We Need to Talk About Kevin: A Novel by Lionel Shriver
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Summary
Eva never really wanted to be a mother- and certainly not the mother of a boy who ends up murdering seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage, in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.
I listened to this audiobook a few months back, and it truly stayed with me like no other book has in years. It revolves around a family, starting with a loving couple and ending in a nightmare. However, it's important to note that this book delves deeper than just school shootings; it challenges us to ponder the existence and reasons behind evil in the mind of a troubled child. Can a child be inherently different, a bad seed from birth? Or could it be that the mother's resentment towards sacrificing her independence and her animosity towards her child played a role in breaking him?
Just recently, I also watched the movie adaptation, and while it differed from the book, it was still quite impressive. My recommendation would be to read the book first and then watch the movie after a few days or weeks.
Personally, I felt that the movie helped me come to terms with the book, providing a sense of closure. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in thought-provoking, gritty books that make you appreciate what you have.
Although the overall tone of the book is rather bleak, I couldn't find any flaws that would warrant giving it anything less than a perfect rating. However, I must admit that it left me feeling incredibly saddened and even anxious for a prolonged period. The writing style is incredibly impactful, as the story is told through letters the mother writes to her husband. It's difficult to put down and I found the audiobook to be very captivating. Additionally, it adds an element of doubt, making you question whether the mother is truly telling the truth or her own version of it.
In the end, the story concludes in a manner that leaves no doubt about the sanity of both the mother and child.
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