Guilt (Matt Nable, Viking)

Guilt, a word on which we can project all of our regrets. For some of the characters in this novel, it is also an emotion that has ruined youth and soured adulthood. Switching between 1989 and 2009, Matt Nable’s book follows a group of teenagers in a beachside town and a single event that fractures their lives. Not unlike Christos Tsiolkas’ The Slap, Nable has created a set of complex characters who, while compelling, are rarely likeable. In 1989 they are teetering on the edge of adulthood. Tommy, Chris and Paul are full of swagger, but struggling with inner conflicts. Lani and Julia are vulnerable and fierce, and flexing their sexual power. Two decades on, their adolescent entanglements proved to be a dangerous foreshadowing of what was to come. Tommy has spent time in prison, Lani is in a loveless marriage, Julia and Paul are disillusioned and bitter. While the writing is evocative, significant chunks of dialogue are a little clunky and pulled me out of the story. Nable, who is also an actor and scriptwriter, excels when he’s exploring the grinding pressure of guilt and mining the interior of each of his characters. Ultimately, this is an intense, rewarding read about the futility of escaping the past and what happens when it smothers the future.

Frances Atkinson is the children’s book specialist at My Bookshop

Category: Reviews