The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly
| The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly | |
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| Category: Literary Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Louise Laurie
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| Summary: This is a story centred around loss: a young boy's loss of his mother and a husband's loss of his wife. Together, father and son muddle their way through the rest of their lives, as best they can. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 256 | Date: April 2010 |
| Publisher: Myriad Editions | |
| ISBN: 978-0956251527 | |
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The title of this debut novel by Tom Connolly is enigmatic, mysterious. It draws the reader in - just like a fly to a spider's web. And in fairness 'The Spider Truces' does exactly what it say on the tin as the main character, Ellis, is obsessed and terrified in equal measure, of spiders.
... and when you live in an old house, as the O'Rourke family does, there are plenty of spiders and other creepy crawlies about.
The novel starts at the end - so immediately the reader has lots of questions. It gives a taster of things to come later on in the novel. Ellis O'Rourke is a dreamer. It's official. Everyone seems to have the same opinion - from his father and sister, to his school teachers and friends. His older sister, Chrissie, is exasperated with him big-time, when she says You're so useless Ellis. If you were the last man left on earth, you wouldn't notice it for weeks.
Right from the outset we are introduced to the spider world. Most of them are given their Latin names which all adds depth and a bit of a scholarly feel.
It would be fair to say that Ellis's social skills are basic - almost non-existent, if the truth be told. He speaks his mind (when it may be wiser to keep his mouth shut) and he often finds it hard to tell if someone from outside his small family circle is being funny or sarcastic. He's an awkward, gawky and rather innocent teenager. And I loved him. Father, son, daughter and great-aunt (helpful substitute mum) live in the countryside of Kent. An area which hasn't changed much in decades. A rural idyll. The pace of life is slow so there's plenty of time to 'stop and stare.'
The O'Rourke's cottage ... had welcoming eyes and a low fringe of Kent peg tiles. This is just one random example of the lilting, timeless and original writing of Connolly.
The great-aunt is well-intentioned but she never married and is really a generation too old. Teenagers Chrissie and Ellis only have their father to help them navigate the choppy waters of adolescence. But he's a man who is extremely private. Apart from the light banter and family jokes around the tea-table, he's not much help at all. Sometimes, his brooding presence is even a hindrance. Especially to Ellis. Ellis is like a rudderless ship - he simply doesn't know how to live his life. He can day-dream as much as he likes - and he does a lot of that - but at some point even Ellis appreciates that some path of action is necessary. But at the moment he's mooching through secondary school as if he's sleep-walking.
Ellis loves this infuriating father of his to distraction. The bond is very close between father and son but that doesn't mean that life runs smoothly for either of them. It doesn't. For example, Ellis borders on the hysterical over these blasted spiders, so his father, Denny, creates a wonderful plan. It works. It's also a wonderful piece of writing; enough to make me smile and still think of it, long after I had turned the page.
Growing up and what it's all about is a complete mystery to Ellis. A friend offers him some advice Swearing and fucking, mate. Vital. Get them both on your agenda, pronto. Step by painful step, Ellis grows into a young man. The reader is taken by the hand and encouraged to make the journey with him.
There were passages in this novel which did make me laugh out loud and others which were extremely moving. This is all down to the gift of the writer. I was totally drawn into the story. I was down those long and winding country lanes with Ellis, where the summers are eternal and the neighbours are well, neighbourly. Connolly's chosen the 1980s in his novel and there's some nods to that era in terms of political episodes, pop stars of the moment and generally the movers and shakers.
There's the not unexpected, perhaps, experimentation with lots of drugs, sex (but not the rock and roll) with Ellis. And then somehow, he manages to give himself a shake, get a job and do a bit of travelling. Again, there's a lovely piece on small-town America. But he always returns to Kent.
Ellis does, at some point, manage to make some sense of his life. He manages to move on. Become a proper adult. Oh - and he's no longer afraid of spiders. I silently gave three cheers for Ellis when I reached the end of this book. This is a poetic, moving and evocative read.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of Men Like Air by Tom Connolly.
If this book appeals then you might like to have a look at Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly at Amazon.com.
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