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Revision as of 15:45, 29 August 2020
, 15:45, 29 August 2020no edit summary
Arnold is away at a medical conference when Susan begins reading the manuscript. Tony Hastings, a professor of maths was driving to his summer house in Maine with his wife and daughter. Their ordinary, civilised lives are violently disrupted and will never be the same again. Susan is drawn into Tony's story and in doing so is forced to confront her own fears. Her life will never be the same again either.
This book was first published in 1993 and it just about sank without trace. Why, I don't know because it is, quite simply, a masterpiece and I've never read anything quite like it. Edward's manuscript – ''Nocturnal Animals'' is a superb story in itself. You'll read it all and if that was all there was to the book I would be telling you that you should read it. It's dark, it's about revenge in its darkest form and it's violent. At one point I was terrified and had to put the book down and return to it later. Susan's story – the story of a marriage, fears for the future and of aging ageing – is elegant, delicately turned and insightful.
But, it's when you put the two stories together and read them side by side that you understand what a masterpiece this is. We live in Susan's head as Tony's story brings to the surface her thoughts on how she has lead her life. When I turned the final page I was simply stunned and since then I've been unable to get Tony, or Susan, out of my mind.
