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This book has probably got one of the most famous opening chapters
in modern fiction. Opening with a hot air balloon accident is certainly a
powerful start to the novel. Instantly you are intrigued by the main
characters, not knowing much about them but being shown that this one moment
where this group of strangers have come together will not be the end of it for
our protagonist, Joe.
Jed, another of the witnesses, becomes infatuated with Joe, phoning
him, writing him letters, waiting outside his house, convinced that Joe loves
him, despite being in a happy, long-term relationship. Or is this, in fact, all
in Joe’s mind? The letters are, coincidentally, written in handwriting very
similar to his own. Throughout the novel we are constantly led to doubt Joe’s
narrative, as his partner, Clarissa, thinks he is losing his mind, the police
won’t take him seriously, and he gets increasingly obsessed with the idea of
being followed. You feel his frustration at not being taken seriously, and the
isolation that ensues, but there’s always the doubt that Clarissa might be
right, that his mind has created this situation as a way of coping with what
happened. It’s not until the end of the novel that you find out definitively
which characters are the ones to be believed.
It’s a clever novel, and it keeps you guessing right up to the
dramatic conclusion. It’s an interesting portrayal of obsession, grief, and the
dynamics of human relationships. I found some of the situations a little
unbelievable, but overall it was a gripping, well-written novel. The appendices
were also a nice touch to round off the story.
Pick up a copy:
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