My Absolute Darling in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 21, 2018 Lindsey Z rated it it was ok

This novel is a 417 page nightmare. I wasn't sure if I should be more disturbed at Martin, Turtle's sadistic, violent, rapist father, or Tallent, the author, for creating such a monstrous character for no other seeming reason than experimentation and entertainment. I read a lot of novels that have rape and violence in them, but there's always some larger intention, some aspect of society that the author is calling out through that violence. For example, Toni Morrison's work is often highly distu This novel is a 417 page nightmare. I wasn't sure if I should be more disturbed at Martin, Turtle's sadistic, violent, rapist father, or Tallent, the author, for creating such a monstrous character for no other seeming reason than experimentation and entertainment. I read a lot of novels that have rape and violence in them, but there's always some larger intention, some aspect of society that the author is calling out through that violence. For example, Toni Morrison's work is often highly disturbing, filled with unsympathetic and incurable characters, but her large message about race relations and the fierce legacy of slavery transcend those episodes of violence in her writing. Tallent feels lost, purposeless in writing about such a brutal relationship between father and daughter. This woman-hating man is surrounded by other characters who become unbelievably complicit in his unthinkable treatment of Turtle that I couldn't understand what world Tallent had created. It wasn't dystopian enough (or at all) to feel purposeful; perhaps Tallent thinks all men are misogynistic for no discernible reason. There were many times while I was reading that I thought, "if he doesn't kill off this terrible character, I will not be able to digest this novel." I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the ending was not satisfying to me for a variety of reasons, including how things end between Turtle and her father and Turtle and Jacob, the boy whom she falls in love with and who is supposed to be the one redeeming human in her life. Yes, there were beautiful descriptions of scenery and nature but I had to look up a lot of vocabulary words while reading; the descriptions were often overworked and I had a hard time picturing action during some of the more intense scenes. There was way more about guns in this novel than I ever wanted to learn. I could really go on about how many misses this story and storytelling style were for me. Yet somehow I kept reading it and finished it. Take that as you will. I don't really recommend this novel to anyone other than to have the satisfaction of having someone else I could talk with about all the ways this book went wrong. I'm glad to move on past this one. ...more

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