(Drivebycuriosity) - Growing up in a dysfunctional family is a real challenge. Fortunately I had a "boring" childhood in an average family with no siblings. But it is fascinating to take a glance into the lives of others who are less lucky. "Real Life" by Adeline Dieudonné tells the story of a girl who has to grow up with a brutal father: "A big game hunter, a powerful predator, and a mother, who is submissive to her husband´s violent demands" (amazon ).
The debut novel by the Belgian author is told in first person by a girl who is about 10 years old in the begin of the novel. The narrator reports how her life is changing over about 5 years. There is a grizzly accident which chances her life and her brother`s; she has encounters with neighbors and she is threaten by her red neck father, who is getting more and more violent and abusive (this is a spoiler free book). It turns out that this girl is highly intelligent and determined and has the gift for analytical observations. She painstakingly describes her puberty, how she cares for her younger brother and reveals her thoughts and feelings, her fears and sexual desires.
"Real Life" is a glance into a dark & bizarre world and reminds my of Brothers Grimm`s sinister tales, just without witches & sorcerers. It is a horror story, spiced with violence and cruelty, but also an observation about of life, growing up and life.
Dieudonné can write. I enjoyed her poetic descriptions, like: "Monica´s slender muscular arms, spotted with freckles, her coppery skin smelling of cardamom, and the gaze of an Amerindian priestess, must have filled entire mental institutions with despairing lovers". The book (about 200 pages) is a little gem. I want to read more by this promising author.
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