3 out of 4 stars
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The Supervisor by Tod Benjamin is not your conventional mystery narrative. It encapsulates a much wider set of themes. The narrative serves as a Bildungsroman (which is a coming of age story). The protagonist of the story is a charmingly naive man of the age 24. As the writer of the book says, the story “invokes strong memories of the second world war”, and the setting, as well as the style of the author’s writing, is suited to that age.
The most important thing about this book is the strong plot that it has. I felt that the author’s style of writing was quite wonderful, and it captivated me from the first page. The plot of the story was well woven and the story held my interest all the way to the end. I didn’t feel that the plot got dull or dry at any point, and therein lies the strength of the story. I absolutely loved the setting of the story, the time as well as the place. For a lover of historical mystery stories, this book is an absolute treat. The story is rich with historical elements and these elements have been elegantly interpolated into the narrative. Due to the themes dealt with in the story, I feel that the book is perfect for young adults and adults who love good mystery novels.
I felt that the story essentially talked about a myriad of issues. It was a realistic narrative that dealt with everyday concerns while beautifully exploring the larger and overarching storyline. To me, one of the best things about this book is the way it deals with relationships and exposes the grey reality of real-world dynamics. The complexity of the character relationships in this story added the element of suspense, and the reader is constantly wondering about what to expect from the narrative.
In my opinion, the characterisation in this story could have been a bit stronger. The protagonist, while realistic and interesting, often lacks charm. His presence is not strongly felt and that flattened the narrative a bit. However, the other characters had their own mysteries and charms, and this added to the beauty of the story.
Perhaps the most important thing in the case of a historical novel would’ve been the style of writing. I looked for nuances that could possibly dampen the reading experience due to anachronism, but I must say I found none. The language used by the author in the book seems relevant to the landscape of 1960 London. The style of writing is consistent with the works from that time.
Overall, I happily rate this story 3 out of 4 stars. I cut off a point due to the characterisation and definitely feel that it is something the author could work on, but I cannot wait to read his next work.
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The Supervisor
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