Post by Charlynn on Nov 18, 2012 20:50:30 GMT -5
Testimony by Anita Shreve
A headmaster of an elite, private school sits down to watch a confiscated tape, one his assistant told him that he needed to see. What he witnesses is almost beyond his comprehension: three, adult, male seniors and an underage freshman girl participating in various sexual acts. It doesn't matter that the girl appears not only willing in the tapes but also eager and encouraging, for she is only fourteen. The why's are immaterial, the actions illegal. So, he steps in. He speaks with the girl. He obtains written confessions from two of the three young men. And he attempts to conceal the scandal, keeping it from the press and the authorities. But, inevitably, the story leaks, and the damage that is inflicted is far worse than even the headmaster could have imagined. College plans are derailed, marriages end, and a life ends, too. What is truly fascinating about the situation, however, is the fact that, behind the scenes of the apparent tragedy, another action, one perpetrated by the headmaster himself, is the true root of the destruction and mayhem.
Within the first pages of her novel, Shreve immediately launches into the powerful, haunting event which inspires, as is her style, such rich and vivid character development throughout Testimony's entirety, and, per her usual approach, nothing is simple or cut and dry about the delicate topics addressed within the novel. The first chapter surgically details the footage found on the confiscated tape, and the story never looks back (figuratively speaking) or apologizes afterwards. The book is unapologetically dark and fascinating in its stark honesty. By the time the work draws to a close, all of the questions the tape posed have been answered, yet no hope has been given to readers in the process of doing so, but this is acceptable as it is the only emotional conclusion which makes any sense. This doesn't make Testimony an easy or even necessarily a pleasant read, though.
Part of the issue is in the way that Shreve tells the story. As the book's title alludes, the novel is set up as many different testimonies working together to tell a complete story. Rather than chapter numbers or titles, the author offers a series of character names as section headings, both jumping back and forth in perspectives and time. The result is a work which lacks any real sense of immediacy, despite the delicate situations at the heart of its story. These life-altering events are shared through recollections and silent musings, any conversations and dialogue between characters retold rather an experienced with the readers. Given such powerful material, the book's emotions should have been on the surface and immediately present for all to experience, but, instead, feelings are muted by time, perspective, and previously attained closure. In a way, Shreve did both her novel and her audience a disservice in how she set up Testimony. While certainly worthy of being read, the book leaves readers with a sour note, because it is obvious that, though engrossing, Testimony could have been even better.
Three out of Five Stars
A headmaster of an elite, private school sits down to watch a confiscated tape, one his assistant told him that he needed to see. What he witnesses is almost beyond his comprehension: three, adult, male seniors and an underage freshman girl participating in various sexual acts. It doesn't matter that the girl appears not only willing in the tapes but also eager and encouraging, for she is only fourteen. The why's are immaterial, the actions illegal. So, he steps in. He speaks with the girl. He obtains written confessions from two of the three young men. And he attempts to conceal the scandal, keeping it from the press and the authorities. But, inevitably, the story leaks, and the damage that is inflicted is far worse than even the headmaster could have imagined. College plans are derailed, marriages end, and a life ends, too. What is truly fascinating about the situation, however, is the fact that, behind the scenes of the apparent tragedy, another action, one perpetrated by the headmaster himself, is the true root of the destruction and mayhem.
Within the first pages of her novel, Shreve immediately launches into the powerful, haunting event which inspires, as is her style, such rich and vivid character development throughout Testimony's entirety, and, per her usual approach, nothing is simple or cut and dry about the delicate topics addressed within the novel. The first chapter surgically details the footage found on the confiscated tape, and the story never looks back (figuratively speaking) or apologizes afterwards. The book is unapologetically dark and fascinating in its stark honesty. By the time the work draws to a close, all of the questions the tape posed have been answered, yet no hope has been given to readers in the process of doing so, but this is acceptable as it is the only emotional conclusion which makes any sense. This doesn't make Testimony an easy or even necessarily a pleasant read, though.
Part of the issue is in the way that Shreve tells the story. As the book's title alludes, the novel is set up as many different testimonies working together to tell a complete story. Rather than chapter numbers or titles, the author offers a series of character names as section headings, both jumping back and forth in perspectives and time. The result is a work which lacks any real sense of immediacy, despite the delicate situations at the heart of its story. These life-altering events are shared through recollections and silent musings, any conversations and dialogue between characters retold rather an experienced with the readers. Given such powerful material, the book's emotions should have been on the surface and immediately present for all to experience, but, instead, feelings are muted by time, perspective, and previously attained closure. In a way, Shreve did both her novel and her audience a disservice in how she set up Testimony. While certainly worthy of being read, the book leaves readers with a sour note, because it is obvious that, though engrossing, Testimony could have been even better.
Three out of Five Stars