Kayakers on the Derwent, Kunanyi in the background. Little Howrah Beach, February 2021.
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
This novel is tough going. Rijneveld manages to create a world that is both cold and bleak. The book is dominated by grief, the effect of which is magnified by the setting among an isolated pious Dutch reformist family out on a farm, and the story begins with the death of the oldest son.
Left behind are a domineering father, a silent and withdrawn mother, an increasingly troubled brother, our narrator - the second-youngest girl Jas, confused and ridden by guilt - and the bewildered youngest girl. As the family retreats into themselves, the familial bond disintegrates along with the household's mental health, in which each member falls into a deep depression, albeit in ways that manifest quite differently for each.
It's grim and disturbing stuff. The insularity and rigidity of the religious sect compound the harm and precludes any hope of healing. The reader is left watching a car crashes of the slowest possible dimensions. The text descends into an inevitable downward spiral. This was a crushing read, one that is sure to put a lot of readers off.
If cruelty to children and animals is too repulsive, or images of self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, or religious hypocrisy is likely to give you trouble, this is best avoided. Powerfully effective but incredibly demanding. Best not read if you're in a dark place, and make sure that you have something light and uplifting ready to go once you are done.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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