Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Murmur

Murmur by Will Eaves was one of the finalists for the James Tait Black Award for 2019. This fortunately short book is a challenging read. 

The work of fiction is loosely based on the final years of the life of Alan Turing, the famous code breaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. The main character is Alec Pryor who struggles to cope after having endured regular chemical treatment plus counselling to cure him of homosexual tendencies that were definitely not tolerated in England in the early 1950s.

Much of the book describes halluciations experienced by Alec as he moves into an unreal world recreating scenes from the past as well as incorporating current fears wildly affected by his treatment. Many of the events are viewed through distorted mirrors in his mind. Interspersed is correspondendence between Alec and his friend June as they try to decipher what is happening to him. When the treatment ends the murmurs begin to recede but do not entirely go away.

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