Magic

I was reticent about reading this book. I don't know why, I’d heard great things about it on the grapevine but for some reason thought I didn't have the energy, wasn't going to understand it, the evasive list went on.

I voiced these thoughts to my sister over one of our weekly wine and £9.99 Bistro get togethers and she vaguely responded, oh yeah that one, wasn't it partly inspired by the Fritzl case, and then the conversation skipped on to another subject and nothing more was said.

As I disintegrated into my bed that evening, armed with my new found knowledge about the inspiration behind the story, curiosity got the better of me - I'll read one or two pages I thought just enough to satisfy this inquisitive itch…

And that was it. Hooked. Couldn't put it down, probably one of the most remarkable and clever pieces of fiction I have read in an extremely long time. From the beginning of the story Emma Donoghue intricately builds the characters and scenario with precision and intuition that baffles. You suddenly catch yourself on as you realise that you are totally going with and quite enjoying hearing about the day to day life painted by this on the whole content five year old boy. The chill suddenly sears down your spine however when you remember that the boy has been captive all his life, is the product of repeated rape from a monster who snatched his mother when she was a life loving and excited 19 year old girl looking forward to a long rich life ahead of her, which was brutally swiped in one foul stroke. And it is this story telling ability that makes you realise that you have happened upon something special.

There are very few people in this world that know (thankfully) what being trapped and detained against your will feels like. There are even less people that know what being born into a captive environment feels like and the disorder this can cause the human state when all that you've ever known is turned on its head...

I'm not going to say anymore, I don’t want to spoil it but I do demand that you READ THIS BOOK. It is worth every inch of paper that its booker prize nomination is written on. I would go as far as to say it will probably end up on the English Lit curriculum as a modern classic, which will be dissected, studied and written about time and time again in years to come.