Straight up Nicholas Evans has always been one of my favorites…great writer compelling stories. With his latest novel, “The Divide”, I can safely say Mr. Evans has in fact, “jumped the shark”. Why he would allow this one to be published defies logic. I’m sorry I have to write a review.
It stinks. The story is worn out account of a middle aged man having a mid life crisis. He meets a woman while on vacation with his family, falls in love with her, and then decides to leave his family for the other woman. The back story is more compelling and is about the brain washing of his daughter by a charismatic man and drawn into his underworld life of eco-terrorism. Bad things happen, drama ensues, families are damaged and the guilt flies. The novel would serve well as screen-play. Evan’s should have skipped the novel and gone straight to Hollywood with a treatment for the film. This book has no literary standing alongside his magnificent “The Horse Whisper”.
The “Divide” itself is a vacation ranch the family would visit each summer in Montana, near the continental divide. But the divide also stands for other divisions in life…parents and children, husband and wife, the difference between right and wrong etc. Evan’s is no great philosopher and should therefore stick to his strong suit…strong descriptions of landscape and the poetic use of language to bring human relationships in context with the natural environment. He does manage a scarce few passages of his signature prose.
Evan’s description of the daughter’s slide into eco-terrorism is the most compelling part of the story – but also seems stereo typical. I doubt he had practical experience with actual eco-terrorists and his research was therefore second hand. Nevertheless when the drama begins to unfold – about halfway through the book – he does achieve a cloak and dagger energy reminiscent of Robert Ludlum which provides sufficient energy to finish…if you make it that far. Two stars max.
No comments:
Post a Comment