2 out of 4 stars
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“My name is not Mr. Dude. It is not Prof Dude, glasses guy, or even Neal. It is Dr Neal Basilla. I am not your buddy. My job is not to listen to how accurate you think the movie Platoon or Hanoi Hilton is,” Which always seemed to happen once the word ‘Vietnam’ or ‘vet’ came up, especially at the same time and referring to me.
Surrender Language by Nina Wilson is an experimental work that brings together two different and unconventional Bildungsroman stories. The first story is of Dr Neal Basilla, a history professor who is trying to cope with Parkinson’s disease as well as the death of his wife. He finds himself completely alone, having to grapple with “his past memories and thoughts of his dwindling future”. The narrative traces his emotional growth and struggle for survival. The second narrative is of Denny Helming, a senior in college. He is about to graduate and “enter the ‘real world’”. He notices the struggles of Dr Basilla and extends his friendship. While both of them have starkly different lives, they do have one thing in common. Both of them are no strangers to pain. Denny helps Dr Basilla embrace the inevitability of this pain as well as his past.
This book starts “in medias res” (in the middle of things) and hence the reader might feel lost due to the unusual beginning of the story. However, the author soon gives context to the reader in the first few paragraphs. I felt that the beginning of the story was certainly not its strength, but the author did add structure in the later chapters of the book.
The plot of the story is quite realistic and the reader finds herself relating to the characters within this narrative, but the dialogues sometimes seem a bit superficial. I loved the concept behind this novel, and I feel that these are themes that need to be explored more in novels. The narrative invokes empathy due to how it is written, but sometimes there is a disconnect in the novel that can be a bit off-putting.
I felt like the characterisation of the novel wasn’t that great either. The author could have done a better job of creating dynamic characters to add to the intensity of the novel. However, I do love the protagonist of the novel. I certainly felt that he exuded enigma.
Overall, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars because of a number of reasons. I feel that the plot, as well as the characterisation in this novel, could’ve been stronger. The narrative was fragmented at certain points, which would make the reader lose interest, but I still suggest this book to adults who love coming-of-age narratives.
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Surrender Language
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