A satirical novel which makes a serious point about mental illness and the way we treat it.
Set in the polite society of a market town in the south of England which, below the surface, is rife with prejudice and hypocrisy.
A story which examines the traits, addictions and failings of the English middle classes.
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The Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society are putting on a production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, and Tessa has agreed to play a part. But when she suffers a psychotic episode, Ros, a C-list celebrity and new to the community, takes her place.
In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the stage is set for a blistering examination of mental illness, how we treat it and why we don’t. While Tessa is sectioned in a secure psychiatric hospital, the relationships in the community unravel, and by the time she’s released, all that we thought we knew, and all of our judgements, are thrown into question.
Dim the lights, turn off your phones, settle in as the curtain rises…
My Review
Honest to God I hope I never have to socialise with these people in real life, or be in a play with them. It’s not even the swearing, the smoking or the drinking – it’s the drunk-driving and the attitude. I used to work with people like this many years ago – entitled, rich, selfish, smoking dope, using cocaine, and wondering why their kids disrespect them.
Like quite a few readers, I struggled to see the darkly comic humour, other than Derek and Clive and Ethel in Mercury Ward. Maybe because my childhood was lived in the shadow of my mother’s mental illness, it was all a bit too upsetting and personal for me. Not that my mother was bi-polar or psychotic (I won’t go into details about her condition, her post-war PTSD or her eventual lobotomy), but rather that no-one understood – it was as if she had chosen to live like that. No-one would choose to be mentally ill.
But don’t let me put you off. It’s wonderfully written and the characters’ lack of understanding of mental illness is intentional. The use of language is sublime, the story will tug at the heart strings, but also make you cross. The scene where Ros finds out about Poppy, but seems more concerned that her ex is seeing her daughters behind her back says it all. Clare also warns Ros off about spending time with Scott while Tessa is sectioned following her psychotic episode, but to Ros, Scott is fair game.
The psychotic episode written from Tessa’s point of view is a hard read. Like Scott and Tessa’s friends, I just wanted her to take her meds. But it is not for me to sit in judgement, and I am not going to. My review is about the book and the fantastic writing, not the treatment of mental illness.
But if I could just say one thing (from my own personal experience), where was the help and support for Freddy, Molly and Issy? Haven’t things moved on at all since I was a child?
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Eleanor Anstruther was born London, educated in Westminster and studied History of Art at Manchester University where she was distracted from finishing her degree by a trip to India.
She was lost and found for the next twelve years, starting a commune and travelling the world before finally settling down to write.
Her acclaimed debut novel, A Perfect Explanation (Salt Books), was long-listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize.
She now lives quietly on a farm in Surrey.
