I've noticed a lot of themes when it comes to my favourite books. They often span long periods of time - twenty years, three generations, a lifetime. They often take place in the past. They often deal with prejudice and judging, tight-knit communities. The main character is often isolated by society.
However, the one that tops them all is The Outcast by Sadie Jones. Often my favourite books are ones I have come across by mistake. This one is no exception. I needed something to read and had run out of library books, so I wandered the house in search of some material. In the lounge are a few shelves stacked with the books my parents have accumulated over the years - some favourites, some borrowed and never given back, some gifts that neither of them wanted, some charity shop gems. Among them I found The Outcast, and after reading the blurb and debating whether I wanted to read it, I decided I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did.
The novel is set in the Forties and Fifties, and begins with the central character, Lewis, being released from prison aged 19. It then flashes back to tell the story of his life up until that moment. He begins his life with his mother, whom he has a close relationship with, and his father, with whom his relationship is less...close. Then tragedy strikes, and changes their family dynamic drastically. The storyline follows how this changes Lewis as a person and how it leads him to quickly become the subject of prejudice from the rest of the community.
This is an excerpt from an interview with the author, Sadie Jones:
What is The Outcast about?
The Outcast is about a boy called Lewis - his childhood and adolescence – as he grows up in the stultifying world of the home counties in the late forties and fifties. It is an everyday tale of drunkenness, violence and a fair amount of sex, set amongst the well-brought-up professional classes. It is also a love story.
What inspired you to write it?
The idea of a boy coming out of prison and trying to fit into a community that is itself corrupt was the first thing that came to me. I wanted to write an Oedipal story, with iconic characters, about what the nature of what it is to belong, and injustice. I set it in the fifties because I have always been very attracted to the books and films of that time.
It's an incredible story - it's riveting and it draws you in, it's disturbing at times but so real. It really goes deeply into human emotions, and I think that's one of the reasons I love it so much.
Please, if you read anything, read this.
