Engleby - Sebastian FaulksA substantial departure, Engleby is the first of Faulks' books that one imagines has some tinge of autobiography about it, the protagonist being of the same age and education as himself.
An engaging, but not attractive persona, Engleby is a pedantic and supercilious commentator of all that goes on around him, yet singularly unaware of his effect on others. The majority of the novel is an interesting meander, but it is not until the final third, in which Engleby's part in the preceding events is revealed, and his subsequent mental breakdown, that there is any emotional impetus. Touching on many different themes including class, education and politics, it is when the novel is looking at psychosis that the story really has something to say, as Engleby thinks about his own awareness and self-medication of mental illness.
As ever, Faulks has a beautiful style of writing. Sparing, yet lush in the atmosphere it creates, the phrasing is simple but draws the reader on, further into Engleby's experiences and mental processes.
Faulks' biggest success is in making one feel for a character that is massively unprepossessing. A distinct change from his previous novels, Faulks would do well to maintain this level of quality.
Faulks' biggest success is in making one feel for a character that is massively unprepossessing. A distinct change from his previous novels, Faulks would do well to maintain this level of quality.
