It would be hard to imagine a novel about the destruction that alcohol can do to a family being other than unremittingly bleak, however this novel by Gerald Woodward - short listed for the Booker - manages to be engaging and thought provoking indeed. The subject matter of Alcohol and dysfunctional families in the early 1970's is handled well and in places the narrative is quite funny reminding me early on of Kate Atkinson's "Behind the scenes at the Museum". The author attempts to detail the life of the whole family as the ravages of alcohol take its toll on them, both from the main characters point of view; Collette, her Husband Aldous and son Janus and from the point of view of the rest of her long suffering family. Richly detailed with many references to 1970's culture:- power cuts , long hot summers ,clothing even drinks , do they still make Gold Label barley wine in the small bottles?. There is a downside to the detailed and often complex twists and turns in the life of Alcoholic Collette, that is the narrative goes way off on a tangent and appears to be taking a wholly different direction getting deeper and deeper into another character or scene only to be put aside as the original narrative gets back on track. This may be a deliberate act, in that alcoholism affects everyone around the victim and every action will eventually lead right back to alcohol if the addiction is untreated. But it certainly leads to a stop start feel to the narrative, but as a whole it doesn't detract too much as the story flows quite deliberately to an almost inevitable outcome though it does become infuriating, not through the detours but the almost idiotic behaviour of the addicts portrayed.
There is a humorous thread throughout the novel but the serious issue of untreated alcoholism is treated in a stark and relentless way. I feel that the character of Janus is really mentally ill as opposed to being just an alcoholic, his behaviour as written goes beyond drinking and verges into depression though this is never fully explored. Setting in the 70's gives more than quaint cultural references it explains why professional help isn't readily forthcoming, why the behaviour never really gets treated and why it appears accepted. In today's modern times healthcare professionals are trained in the care of acute alcoholism, there are help and care groups. I had to wonder throughout the book whether there is a degree of biography to the novel; perhaps Gerard Woodward has first hand knowledge of the trauma of alcohol within a family. It's quite emotionally touching in places too, sometimes quite upsetting but the lightness of the humour never lets it get maudlin. I enjoyed the 70's references and engaged well with some if not all the characters, I would recommend this thought provoking novel to everyone even if the subject matter may make this seem inaccessible.
There is a humorous thread throughout the novel but the serious issue of untreated alcoholism is treated in a stark and relentless way. I feel that the character of Janus is really mentally ill as opposed to being just an alcoholic, his behaviour as written goes beyond drinking and verges into depression though this is never fully explored. Setting in the 70's gives more than quaint cultural references it explains why professional help isn't readily forthcoming, why the behaviour never really gets treated and why it appears accepted. In today's modern times healthcare professionals are trained in the care of acute alcoholism, there are help and care groups. I had to wonder throughout the book whether there is a degree of biography to the novel; perhaps Gerard Woodward has first hand knowledge of the trauma of alcohol within a family. It's quite emotionally touching in places too, sometimes quite upsetting but the lightness of the humour never lets it get maudlin. I enjoyed the 70's references and engaged well with some if not all the characters, I would recommend this thought provoking novel to everyone even if the subject matter may make this seem inaccessible.
