I came away from reading this book feeling there was little doubt that it was a masterpiece- in that well-worn phrase I couldn't put it down. The story is set during the English civil War in a society where royalists and parliamentarians are engaged in an internecine struggle for supremacy. A battle mirrored in the love story between two men from very different backgrounds who start an uneasy friendship that escalates into a full blown love affair: they both want to control the other, ultimately tearing each other apart- their love affair destroyed because neither is able to compromise or mitigate who they really are for someone else. I found it fascinating and horrifying in equal measure. The writing is flawless- rich in detail and colour. The descriptions of the siege of Basing, Cheapside and the levellers style commune for instance are all masterly. The plot, characters and dialogue are likewise handled adeptly. McCann has done a fine job of not giving her historical characters C21st values and ways of thought: the use of violence, and the fluidity of sexual desire are prime examples both of which are central to this book. It is quite unlike anything else I've read.
The relationship between Jacob (the protagonist) and Ferris, is at the core of the book, and is by turns violent, erotic and moving: it lingers long in the memory. Jacob at first is quite repellent, even psychopathic but the author slowly reveals more and more of him and as the book progressed I found myself warming to him - a character in equal measure compelling and appalling. There were many instances where I felt sympathy for his behaviour and actions, all his thoughts and inner conflicts- are expertly described, so even when the reader has cause to question Jacobs moral judgements we can still sometimes understand his actions. The tragedy is that whilst Jacob achieves self-knowledge, he seems unable to change his character in any meaningful sense - destroying what he loves at the end, just as he does at the beginning.
****Spoiler alert for the rest of the review****
At the start of the book Jacob seems cruel, bestial and malicious, but his relationship with the virtuous Ferris, a soldier fighting in the new model army, seems transformative, making him question his behaviour, sexuality, and his obsessive need for love and mastery: Ferris acts almost as Jacobs conscience; a sort of civilising influence as he struggles to define his personal morality. The relationship intrigues, because at first Ferris appears as good as Jacob first appeared bad, and for a while the relationship seems to work as they embark on an all-consuming love affair that satisfies them like no other, the couple seem harmonious- mutually enriched- almost like two sides of the same coin, but the balance subtly starts to slide the other way; other reviewers have mainly focused on Jacobs character, and have only touched on this, but I feel at the crux of the meaning of this book is that Ferris is in essence exactly like Jacob, (granted his motives and behaviour are more honest) but he also is unable to change his character to his detriment.
As Jacob is the protagonist we are familiar with his point of view and Ferris' responses to him, but flipped the other way, Ferris also loses the person to whom he belongs because he is unable to change his nature. Locked in to his belief in the purity of his own emotions and idealistic beliefs Ferris won't acknowledge the effect his ambition for the Levellers like `New Jerusalem' colony has on those he loves- namely his Aunt and of course Jacob. Ferris manipulatively bends Jacob further and further into obedience - insisting on his cherished dream of the colony which he knows will be detrimental to both Jacob and his Aunt. Despite professing to love Jacob, Ferris remains utterly unconcerned that Jacob repeatedly mentions that he would not be happy in a life that would return him to the brutal servitude of his youth. And neither can Ferris wait to escape his beloved aunt; even when she is ill and dying he seems oblivious to her feelings, her needs and situation. I found myself liking Ferris less and less as the relationship progressed, seriously calling into question his motives. Ferris refuses to make any compromise of his idealistic ambition to either of them, which seems incredibly selfish especially when later on, his pride stops him disbanding the colony when he knows they are facing almost certain death: His beliefs are to be pursued at any cost. Ferris may be more principled than Jacob, but the way he cuts his previous love Nat out of his life, to take up with Jacob, and then later moves just as swiftly from Jacob to Caro make him seem rather fickle.
With all this in mind, the reader is prepared for the story not to end well, never the less, the climax was incredibly upsetting -Jacob and Ferris' mutual betrayal of each other had me reeling- perhaps because the reader, having invested so much emotion in these characters wants the relationship to work out on some level. It's brave of the author to not take that option, and to leave us with the much bleaker resolution of Jacob and Ferris destroying each other, by being unable to compromise or mitigate who they really are.
The main flaw of the book, for me was that knowing Jacobs character as we do, his act of murder at the start is not credible, his motives are too thin, and I felt that more needed to be included as to why he did it- the murder is constantly alluded to throughout as he tries at various points to explain it to Ferris, but whilst several options were possible, none is really given- even at the end Jacobs description of it, it given more to frighten Ferris than offer any real explanation. For me this undermines the plot and Jacobs character, as although a lot of Jacobs subsequent behaviour is violently unacceptable, he does not kill on a whim or in cold blood- all his 'bad' behaviour stems from his inability to govern his passions. Another reviewer raised an interesting point regarding possible motive or at least character development which I also think is important, which is a conversation between Jacob and his brother Zeb when they meet up again in London after the murder. Zeb is describing the day that Jacob beat him (and maybe more) in the orchard, (an event Jacob does not remember) he says that when Jacob attacked him he was `standing in for father.' The inference being that their father had beaten Jacob, but also, assuming Zeb's suggestion of some sort of sexual abuse is true, then their father probably sexually abused Jacob, too. Furthermore, Zeb seems already aware that Jacob has homosexual tendencies, which since he hasn't known Jacob during his love affair with Ferris, means that Zeb believed this to be the case even in their youth. This would psychologically explain elements of Jacobs character but is never referenced in terms of the murder- I would like to know if Jacob was perhaps sexually attracted to his brother Zeb or Walshe? He seems jealous when Walshe puts his arm around Zeb when they are reading the pamphlets. Zeb also used to share a bed with Jacob, before he later shares one with Izzy- Jacob can't recall exactly when but notes that afterwards Zeb "was never the same with me again. He withdrew from me", and the day of the wedding as the brothers are washing and dressing, Jacob remarks favourably on seeing Zeb naked.
Also with reference to the plot, I feel the re-introduction of Caro towards the end is altogether to neat to be convincing- admittedly it does tighten up the drama of the denouement, but for it to properly work, her character probably needed to be re-introduced sooner.
All in all though, this is an amazing unforgettable book that I couldn't put down, and stayed with me long after finishing it. It is satisfying on almost every level- beautifully written, a gripping story with memorable characters that was quite unlike anything I've read before.
A last somewhat minor point- the UK paperback cover is not indicative, and is misleading- the image chosen simply doesn't make sense- this is a destructive love story between two men, so why do we have a woman in a dress on the cover? Perhaps it's meant to be Caro, if so the designer probably just read the first chapter! More suitable is the US paperback with the painting `The Wounded Man' a self-portrait by Gustav Courbet, which nicely recalls the pivotal moment in the book where Ferris first lays eyes on Jacob.
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2013
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