Dee reviewed Monkey Grip by Charlotte Wood
Review of 'Monkey Grip' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I was recommended this book a while back by a woman who was writing something inspired by this book. I went into this with very few expectations as I do not usually read much romance and have very little familiarity with Helen Garner's work. All this considered, it was not a major letdown at all.
In general, the characters are not ones I can relate to emotionally. It's not just a matter of a good few of them being addicts, the way they react to the situations they're in simply does not resonate with me in any way. Nora, the main character, has such an irrational relationship with everyone around her—especially Javo—it's almost tiring to read how she thinks. Javo himself is a mess beyond words but contributes to the bigger mess (Nora's rationale for her behaviour towards those surrounding her). The messiness of these characters causes you to keep …
I was recommended this book a while back by a woman who was writing something inspired by this book. I went into this with very few expectations as I do not usually read much romance and have very little familiarity with Helen Garner's work. All this considered, it was not a major letdown at all.
In general, the characters are not ones I can relate to emotionally. It's not just a matter of a good few of them being addicts, the way they react to the situations they're in simply does not resonate with me in any way. Nora, the main character, has such an irrational relationship with everyone around her—especially Javo—it's almost tiring to read how she thinks. Javo himself is a mess beyond words but contributes to the bigger mess (Nora's rationale for her behaviour towards those surrounding her). The messiness of these characters causes you to keep reading to try and understand them better.
Apart from the characters, the writing style of this book and its somewhat idiosyncratic, jumpy rhythm also had me hooked on to keep reading. Garner's way of cutting from the point of focus and jumping into another scene really grabs your attention. I think the only way this book has managed to not come out bland is because of the combination of messy characters and such a style of writing.
3/5
Overall an alright read, just not my cup of tea.
