Recent Readings: We Need To Talk About Kevin
Before I start making a habit of these posts, let me explain; I'm quite the avid reader. I'm doing an English degree, so it would be worrying if I wasn't. Although I adore blogging about beauty, I want to keep things fresh and different and so I'm gonna start reviewing most of the books I read. Why? 1. It's a good way of documenting ideas for my dissertation and 2. I just really like books okay and I love hearing people's opinions on them. I can't wait for the day that I (hopefully) am teaching a class, ask for opinions on a book and have someone tell me it's shit. I'll just be like BRILLIANT, give me your reasons! Anyways, this isn't what the post is meant to be about and this post contains spoilers from here on!
Plot Eva is a travelling and learned woman, married to a stereotypical, basic American man named Franklin. Together they are the parents of a son named Kevin who is the psychotic mastermind behind a school massacre, recognised as 'Thursday' throughout the novel in letters from Eva to her husband. In these letters, she goes through her and her family's life in events leading up to Thursday and how she is coming to terms with it.
My Thoughts This book isn't labelled as a horror but I sure found it haunting. Its different take on motherhood is a terrifying view to read through, as it may put ideas in your head about what could happen when becoming a mother. Might sound stupid to some that this book could influence in that way but you never know.
It delves into a world where a mother doesn't want her child. Although this is always evident and said so by Eva herself, she was never overall, a bad mother. If you read carefully, you see she never neglects Kevin, unlike she is sued for later on in the novel and is rather all too attentive. She picks up on everything that nobody else does and that bugs her husband as he becomes more defensive as Kevin's behaviour worsens. Even though in the end, you see she was suspicious all along for all good reason, it is still chilling to think that she is waiting to catch out her, son rather than help him become a better and happier kid.
Saying all that, she makes sure to defend herself and her actions in those points in time, although when she looks back throughout the book, she doesn't even know how she feels anymore. Doing this, it makes you wonder, is she an unreliable narrator? Has she dramatise these events, Kevin's behaviour and everything in between to prove something? Who knows, maybe it's just me getting too into it and hoping that's the case. If that was to be the case, it would show she is truly effected by Kevin and that although they don't have a regular mother and son relationship, it's an intense one to say the least.
The only trope of the book I wasn't a fan of, although making it slightly Gothic, was the damsel in distress part that Eva played. She was indeed the victim but the author, Shriver, took this way too much to heart as the ending is somewhat heartfelt and relieves her which is quite an anti-climatic ending to such an intense novel. Saying that, it isn't too cheesy which I guess is enough!
So to any of you readers out there, has anyone else read this novel? If not, have I sparked your interest? I know a lot of people have seen the movie which from what I've heard is very different. A lot of people explain how Eva seems to love the child but he doesn't love her when in the book, it is clear she doesn't try from the moment she knows that Kevin knows, that she for some reason cannot love him. These supposed differences definitely want to make me see the movie.
Also, let me know what you think about these book reviews!
Until the next post,
Deanna
x
About the Author
0 comments