The Red House by Mark Haddon

The Red House by Mark Haddon

Four members of our group met to discuss this book and, despite all admitting that it took a few chapters to get into the story, we all enjoyed the read.

It is not an uplifting story, and lacks the LoL humour that Mark Haddon has managed in other books we have read. It illustrates ‘real family life’ and, despite being sombre, it does contain some (dry) humour. Overall it is a reflective story.

A family is ‘thrown’ together on holiday and they go about all the normal holiday stuff: activities (canoeing, trip to Hay on Wye, walk up the mountain) and meals together with ‘undercurrents’ and the occasional disagreement. ‘Matter of factness’ prevails with simple everyday things used to illustrate the ‘normality’ of 'living together' (e.g. tapping the sink drainer into the bin!).

Underlying the normality, each Individual character has a personal circumstance that others are not fully aware of that adds the drama and intrigue: Angela’s loss, Daisy’s sexuality, Louisa’s past, Richard’s work worries, Dominic’s secrets.  Alex comes through here as the least ‘troubled’ adult and Benjy enjoys childhood simplicity. So, this is a ‘normal’ family ‘jogging along’ without communicating as well as perhaps they should. We are also shown that communication with the outside world using mobile phones is risky. There is a moral here!

Of the characters: We felt sorry and worried for Angela, absolutely adored little Benjy, hated Melissa and loved Daisy. Alex and Richard the ‘young buck’ and ‘old stag’ and their evolving relationship is brilliant and adds the humour that is otherwise lacking in the book. We respect Louisa for her organisational skills and for ‘trying hard’ all week and agreed that she is the most interesting character, probably because of where she has come from and where she is now. Her perspective is different and she is the 'even keel'.

The reader is kept on the edge, waiting for the big drama to happen. It happens but not as, or what, may have been anticipated.

Would we recommend it? Yes – but heed the words of one of our group: “When I closed it at the end I didn’t feel as if I was losing a good friend.”

Our next book is THE BOY WITH THE TOP KNOT by Sathnam Sanghera.

We will meet to chat about this book at 8.15pm on Tuesday 13th November in Gatehangers Inn.