serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Elected Member won in 1970. It’s the story of a Jewish family dealing with the drug addiction and hallucinations of the sole son, a one time golden boy. I thought it did a good job depicting the reality of hallucinations. I also appreciated seeing how Norman’s family was impacted by his addiction -the father’s guilt, anger and determination really hit me - and how they vacillated between helping him and enabling him. It was interesting to consider how the family dynamics and some incidents from the past may have influenced Norman’s addiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Incest
tarajoy90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Incest
eunicek82's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
4.5
I can see why this won the Booker. It’s a very well-written family drama examining the roots of mental illness. The way she doles out key moments in the family’s history was so well done. I’m not completely sure what her message is by making the family a deeply religious one but it seems that she might be saying that a narrow world view can have dire consequences.
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
I can see why this was a booker prize winner I really enjoyed it! So strange with the hallucinations of silverfish, and very sad towards the end.
taylorelm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
reviewsbylola's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
franfernandezarce's review against another edition
4.0
you enter the novel to find Norman, its so-called 'elected member', a drug addict who sees tiny silver fish crawling everywhere around him. the cover does this story the disservice of making the reader think the metallic hues of said fish will be representative of its tone. instead, Rubens' exploration on addiction, family trauma, and reconciliation is more fittingly coloured by Francis Bacon's nude studies than anything else--pitch-black backgrounds bearing hints of white human figures struggling to come into the foreground.
the highs in Rubens' writing manage by a slim margin to upset the lows. her ability to craft a set of distinctive yet complex characters within a single group trumps any criticism one might have of her ability to structure the time frame of the story. there could be smoother ways of presenting flashbacks, of course, but one's care for each individual involved supposes one will follow them past, present, and future without a thought. anyone looking for complex, short-format family dramas will be pleased to encounter this story.
the highs in Rubens' writing manage by a slim margin to upset the lows. her ability to craft a set of distinctive yet complex characters within a single group trumps any criticism one might have of her ability to structure the time frame of the story. there could be smoother ways of presenting flashbacks, of course, but one's care for each individual involved supposes one will follow them past, present, and future without a thought. anyone looking for complex, short-format family dramas will be pleased to encounter this story.