" It deserves 5 stars for sure. Something more serious: perhaps one or two.
April 4, 2019
Sehr gutes Buch, geschrieben im Stile eines Krimis. Es geht um eine Kindsentführung, bei welcher der Entführer (Ron) sexuelle Phantasien gegenüber der jungen Geisel hat. Wie Barbara Gowdy das heikle Thema anpackt, ist hervorragend. Ihre Sprache (einfach, schnörkellos) ist ebenfalls positiv hervorzuheben. Der einzige Schwachpunkt ist meiner Meinung nach der Schluss (den ich hiermit *nicht* verrate): Ich konnte überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen, weshalb die Hauptfigur so reagiert. Deshalb einen Stern Abzug, leider.
May 30, 2019
I feel like I need to explain the low 2-star rating as I rarely give below 3.
This book takes us on a very risky path of child abduction and the characters play into all our worst fears. However Gowdy has failed to be brave having first braced us for all the possibilities. We fear the ending but, as one of the reviewers on the cover of the book says, ‘Gowdy knows just how far to go’. That is not a noble observation. Writers should take us further than we want to go, and then some more.
I think this is a well written book and probably well researched in terms of the subject matter.
This book takes us on a very risky path of child abduction and the characters play into all our worst fears. However Gowdy has failed to be brave having first braced us for all the possibilities. We fear the ending but, as one of the reviewers on the cover of the book says, ‘Gowdy knows just how far to go’. That is not a noble observation. Writers should take us further than we want to go, and then some more.
I think this is a well written book and probably well researched in terms of the subject matter.
October 28, 2022
De 9-jarige Rachel Fox is een prachtig kind. Ze woont met haar moeder, die meerder banen heeft om zich het hoofd boven water te kunnen houden “op kamers” bij de Finse Mika.
Op een dag valt het oog van Ron op Rachel. Hij is ervan overtuigd dat ze misbruikt wordt en besluit haar te “redden” door haar te ontvoeren.
Waar een boek over een kinderlokker veelal alleen het perspectief van ouders of slachtoffer geeft, neemt Gowdy uitgebreid de tijd Ron meer te zetten. Enige minpuntje is dat de psychologische verklaring voor zijn gedrag net iets te makkelijk, te rechttoe-rechtaan beschreven is
Op een dag valt het oog van Ron op Rachel. Hij is ervan overtuigd dat ze misbruikt wordt en besluit haar te “redden” door haar te ontvoeren.
Waar een boek over een kinderlokker veelal alleen het perspectief van ouders of slachtoffer geeft, neemt Gowdy uitgebreid de tijd Ron meer te zetten. Enige minpuntje is dat de psychologische verklaring voor zijn gedrag net iets te makkelijk, te rechttoe-rechtaan beschreven is
February 1, 2023
I don't remember who recommended Barbara Gowdy to me, but this book has been on my TBR list for a while. I finally got around to reading it, and while Gowdy's prose is good, I felt like some of the characters (the mom in particular) were under-developed. I knew that I closed the last page of this and said, "Yuck." So, be advised!
September 20, 2017
This story hooked me right from the start. I have a 9 year old daughter and this is the story of a 9 year old girl getting abducted by a pedophile. Am I asking for nightmares or what?
I found all the different points of views really interesting. For some reason Nancy's more than the others. How could she convince herself that this was ok?
I would have given this book a higher rating, but the last chapter was so disappointing. I don't think in a million years this would have ended this way.
I found all the different points of views really interesting. For some reason Nancy's more than the others. How could she convince herself that this was ok?
I would have given this book a higher rating, but the last chapter was so disappointing. I don't think in a million years this would have ended this way.
May 18, 2021
I feel that this is a compelling read but I feel it doesn't go for a realistic outcome, which in a way feels deceiving and dishonest. It seems that Gowdy in trying to humanize Ron justifies his actions and sexual urges and behaviour because he can control himself to the point where he can let go of Rachel safely back home. I just was disappointed that Gowdy strayed away from realism in order to take unique but unrealistic storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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