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Monday, September 2, 2024

953. An Obedient Father

An Obedient Father
Akhil Sharma
2000
Around 290 pages



















You know how during the last season of a show, you can tell the main actor's heart isn't in it anymore? Yeah, that's how I'm feeling right about now, after being assigned yet another novel that features graphic scenes of child rape. I'm not up to giving Sharma credit for anything here, this was just disgusting.

Our main sicko is a corrupt politician who rapes his daughter repeatedly. And somehow we are supposed to feel sympathetic to this guy. I guess it's supposed to be like how Dostoyevsky features guilt-ridden antiheroes waiting for their comeuppance. Thanks, I hate it.

Another one that makes me want to give up the List altogether, but we've come this far. So we will just give this zero stars and try to forget it as soon as possible.

RATING: -----

Interesting Facts:

Received the 2001 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award and Whiting Writers' Award.

UP NEXT: The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

1 comment:

Diana said...

I wonder what issues the author is working through when they find it necessary to graphically describe sexual assault and abuse. Like, we get it. Move on and write well.