I had heard much about this novel before I read it for review, by which I mean I had heard it was profane, strange and had a daring subject matter accompanied by elements of humour. I have to say that whilst I agree it is certainly profane and strange and incredibly innovative, I didn't find much humour in it at all.
| Martin John by Anakana Schofield | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Kate Jones
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| Summary: An unusual, innovative and disturbing novel that made me simultaneously disgusted yet desperate to keep reading. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Maybe |
| Pages: 320 | Date: February 2016 |
| Publisher: And Other Stories | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1908276667 | |
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The 'story' – for which there isn't exactly such thing in this book – centres around the inner mind of the title character, Martin John, and various fragments of his daily life living in London, visiting his Aunty Noanie on the train each Wednesday and the instructions he has been given by his mum back in Ireland to keep him out of trouble. The beginning of the book is set out in an 'Index', though this doesn't really take us anywhere, it is merely the fragments around which Martin John builds his days, completing his circuits which keep him out of trouble. He is obsessed with Euston Station, and we learn at the beginning that something has taken place in a dentist surgery waiting room for which reason his mother has seen fit to send him away from his hometown.
The text is written in an experimental and subversive way, with many pages containing sentences or one paragraph, and although the majority is written from inside the mind of Martin John, there are also elements written from his mother's viewpoint and a third person – effectively us, as readers – asking the reader to consider what they would do or think of the situation. I found this element of the book interesting and must admit that I couldn't stop reading it through to the end. It held my attention somewhat like the fascination people have with looking at an accident: that of kind of wanting to look away but being unable to. The subject matter is such that I found it difficult – Martin John being obsessed with women's legs, rubbing up against them on trains, pleasuring himself in public and 'choosing' which woman or young girl looks the least likely to report him. He also, we discover, particularly likes to see the fear and shock on the girl's faces. I found this element uncomfortable, but respect Schofield for tackling such a thorny issue. Giving the viewpoint or mental state of somebody such as this, on the fringes of society, isn't something I recall reading anywhere else, and I admire the way she has tackled this. I think it is a brave and timely novel.
I have read other reviews of the book which claim that, as well as humour they also found they felt sympathy for the character of Martin John and his mother. Again, this is where I differ. Arguably, he is a case to be pitied, being clearly mentally unstable, however I found him so unrepentant and seemingly aware of the actions he was taking much of the time towards the girls he approached, including some as young as 12 years old, that I couldn't empathise with him or the mother who was aware of his tendencies but refused to acknowledge them.
I think if you find subjects such as this difficult to read, and are offended by strong language, it is probably not the book for you. Equally, if you like your novels to have a traditional flow to them, then you may find the way this is written to be challenging. I didn't mind either of those, but did find it a bit frustrating that it didn't have much of a storyline, nor a complete ending. It seemed that we experienced the day to day life of Martin John as he journeys around, basically obsessing about touching girls and himself, and becoming more and more paranoid that the man upstairs is after him, and the way Schofield has constructed the writing and thoughts of Martin John in a frenzied manner is effective in revealing his mental health issues. However I felt it did then just kind of stop at the end, without really answering some pertinent questions posed throughout the book. This is perhaps, however, the point: there are no simple answers to dealing with mental health issues and people such as Martin John.
If you liked this, you might like: Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs by Lina Wolff and Frank Perry (translator)
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You can read more book reviews or buy Martin John by Anakana Schofield at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Martin John by Anakana Schofield at Amazon.com.
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