Over the river and through the common

I could tell from the beginning that Putney by Sofka Zinovieff would be a tough one to read, let alone review. When I first encountered the book, I had no real idea of what I was about to delve into - turns out it was what most critics called a "modern telling of Lolita".

I read Lolita at a young age. Too young, I would argue, because I don't remember feeling outrage, or sympathy for Humbert Humbert - which I now understand was what most people felt, therefore the outrage - only seeing him as annoying and needy. After finishing Putney, I've decided to revisit Lolita again (although I need to give it a little break). 

Sofka Zinovieff's latest novel explores the questions of consent and abuse. The plot revolves around the relationship of young Daphne and Ralph, her 30-year-old lover, shifting between a retelling of their past affair and their modern day reckoning. It uses three different points of view - that of Daphne, Ralph and Jane, Daphne's old school friend - and their chapters interchange, giving us a good overview of the issues discussed and several different takes on the events.

What did I like about it?

The novel discusses very difficult subjects. Can a child give consent to have sex? When does affection become grooming? Which emotions are real and which are adopted?  It must have been incredibly challenging to write about something like this. This takes guts, and especially to do it in a way that feels truthful and believable.

The three points of view are also perfectly justified, and deal very well with exploring these issues. By giving a glimpse into the thought processes of everyone involved, the reader is free to shift their opinions from one chapter to the next, leaving an extremely uncomfortable feeling - as if we're never really safe. There is no clear consensus or right answer. On some level, the book is about being human and dealing with human problems. How we see the world doesn't always match up with what people around us see. I started out with a clear idea of who was to blame - but there were points when I wasn't so sure anymore.

What was I not massively fond of?

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I found that Zinovieff's writing style just didn't agree with me. In creative writing, they often tell you to show, don't tell, but it feels as if she is both showing and telling, which feels a bit patronising as a reader. An example: "Unable to cope with the situation, Nina rushed out of the room and hurried upstairs." I feel the second half of this sentence would have been enough. Another example is Daphne's father, Ed, being remembered as quoting Oscar Wilde's famous gutter/stars quote. Jarring.

I also found that I just couldn't believe most of her characters as real people - they felt more like perfect vessels for the story to flow through. An example would be Jane's character shift towards the end of the book: although I can believe that she would change her attitude towards Daphne when all is said and done, I just don't think she would do it so dramatically. I also often struggled with Ralph's character, having trouble with imagining him in his entirety.

Overall...

Putney is a terrifying and eye-opening exploration of child abuse, extremely relevant today. I say it's an eye-opener because so many of us have no idea that, if not forced, why children would end up in situations like this. It's a strong, well-rounded argument for all sides, and an extremely uncomfortable read - making it all the more important.

6/10