Next of Kin by John Boyne
Thursday, 12 Oct 2006 16:27
John Boyne's latest novel falls rather flat
Published by Penguin, out now in paperback, 512 pages, £6.99.
In a nutshell…
Low-rent historical crime 'thriller'
What's it all about?
Against the backdrop of the 1930s abdication crisis, a throng of bored aristocrats are milling around London with little better to do than embroil themselves in scandal - deception, murder and semi-incestuous romance are the order of the day.
Owen Montignac, a "charismatic" and morally decrepit aristo-prat has been left out of his father's will in favour of his cousin Stella. With £50,000 of gambling debts to his name, he must come up with a moneymaking - and preferably murderous - ruse to pacify the demands of grumpy, Godfather-esque casino boss Nicholas Delfy.
Meanwhile, a subplot is clumsily airlifted in to help us ponder the nature of justice and family duty through the dilemma of Roderick Bentley. A high court judge presiding over the trial of a young aristocrat, he must issue a life-or-death sentence in the most media-saturated case of the decade. But personal issues get in the way - the young convict is the same age as his own son, as we are reminded several times, with heavy hints ensuring we don't miss that this may carry Implications for Later In The Book.
Who's it by?
Irish writer John Boyne is a graduate of the esteemed creative writing course at the University of East Anglia. Boyne's first three novels had moderate success before his children's book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas went stellar across the world, hogging the Irish number one spot for 34 weeks straight. Now being made into a film by Disney/Miramax.
As an example…
"You think you were the only one left embittered by your uncle's will?…Protect me, Owen, and I'll protect you."
"Protect me?" he asked in surprise, "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Do I have to spell it out?"
Montignac frowned; he wasn't quite sure what she was getting at. "I think perhaps you do," he said.
Margaret sat back in her chair and poured some more tea. "Oh, it's stewed," she said in disappointment.
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
Although Next of Kin struggles as a novel to say the least, in the right scriptwriter's hands there's definite film potential. An upper class bloodbath while the royal family faces its biggest crisis since the reformation would almost certainly appeal. Think Gosford Park - with more murders and fewer servants.
What the others say
"…for the first part of the book I really wondered where it was going. I could easily have put it down and left it. Sometimes I had to persuade myself to keep reading." Sue Magee for The Bookbag.
So is it any good?
On paper, Next of Kin has all the ingredients to make up the "scintillating thriller" that its publisher describes it as. Unfortunately, a lacklustre trio of weak characters, unconvincing plot and frankly boring writing means it struggles to reach mediocre at best.
As Mr Montignac begins his descent into deception, double-dealing and inappropriate romances with family members a cast of crudely drawn, intensely dislikeable cardboard cut-outs limp along in a stilted procession of wincing dialogue and clichéd description.
The plot is so predictable you begin to think you can see the 'twists' coming before the author can as you wade through pages of groundwork before a murder is finally shoehorned in. Messily incorporating Edward VIII's affair with Mrs Simpson to enforce the theme of instinct versus honour, historical detail becomes more of a distraction than a convincing framework for the story.
Even without having read Boyne's previous novels, you continually feel he is capable of producing something better. Sadly, Next of Kin comes across as a complacent half-attempt by an author who doesn't really seem to have tried – yet who constantly attempts to force the reader into making the effort. Don't bother.
2/10
Emily Ford
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