A review by foggy_rosamund
Cracks by Sheila Kohler
2.0
There are some aspects of the writing that make this book seem very naive: first, there is the use of rhyming couplets at the beginning of sections to summarise events that have occurred or will occur. Second, the author doesn't divide the into chapters, instead she begins sections of two or three pages with a question or statement, such as "What We Said to Fiamma" or "Miss G's story", which tell us what will happen in the section. Both of these seem clumsy, the first seems like something a beginning writer would think was clever, and should be gently talked out of by a friend or writer's group, and the second makes the novel seem like it's trying to model itself on a textbook or case-study, but this falls completely flat.
Ignoring these unfortunate devices, some of the prose is really successful. Descriptions of the girls' intimate friendships, the heat and intensity of their lives in a wild countryside, and the image of swimming in the cool water under the African sun, are all beautiful. I read this having seen the film, and I disagree with some other reviews that suggest this book is worse than the film: some aspects are not as strong, but others are stronger. I think the book gives us a better portrait of the individual girls, and of Fiamma, the unlucky girl whose demise shadows the book. I also think Fiamma's ending is more interesting and more complexly explored.
However, the character of Mrs G doesn't get as much space in the book as she is allowed in the film, and her actions seem more flat, and it's harder to understand why the girls find her so compelling and why they are so willing to excuse her actions. I found that the book felt unbalanced: some moments the writing was clear and compelling and I was interested in the characters, and other times it felt like a rough sketch. This feels like a book that could have used a lot of editing, but at the same time, I found a lot of things to enjoy.
Ignoring these unfortunate devices, some of the prose is really successful. Descriptions of the girls' intimate friendships, the heat and intensity of their lives in a wild countryside, and the image of swimming in the cool water under the African sun, are all beautiful. I read this having seen the film, and I disagree with some other reviews that suggest this book is worse than the film: some aspects are not as strong, but others are stronger. I think the book gives us a better portrait of the individual girls, and of Fiamma, the unlucky girl whose demise shadows the book. I also think Fiamma's ending is more interesting and more complexly explored.
However, the character of Mrs G doesn't get as much space in the book as she is allowed in the film, and her actions seem more flat, and it's harder to understand why the girls find her so compelling and why they are so willing to excuse her actions. I found that the book felt unbalanced: some moments the writing was clear and compelling and I was interested in the characters, and other times it felt like a rough sketch. This feels like a book that could have used a lot of editing, but at the same time, I found a lot of things to enjoy.