Click!…Here it was again! He was walking along the cliff at Hunstanton and it had come again…Click!...Or would the word “snap” or “crack” describe it better.
This opening line describes a psychological malady that affects George Harvey Bone from time to time and without warning. After the click George falls into a mental fog; he calls them “dead moods”, in which he is somewhat confused and detached. He knows who he is. He can carry on conversations, though he often doesn’t make much sense. It also brings on a primary thought of some important task he must do but can’t recall. After a few minutes into the dead mood, he remembers…
He passed a shelter, around which some children were running, firing toy pistols at each other. Then he remembered, without any difficulty, what it was he had to do: he had to kill Netta Longdon.
A pretty captivating set up, I was hooked. George is not alarmed by these dead moods. He’s grown used to them. Neither is he alarmed by the realization he must kill Netta. He’s quite matter-of-fact with himself about it, though he recognizes the need for discretion. He doesn’t want the police bothering him afterwards. The dead moods end as abruptly as they begin, though he is more disoriented when coming out. He remembers very little about what happened to him during the dead mood, and has no recollection of plans to kill Netta. On the contrary, he is hopelessly, pathetically in love with her.
Which is unfortunate because she is a user. She is a beautiful unsuccessful actress, broke, alcoholic, vain, lazy, extravagant (with George’s money), deceitful, ungrateful, and cruel. I’m certain I missed a few of her vices.
Foul as she was to him, there were moments when, because he understood her so well, he was almost sorry for her.
Oh yes, she also sympathizes with Hitler. There, now you should get the picture: thoroughly despicable. The novel opens in late 1938 when rumors of war are growing serious.
Hangover square is categorized as a dark comedy. I’m familiar with the term, but this novel really made me think about what it means. I infer, something like this: something is happening, or about to happen, that is so horrible that we would find it…well…horrible, but yet, and again I infer, that because we know it is a farce, we may find it almost comical.
Wanderer’s opinion anyway. And I need it to be correct, because this novel made me feel something that I’m not at all comfortable with. I almost wanted George to do the deed. That’s OK right, cuz I know it’s a farce…a dark comedy?
Yeah, that’s gotta be right.
No spoiler. But I should add something about George: he drinks like a fish. Just about everyone in this novel does. George wonders if his drinking and frequent drunkenness might have something to do with his malady. Ya think?
Speaking of the malady, I don’t think it’s schizophrenia as Hamilton suggests in a chapter heading, nor do I think it’s dissociative disorder as some synopses assert. George never assumes a different personality. He is just rather obtuse when he’s in a dead mood.
My rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
This novel satisfies the category “shape” (title must include a shape) in the What’s in a Name 2024 challenge.
One last thing about George. He’s quite pathetic overall, but he does have one fine quality. He is reading David Copperfield throughout the story.
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