There is a reason why Gwendoline Riley has something of a cult following. She is technically innovative and very good at what she does, but the subject matter is invariably dark and downbeat which prevents mass market appeal. In that respect Opposed Positions is very much business as usual then. The subject matter most evident here is misogyny and the damaging impact it has both directly and indirectly on people. It's painful to read at times; it feels as if the narrator, an occasional novelist, Aislinn Kelly, is picking at the scab of her life and her family in a way that feels shocking and, for all the wry observations, remains uncomfortable to read.
| Opposed Positions by Gwendoline Riley | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Robin Leggett
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| Summary: Very stylish prose with a laudable attack on misogyny, but it's an uncomfortable and often downbeat read. Riley is hugely talented but easier to admire than to enjoy. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Maybe |
| Pages: 240 | Date: May 2012 |
| Publisher: Jonathan Cape | |
| ISBN: 9780224094238 | |
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We don't get a straightforward narrative here. Riley, through the voice of Aislinn, dives back and forward in time, recalling events in the past and always looking to identify the hidden motives of those around her. Although she evokes some sympathy, she is equally irritating and would, one feels, be hard work as a friend - not that she has many of those.
At first it seems that her father, who her mother left when his violence and drinking was too much for her, is the main reason for her insecurities, belittling Aislinn in her youth and then sending some nasty e-mails to her when she goes to university. It's creepy rather than overtly threatening though. Is this why her friends include the depressed Bronagh who works in a bookshop, and why her own choice of partners is so unsuitable?
Aislinn has to head to the US in order to escape enough to get the peace required to write her novels, although she is something of a reluctant novelist, and hates the process.
When her mother re-marries it seems that her choice of partner remains unfortunate. While Howard's approach is more mental than physical abuse, it suggests that there is something in her that also attracts these relationships. As Aislinn learns more about her maternal grandparents' relationship, perhaps there too is the source of the problems.
Almost all the relationships in the book are unsuitable or unhealthy, with each pair having opposed positions. It's pretty grim stuff. Aislinn's musical hero is Morrisey and the downbeat tone of that artist fits well with the style of the book. No one comes out with much, if any, happiness or fortune.
The dialogue feels very natural and her use of language is sharp and precise. There is no doubt that Riley has huge amounts of talent, but this isn't a book that will attract wide popularity. It's troubling and pretty bleak stuff. The result will be that readers are likely to have opposed positions in their views of the book, I fear.
Our thanks to the kind people at Jonathan Cape for inviting us to review this unsettling book.
For more darkly disturbing fiction Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer and A Division of the Light by Christopher Burns are equally troubling.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Opposed Positions by Gwendoline Riley at Amazon.com.
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