Review by JLBlumenstock -- The Undeparted
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JLBlumenstock
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Review by JLBlumenstock -- The Undeparted
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Undeparted" by Timothy Watkinson.]
The Undeparted by Timothy Watkinson is a work of fiction meant to provide insight to the reader on the human condition. It begins, and centers on, the life of John Mundy, a bland man from urban UK who suffers tremendously from OCD and anxiety. His condition seems to rule his life in all aspects; he has no job, no friends and is unable to perform daily tasks without going through a number of torturous rituals. Throughout the book we learn that his condition is possibly due to his physically abusive father, mother who deserted him and his verbally abusive aunt/guardian.
Everything changes, however, when he comes upon a childhood acquaintance in the university café that is open to the public. Ricky, self-assured and devastatingly handsome, invites him to a party later that evening. This invitation puts everything into motion as John meets scholarly divorcee Peter Curling, Ricky’s unhappy wife Ellen, and Margaret, a sexy single mom who works as a department secretary at the university. John ends up staying at Margaret’s after the long night of partying and, when he is evicted from his apartment, ends up living with her and beginning a sexual relationship. This is much to the distress of Peter and Ricky, who both want Margaret for themselves. The story takes some turns, as John begins caring for Margaret’s daughter, Ricky and Ellen’s marriage hits the rocks and Peter begins an affair with an undergrad. All of their lives begin to untangle as the reader begins to wonder who Margaret will end up with, how will Ricky and Ellen resolve their marital issues and what will happen to poor, neurotic John?
Watkinson provides a superb character study, quickly moving the narrative from one to the next. The reader is able to hear inside the mind of each character as the story takes turns using each of their perspectives. The flow in the beginning was a tad slow, with the focus on the inner thoughts of John Mundy. However, it helped illustrate just how deep Mundy’s insecurities lie and also give context to his later interactions. I also enjoyed the lengthy descriptions of his rituals; I actually became as frustrated as Mundy seems with them, which is the true sign of a well-written text. Watkinson’s descriptive language painted some striking pictures: “…a silver cloak being shaken dry” to describe rain is just one of the many poetic phrases he used to give the reader a vivid detailing of the scene. The pace picked up from there as the author quickly shifted gears to some rapid dialogue and the turn-taking perspectives between characters.
I felt like I got to know the true personalities of Ellen, Ricky and Peter as they tried to fight their way out of their unhappiness. Their inner-monologues were truly relatable as they pondered some of those universal themes of happiness and love. I liked most the relationship between John and Margaret’s young daughter, Rosie. It allowed me to see another dimension to John. It was an interesting juxtaposition to see his lack of social skills interact with this innocent, rambunctious child. However, I felt that there were some characters in Watkinson’s work that lacked a true fleshing out. Margaret’s character, for instance, left me with some questions. Why did she allow John to stay in the first place? What about Rosie’s father? He was alluded to and seemed to create quite a strong reaction in Margaret when brought up, but the reader never found out why. Surely, something that significant would play a role in the present-day reactions of Margaret, but unfortunately, the reader is not given any insight into this. There were also times where some sidebar characters, necessary of course to moving the main characters’ story along, nevertheless at times felt oddly out of place. These items however, did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel, nor did some of the very few editing/spelling errors I found within.
The Undeparted merits 3 out of 4 stars due to the few lingering character development questions. The themes found within of love and happiness, loneliness and acceptance are universally relatable. Couples will be able to find the passages about marital difficulties and raising children familiar. Those interested in psychology will find the dive into the mental health system and the mental health issues of OCD and anxiety intriguing. Fans of strong character-driven fiction will find this work an overall gem. There are some sex scenes, nothing too descriptive, and drug use is found throughout, so I recommend this only to a mature audience.
******
The Undeparted
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Undeparted by Timothy Watkinson is a work of fiction meant to provide insight to the reader on the human condition. It begins, and centers on, the life of John Mundy, a bland man from urban UK who suffers tremendously from OCD and anxiety. His condition seems to rule his life in all aspects; he has no job, no friends and is unable to perform daily tasks without going through a number of torturous rituals. Throughout the book we learn that his condition is possibly due to his physically abusive father, mother who deserted him and his verbally abusive aunt/guardian.
Everything changes, however, when he comes upon a childhood acquaintance in the university café that is open to the public. Ricky, self-assured and devastatingly handsome, invites him to a party later that evening. This invitation puts everything into motion as John meets scholarly divorcee Peter Curling, Ricky’s unhappy wife Ellen, and Margaret, a sexy single mom who works as a department secretary at the university. John ends up staying at Margaret’s after the long night of partying and, when he is evicted from his apartment, ends up living with her and beginning a sexual relationship. This is much to the distress of Peter and Ricky, who both want Margaret for themselves. The story takes some turns, as John begins caring for Margaret’s daughter, Ricky and Ellen’s marriage hits the rocks and Peter begins an affair with an undergrad. All of their lives begin to untangle as the reader begins to wonder who Margaret will end up with, how will Ricky and Ellen resolve their marital issues and what will happen to poor, neurotic John?
Watkinson provides a superb character study, quickly moving the narrative from one to the next. The reader is able to hear inside the mind of each character as the story takes turns using each of their perspectives. The flow in the beginning was a tad slow, with the focus on the inner thoughts of John Mundy. However, it helped illustrate just how deep Mundy’s insecurities lie and also give context to his later interactions. I also enjoyed the lengthy descriptions of his rituals; I actually became as frustrated as Mundy seems with them, which is the true sign of a well-written text. Watkinson’s descriptive language painted some striking pictures: “…a silver cloak being shaken dry” to describe rain is just one of the many poetic phrases he used to give the reader a vivid detailing of the scene. The pace picked up from there as the author quickly shifted gears to some rapid dialogue and the turn-taking perspectives between characters.
I felt like I got to know the true personalities of Ellen, Ricky and Peter as they tried to fight their way out of their unhappiness. Their inner-monologues were truly relatable as they pondered some of those universal themes of happiness and love. I liked most the relationship between John and Margaret’s young daughter, Rosie. It allowed me to see another dimension to John. It was an interesting juxtaposition to see his lack of social skills interact with this innocent, rambunctious child. However, I felt that there were some characters in Watkinson’s work that lacked a true fleshing out. Margaret’s character, for instance, left me with some questions. Why did she allow John to stay in the first place? What about Rosie’s father? He was alluded to and seemed to create quite a strong reaction in Margaret when brought up, but the reader never found out why. Surely, something that significant would play a role in the present-day reactions of Margaret, but unfortunately, the reader is not given any insight into this. There were also times where some sidebar characters, necessary of course to moving the main characters’ story along, nevertheless at times felt oddly out of place. These items however, did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel, nor did some of the very few editing/spelling errors I found within.
The Undeparted merits 3 out of 4 stars due to the few lingering character development questions. The themes found within of love and happiness, loneliness and acceptance are universally relatable. Couples will be able to find the passages about marital difficulties and raising children familiar. Those interested in psychology will find the dive into the mental health system and the mental health issues of OCD and anxiety intriguing. Fans of strong character-driven fiction will find this work an overall gem. There are some sex scenes, nothing too descriptive, and drug use is found throughout, so I recommend this only to a mature audience.
******
The Undeparted
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Project Tau by Jude Austin
