Drowning the Gowns
Peter Hollywood
[New Island Books]
One night in turn-of-the-century Venice, Irish artist Reuben Ross witnesses novelist Henry James’ clandestine disposal of a lady’s garments from a gondola in the Laguna. An initially intriguing set-up, this opening scene remains the most gripping part of the book. James subsequently tracks down Reuben and commissions him to paint a portrait-memento of the deceased lady, a nod to the writer’s famous novel. We are swept along pleasantly through vividly depicted Venetian streets, as a friendship develops between Reuben and Henry James is memorably brought to life.
However, flaws start to grate: all other characters feel under-developed and impossible to connect with as they pass on- and off-stage without purpose; the language is often stilted and stumbling as it reaches for lofty heights; the political intrigue elements lack meat or substance; finally, things fall apart and we are left with a feeling of emptiness. Perhaps this is intentional – the book’s good old fashioned ghost story elements, in the style of James’ The Turn of the Screw, result in a curious symbolism by the novel’s end.
It is a timely reminder of the inanity of war, and provides an antidote to any glorification of our war heroes during the 1916 Centenary. With Reuben, author Peter Hollywood shows us an ordinary man drawn reluctantly into war, as he fades into obscurity and is left haunted by the ghosts of suffering. With tighter plot and character development, this could have been quite a novel.
Words: Maryam Madani
