The Man Who Disappeared by Clare Morrall
| The Man Who Disappeared by Clare Morrall | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Louise Laurie
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| Summary: This novel explores family life with all its intricate twists and turns. It also explores far-reaching, life-changing consequences for one particular family when certain decisions are made. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 384 | Date: February 2010 |
| Publisher: Sceptre | |
| ISBN: 978-0340994276 | |
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I was drawn to this book straight away. Firstly, the jacket cover is lovely. The subliminal message is read me, please read me. We are introduced to the Kendall family; mother, father and three children. All leading unremarkable, rather ordinary lives. The father, Felix, works hard to provide for his family. He loves them all dearly. They all love him back. It is a secure family unit. Until - completely out of the blue - he simply disappears. His family is distraught and mystified. We all know that a person cannot simply disappear. But Felix Kendall has taken himself off the radar. Why?
After over twenty years of domestic harmony, suddenly it's complete chaos. One minute he was cruising along, in control of his life, ... and the next everything had crumpled into a major pile-up that wasn't his fault. Then he immediately contradicts himself. Felix is a man in obvious turmoil. But is this catastrophe all his own doing? He doesn't know. The key word here is 'control'. Here is a man who has been in control for most of his life. What has changed?
In an attempt to give us some answers, Morrall introduces those closest to Felix, one by one. We soon see that he is very much the central character in their lives. A nice level of suspense also creeps in. Half-way through the book, the reader is none the wiser but clues are dropped. It's as if Felix is laid out on the table in forensics, stripped bare and we are looking for answers to his behaviour.
Deliberately absent from his family, Felix (who has been a successful and well-travelled accountant) unpicks his life. It's a very painful process. We can feel his pain. Here we have a middle-class family having to air its dirty laundry in public. There is no choice. Felix's disappearance is big. He has caught the attention of the media and other well-known agencies.
As the story unfolds, you can see the imbalance in the husband and wife relationship. Kate defers to her clever husband on most counts. She always has. It's worked - up till now. Or has it? The story constantly see-saws between past and present. We see a lot of the young Felix, the teenage Felix, the newly-married Felix. Everyone is in agreement. Everyone loves him. But they acknowledge that as well as being clever, he's always been in control. At times, it's like sitting in on a psychology lecture. When a traumatic event happens in our lives, how do we react, how should we react? Discuss.
In Felix Kendall's case all the trappings of a successful life don't appear to be enough. His past is fast catching up with his present. He is no longer in control. His unexplained, almost sinister 'disappearance' has many ramifications for the family. Emotional. Physical. Financial. To give just one example, the lovely, big family home is replaced by an ugly, council flat. Adjustments are necessary. But that's easier said than done.
What's interesting is the gradual reversal of roles. A reversal of power, if you like. One-time alpha-male, breadwinner Felix has been replaced by assertive Kate. She's discovered qualities she didn't know she had. Kate is now like a woman who knew where she was going . The dynamics of relationships on lots of levels are explored in this novel. Deception, dishonesty, deviousness - and the reasons for Felix's 'disappearance' are also explored. This is a book that most of us can relate to. A thought-provoking read.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
If this book appeals then you might also enjoy The Semantics of Murder by Aifric Campbell.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Man Who Disappeared by Clare Morrall 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 The Man Who Disappeared by Clare Morrall at Amazon.com.
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