Losing Nelson by Barry Unsworth
- From: "sofa spud" <Comfiest@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:42:38 -0000
An outstanding novel, disturbing and engaging in equal measure fantastically
well written and interesting too. Given that it's the 200th anniversary of
the battle of Trafalgar and there are a wealth of Nelson documentaries
around this novel really comes into its own. Barry Unsworth is a master in
building a thoroughly believable character in realistic surroundings and
this novel doesn't disappoint at all. Here he takes on the character of
obsession and mental illness - not in a heavy handed style but subtly so we
get right inside the mind of a lonely character obsessed with Lord Nelson. A
sad character whose life has become taken over by an interest in Nelson that
has gone beyond all normal bounds. Isolated with his life increasingly
dominated by bizarre behaviour as he attempts to write an ultimate biography
of Nelsons life, he recreates battles and commemorates even minor moments
from Nelsons life. He has elevated Nelson to a larger than life almost
angelic character forgetting that he was only human with human flaws and
failings. Into his strange world comes a secretary to help him type up his
history of Nelson, she attempts to bring balance to his lonely life and
tries to bring him form his shell. To say more here would give the story
away but to be sure it isn't formulaic and certainly doesn't follow any
expected path.
Beautifully descriptive the narrative flows superbly and the gentle shift
from the characters real world to the make believe world he creates as
Nelson himself is seamless so as a reader I was drawn into his world and
sometimes didn't notice the increasingly subtle shifts as the character
changes to Nelson. The very detailed accounts of Nelsons life and battles
seamlessly appear in the narrative and very interesting they are too - not
dull history but brought to life through the eyes of the main character as
he tries to write the ultimate history. There was much I didn't know of the
battles of Nelson that lead up to Trafalgar and these are written in such a
refreshing and interesting way that I was encouraged to look up some of the
history on the internet whereas in the past I had little interest, the times
being outside my normal historical interest period.
The exploration into the mind of a character with a troubled past and an
increasingly tenuous grasp on the present is superbly handled, sympathetic
yet never shying from the fact that this man is ill, needs help yet can't
acknowledge it. The story shows us even the miniscule moments of life - yet
these show us the gap between the characters grip on reality and the make
believe world he is disappearing into. Well-handled characters, a believable
story and the superb descriptive abilities of the Booker winning author make
this novel a superb read. Yet another outstanding novel from the author of
Sacred Hunger the 1992 Booker winner - a novel for me as yet unrivalled, I
can fully recommend this for everyone.
.
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