Under Control [Paperback]

Under Control is an uncomfortable read.

It tells a simple story - the love triangle - with a bit of a twist. Gary is a psychiatric patient, out in the community. Nigel is his social worker, and Charlie is his heroin-addicted girlfriend. The twist to the age-old story is that each is trying to manipulate the others. Each feels they are in control and that the others are under control.

The discomfort starts from the outset. The writing style seems very simple, monosyllabic. One wonders whether this is a novel aimed at young adults or adults with literacy difficulties. The viewpoint lurches from third person (in which Gary first appears) to Gary's first person narration. And then there is a mysterious story of Galileo, a French Foreign Legionnaire. At first, it feels as though there is a different character coming in every few pages, and it is terribly disjointed. It does start to gel, though, and the strands of story are not quite as numerous as it first seems. In fact, it's quite a tight little plot.

The characters are quite complex, in their own little ways. Gary is bright, inquisitive, quite mad and with a violent and sadistic sexual drive. Adding to the discomfort of the reader, there are passages in which Gary's fantasies stray dangerously close to articulating the fantasies you might find in the school role playing game club. One isn't sure whether it is brilliance or just plain embarrassing. Nigel is the kind of social worker who has a facade of helping others and doing good whilst actually just enjoying changing people's lives. It seems pretty immaterial to him whether he changes them for better or for worse. One imagines that his actions are probably more often on the side of the angels, but from expedience rather than altruism. And Charlie... Charlie, named after one drug and hopelessly addicted to another. Charlie is a charmer, but one who lies and cheats and schemes, apparently for the sheer fun of it. Like Gary, she is bright. Unlike Gary, she is not mad. But her Achilles heel is a compulsive behaviour that runs through her addictions, her lying, her sex (she works as a prostitute).

And all three deceive themselves as much as they deceive anyone else.

There are also some brilliant cameo characters. In particular, Itchy Chris, useful because he has a car and no brain, is very vividly drawn. One can imagine this dirty, hunched character scratching himself and drooling all the time, desperate to be included in the plans.

And throughout things, there is a page turning quality to the novel. Although the various characters are pretty revolting, none is totally without charm. They have enough intrigue, at any rate, to create a sense of expectation - a fascination with what is actually happening. And what it is ain't exactly clear..

But there is perhaps too much madness. This creates some chapterettes that are initially intriguing but ultimately distracting. Madness, you see, is about the gap between the cognitive functions of the mad and the sane. That leads to a lack of coherence that is distancing and dull. There is inevitably a compromise between true madness and something that will fit a plot driven novel, and Under Control is no exception. (For a true portrayal of schizophrenia, try The One by Paul Reed - apparently it is very accurate, but as a consequence it is heavy going and extremely distancing.)

Overal, Under Control probably achieves what Mark McNay set out to achieve, and does it with some aplomb. But the nature of the story and characters will alienate many, and the inherent sense of discomfort with deter others.

This is a clever and well-written book. The style is sparse, but the compassion and humour of McNay come through strongly. Charlie is a stoic, but vulnerable sex worker and her only source of support is an insane lover, Gary. There is real tenderness in the description of their relationship, but the rest of the book is often quite desolate. Alcoholic, absent or violent parents in the distant past and a manipulative and irresponsible social worker Nigel mean that the pair has nobody that they can trust. As a result, they are easily manipulated and divided. There is no happy ending for their pathetic accomplice itchy Chris either.
The writing is excellent throughout and at times quite compulsive, especially as the minutiae of Gary's illness are explored. It would make a great short film with sympathetic casting and direction.