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Book Review: "The Dilemma" by B.A Paris

5/5 - An intense family psychodrama...

By Annie KapurPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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When I first read the summary of this book (without spoilers obviously!) I thought to myself 'this is going to be really predictable but I'm going to read it anyway.' Honestly, my predictions could not have been more wrong and the book, from start to finish, was a heart-pounding psychodrama told through the eyes of husband and wife - Adam and Olivia. As the story flips back and forth between them and we get to see more and more of their lives unfold, we take a moment to also realise that there is a certain element of trust missing from the relationship and wonder to ourselves if these issues from the past are going to survive these next blows.

Adam and Olivia are married with two children - Josh and Marnie. Marnie is studying in Hong Kong and Josh is supposed to be going to a internship in New York. The family are based in England. They are a regular couple with neighbours and friends only that they don't speak to Olivia's parents and be that as it may, Olivia's 40th birthday party is coming up. As the party begins to get closer and closer, we realise that in the torrid nature of affairs, there is plenty wrong. Marnie wants to come home and be at her mother's 40th birthday party, only she doesn't want her mother to know so only tells her father. When the party gets underway though, there are huge problems, some of which can never ever be resolved. Maybe nothing will be the same ever again. We can only wait and see.

I loved this book because it employed some really difficult post-modern writing skills. We have the flashbacks in the midst of the timeline, we have the back and forth between two narrators and finally, we have the dialogues interrupted by thoughts and thoughts interrupted by speculation. We get to see into the minds of characters that believe that they are being pitted against each other in battle of trust and truths. It is a brilliant way to write a novel.

I adore how much time the writer obviously took over this book. I always appreciate the effort that goes into writing beautiful books - and let me tell you, this is definitely a beautiful book. An instant modern classic, this book comes across as well-planned, well thought-out and brilliantly styled. The writer has let nothing get lost in the narrative and nothing seems worse than anything else. We have very thorough characters and very well fleshed-out themes. We have a brilliant post-modern storyline and narrative techniques that are to die for in modern literature. We have beautiful writing skills and an amazing harnessing of tone and voice of character. The author is able to flick between the two voices like they have known the characters all their lives. It is a wonderful book that if you don't take the chance to read in your lifetime - I can honestly say that you will be missing out.

It is a brilliant book that is bound in twenty years or so, to become one of the classics of our generation. Not only that but it will probably be studied for its technique as well. The way in which we go from dialogue in conversation to split thoughts all the way to speculations on what could happen just intensify the reading experience and make the reader too, expect certain things even if they do not necessarily turn out that way. I always appreciate a well-written book and honestly, I have read few modern novels as well-written as this one.

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About the Creator

Annie Kapur

190K+ Reads on Vocal.

English Lecturer

🎓Literature & Writing (B.A)

🎓Film & Writing (M.A)

🎓Secondary English Education (PgDipEd)

📍Birmingham, UK

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