Mistaken by Neil Jordan

Mistaken by Neil Jordan
Buy Mistaken by Neil Jordan at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Literary Fiction
Reviewer: Louise Laurie
Summary: A young Irish boy finds out one day that he has a double. Some would choose the odd innocent trick or two to play on family, friends or perhaps teachers and then leave it at that - but Kevin and his double have more sinister plans.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 416	Date: June 2011
Publisher: John Murray
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1848544192
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The front cover photograph and the blurb on the back cover give this book a misty, floaty, ethereal feel. The story starts at the end, if you get my drift. The adult Kevin attends a local funeral but he's careful to remain low-key, hidden almost. Why is that? And whose funeral is it anyway? As early as page 6, Jordan's poetic and atmospheric style is apparent in lines such as ... close to the line of yew trees, were the massed umbrellas of the mourners, retreating, like so many mushrooms come alive in a fairy-tale forest.

But then we soon time-travel back to Kevin's childhood where he grew up in a poor area of Dublin. Jordan describes the houses, the streets and some of the neighbours to give a rather depressing picture of life back then. Kevin's mother takes in lodgers and you get the sense that it's all about the money that this mini-business brings in rather than enjoying the company. The father is more absent than present. In fact, he may as well not be there, at all. And again, Jordan's turn of phrase is very good. For example, Father. The name evokes an absence, the rustle of the fringes of a gaberdine coat, the smell of cigarette smoke. To be fair, the father's job does involve quite a bit of travel, both in Ireland and further afield.

The pace of the novel is unhurried. Jordan takes his time with his descriptions. He likes to paint a picture for the reader. One particularly good section is where he tells us about a colourful lodger called Tommy the Clock. I think the nickname says it all but in Jordan's hands, the characters, including Tommy live and breathe on the page.

And as the story develops and deepens there's a palpable sense of tension and suspense. Kevin is mistaken for another boy who just happens to live in a smart part of town and goes to a rather posh school. Kevin is intrigued. They meet up at some stage and both are struck by their physical similarities. The coincidental meeting between the two boys is natural and believable. Interestingly perhaps, the other boy, the 'double' isn't even named until well into the book.

As the weeks and months and even years pass, both boys have their share of girlfriends and their uncanny resemblance starts to become worrying. But for who exactly? And the story is racked up another notch or two when we learn that Kevin is haunted by dreams/nightmares stemming from the fact that he lives next door to Bram Stoker's house. All very mystical and magical. I must admit that I didn't particularly like this section but it's mentioned time and time again. Vampires, God, goodness - all become part of Kevin's thoughts as he grows up.

As various situations take a turn for the worse, I definitely was of the opinion that Kevin did not possess a backbone. His double (the posh one) seemed to be calling all the shots. I wondered why Kevin went along with it all so meekly. But then Kevin starts to have some fun ...

We also meet the individuals caught up in the wider scenario. Is there a happy ending to all this, you may well be asking. Will the boys tire of all these games and grow up? All is revealed in good time. I thought that the plot, simple as it was, was very effective. Simplicity often works well - as it does here. As you might expect however, there are some dark moments along the way and the ending, while not totally unexpected or surprising, is very good indeed. Recommended.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you might like to try Christine Falls by Benjamin Black.

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