Battle Book Club: Water by John Boyne

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This event is free but please reserve a place via Eventbrite.

If you haven’t got the book already, you can get 20% off with the code BATTLEBOOKCLUB via the Oldspeak bookshop. 

John Boyne recently completed his quartet, Elements, which brought four novellas – Water, Earth, Fire and Air – into a single volume. However, this was overshadowed as controversy over his gender-critical views led to outrage and the eventual ‘pause’ of the Polari Literary Prize after an open letter from 800 angry activists and the removal of many judges and nominees.

But if literary prizes play politics, Boyne’s work deserves to be read at literature. As he reflected in the Telegraph, rather than focusing on political positions, shouldn’t writers be remembered for the ‘beauty of their writing, the brilliance of their storytelling, and the power of their ideas?’

This is what we wish to discuss at our Book Club – opening a space to engage with Boyne’s writing in dealing with the struggles of crime and trauma. Come along and discuss the novels’ intensely emotional themes, the power of his imaginative and thrilling prose and the depth of his characters. Or you might be more sceptical of how he deals with difficult issues, character development and more. But let’s talk about his novels not his politics!

Water

Vanessa Carvin, also known as Willow Hale, is desperately trying to escape her past. Living alone in a quaint cottage in Ireland she struggles with the mangled and unreliable narratives. Untrusting to herself and others, she questions whether she is truly innocent in her husband’s crimes.

In a world away from her life in Dublin, Vanessa Carvin adopts her middle name and former surname, to reinvent herself as a Willow – a woman leaving Dublin to adopt a quiet, solitary life on an Irish island. In reality, however, Vanessa is simply a woman on the run from her past, trying to escape the ill fame associated with her ex-husband, who is now in prison.

But changing your name doesn’t allow you to escape scandal. As Vanessa reflects upon her marriage, she questions if she is worthy of finding peace. If her ex-husband committed the atrocities he’s accused of, what responsibility does she bear for turning a blind eye? Can one live beside evil and remain untouched by it? Can you ever truly erase your past? Can Water really wash away complicity and past mistakes?

Join us to discuss Water and unpick questions of identity, responsibility and morality which float through Boyne’s novel.