The reader is privy to the mind of an odious child who does hateful things, and you gradually realise that this boy is tragically psychotic. His escalating behaviour can't evoke sympathy, but you, the reader, will feel pity. This is a heartbreaking story, told in a compelling and unconventional way. Mark Twain used the voice of a child in Huckleberry Finn, but this is no Huck but a deeply flawed human being, unsparingly revealed.
(Herb Roselle - bwl 99 Winter 2021 ) |
