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A review by alisonburnis
The Laughter by Sonora Jha
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Now that I’ve returned to academia, it’s time to get into the campus novel! This is a particularly good one - sharp, vivid, and narrated by Dr. Oliver Harding, a stand-in for the old white male professor (and done brilliantly). Dr. Harding develops an obsession with his colleague, Dr. Ruhaba Khan, and their friendship grows in a strange time. Set in 2016, in the days leading to the American election, their campus is a hotbed of students versus the old guard, older faculty versus newer faculty, debating the need for diversity and equity.
Oliver and Ruhaba become unlikely, good friends, drawn together by her nephew Adil, sent to her care after an incident in his home in France. But there are gulfs between them, and Oliver’s actions will ultimately spell doom for them all, in shocking ways.
This was just so strikingly good. Oliver is insufferable and awful, and you know it’s going to end badly - it’s framed as Oliver writing an account of events shortly after the fact, and during an FBI investigation. The atmosphere of tension and dread is so well-done. Jha’s exploration of power and selfishness, the dynamic between Ruhaba and Oliver, the unreliability of Oliver’s storytelling, and the knowledge there’s a crime at the end of this, all are expertly crafted. I loved this novel and I also hated it because it was so tense. Jha demands that we confront white power, and how the university upholds white supremacy in minute ways everyday, not just the system power.
Oliver and Ruhaba become unlikely, good friends, drawn together by her nephew Adil, sent to her care after an incident in his home in France. But there are gulfs between them, and Oliver’s actions will ultimately spell doom for them all, in shocking ways.
This was just so strikingly good. Oliver is insufferable and awful, and you know it’s going to end badly - it’s framed as Oliver writing an account of events shortly after the fact, and during an FBI investigation. The atmosphere of tension and dread is so well-done. Jha’s exploration of power and selfishness, the dynamic between Ruhaba and Oliver, the unreliability of Oliver’s storytelling, and the knowledge there’s a crime at the end of this, all are expertly crafted. I loved this novel and I also hated it because it was so tense. Jha demands that we confront white power, and how the university upholds white supremacy in minute ways everyday, not just the system power.