This is a novel
about a mother trying to cope with an abusive husband and protect her
children from ALL harm. The husband is portrayed in a way which fits
fairly well with the sociopathic ex-partners of some women that I
know. The twist is that the narrative is interspersed with passages
in italics ostensibly giving the Devil’s view of proceedings and
humanity in general. At the beginning of “The Screwtape Letters”
by C.S. Lewis the author warns the reader that the Devil is by nature
a liar and nothing he says can be relied upon. “Idle Hands,” with
its female Devil, contains no such warning. Readers looking for
insight and guidance about the human condition need to give this book
a few cautious pokes with a long stick first because there is a very
subtle and clever spin on this subject throughout, which gets
stronger towards the end. (The Devil denies responsibility for humans
behaving devilishly in a manner that’s worthy of Tony Blair.)
It is a good book,
but not recommended to the unsceptical reader.
Idle Hands is
Published by Agora Books on 23/7/20.
No comments:
Post a Comment