A review by readingspells
The Answer to Everything by Luke Kennard
3.0
Where to start with this one..... let's tackle the elephant in the room that is part of the book description
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one