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The Disappeared
The Disappeared is a story of our times, of kidnap and rescue, of abuse and healing. It is the story of Stephen, a teacher whose love for the pupil who shares his dreams brings him face to face with ruin; of Sharon, the child of a feckless stepmother, and her criminal abusers; of Laura, the investigative high-flyer, now faced with rape and sexual slavery; of Justin, environmentalist and Heavy Metal fan, whose obsession with Muhibbah, rescued from forced marriage, spells disaster for them both. It is the story of a police force fearful of charges of racism, and a social worker, Iona, expected to make a viable community from fragments that will not join. With dizzying speed The Disappeared uncovers the chaotic underworld of a Yorkshire city, its characters eventually stumbling across one another in a single catastrophe. A victim may bring but who will it be?
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
16 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Roger Scruton
140 books1,352 followersSir Roger Scruton was a writer and philosopher who has published more than forty books in philosophy, aesthetics and politics. He was a fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He taught in both England and America and was a Visiting Professor at Department of Philosophy and Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, he was also a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington D.C.
In 2015 he published two books, The Disappeared and later in the autumn, Fools Frauds and Firebrands. Fools Frauds and Firebrands is an update of Thinkers of the New Left published, to widespread outrage, in 1986. It includes new chapters covering Lacan, Deleuze and Badiou and some timely thoughts about the historians and social thinkers who led British intellectuals up the garden path during the last decades, including Eric Hobsbawm and Ralph Miliband.
In 2016 he again published two books, Confessions of A Heretic (a collection of essays) and The Ring of Truth, about Wagner’s Ring cycle, which was widely and favourably reviewed. In 2017 he published On Human Nature (Princeton University Press), which was again widely reviewed, and contains a distillation of his philosophy. He also published a response to Brexit, Where We Are (Bloomsbury).
In 2015 he published two books, The Disappeared and later in the autumn, Fools Frauds and Firebrands. Fools Frauds and Firebrands is an update of Thinkers of the New Left published, to widespread outrage, in 1986. It includes new chapters covering Lacan, Deleuze and Badiou and some timely thoughts about the historians and social thinkers who led British intellectuals up the garden path during the last decades, including Eric Hobsbawm and Ralph Miliband.
In 2016 he again published two books, Confessions of A Heretic (a collection of essays) and The Ring of Truth, about Wagner’s Ring cycle, which was widely and favourably reviewed. In 2017 he published On Human Nature (Princeton University Press), which was again widely reviewed, and contains a distillation of his philosophy. He also published a response to Brexit, Where We Are (Bloomsbury).
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April 28, 2015
This is by far one of the most powerful novels I have read in a long time!
This is rather a complex novel, in that there are quite a few characters and different events taking place. However, as the story progresses, the focus from one event to another become easier to follow, especially as you learn of the connections between the people and events. In fact, the gradual putting together of each event and learning of the connections between all the characters and their circumstances, was exceptionally well done.
The character development is excellent, with a fascinating array of characters from powerful and intelligent women, a vulnerable but incredibly strong teenage girl, to criminals, rapists, a devoted teacher, a social worker under pressure, various nationalities & religions, all adding further depth to this somewhat harrowing story.
The topics covered in this novel are not for the faint-hearted, such as rape, abuse, violence and human trafficking. However, at the same time I'd like to add that I did not feel anything was glamorised. All the topics feel very sincere and real. As a woman who lived in the Yorkshire city of Bradford for a few years during my late teens in the 1990s, and was forced to experience things I really wish I hadn't, although finding some of the subject matter hard to digest at times because of my own personal experiences, I cannot express enough how well some of the subjects were approached.
This novel also covers multiculturalism and religion. On one side of the coin there are the rough Polish gang types, showing little respect for anyone, and who you really don't want to mess with. Also, the Afghan migrants, who you really wouldn’t wish to encounter either. Yet, on the other side of the coin you have the Muslim family from Basra who believe in kindness and integration into society. I loved the father, Abdul's dreams and ideals that Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars should come together and teach reconciliation not division. He has a true respect for the country and culture he is now part of:
"In a society that has offered us protection, he tells his sons, people are face to face, confessing to their faults, meeting each other's eyes, and in general showing that they are free, fair and accountable. We commit a terrible offence by hiding our faces when others so openly expose themselves to judgement. The headscarf, yes, but not the veil."
I found this to be quite a powerful statement that gives hope of a peaceful society across all cultures and religions.
The relationship that develops between a male teacher & a teenage girl, who is a pupil of his, is also very sensitively approached and impossible not to get emotionally involved in their unfortunate situation. Leading me onto one more quote I’d like to take from this novel, as I felt it summed things up rather well. How often do we look at situations in front of us in a far too complex way, rather than just focusing on the important things:
“This thing we’ve been living through. It’s not about people trafficking, immigration, community relations; it’s not about racism, multiculturalism, and all the things I am supposed to put at the top of my agenda as a social worker; it’s not about forced marriage, honour killing or the enslavement of women. It is about that girl and how to give her back her life.”
On that note, I’d like to recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well written novel with depth, that challenges our thoughts on many very real aspects of modern day society.
I would also strongly recommend this book be used as part of a book club read, as there are lots of topics that would make for great discussion.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is rather a complex novel, in that there are quite a few characters and different events taking place. However, as the story progresses, the focus from one event to another become easier to follow, especially as you learn of the connections between the people and events. In fact, the gradual putting together of each event and learning of the connections between all the characters and their circumstances, was exceptionally well done.
The character development is excellent, with a fascinating array of characters from powerful and intelligent women, a vulnerable but incredibly strong teenage girl, to criminals, rapists, a devoted teacher, a social worker under pressure, various nationalities & religions, all adding further depth to this somewhat harrowing story.
The topics covered in this novel are not for the faint-hearted, such as rape, abuse, violence and human trafficking. However, at the same time I'd like to add that I did not feel anything was glamorised. All the topics feel very sincere and real. As a woman who lived in the Yorkshire city of Bradford for a few years during my late teens in the 1990s, and was forced to experience things I really wish I hadn't, although finding some of the subject matter hard to digest at times because of my own personal experiences, I cannot express enough how well some of the subjects were approached.
This novel also covers multiculturalism and religion. On one side of the coin there are the rough Polish gang types, showing little respect for anyone, and who you really don't want to mess with. Also, the Afghan migrants, who you really wouldn’t wish to encounter either. Yet, on the other side of the coin you have the Muslim family from Basra who believe in kindness and integration into society. I loved the father, Abdul's dreams and ideals that Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars should come together and teach reconciliation not division. He has a true respect for the country and culture he is now part of:
"In a society that has offered us protection, he tells his sons, people are face to face, confessing to their faults, meeting each other's eyes, and in general showing that they are free, fair and accountable. We commit a terrible offence by hiding our faces when others so openly expose themselves to judgement. The headscarf, yes, but not the veil."
I found this to be quite a powerful statement that gives hope of a peaceful society across all cultures and religions.
The relationship that develops between a male teacher & a teenage girl, who is a pupil of his, is also very sensitively approached and impossible not to get emotionally involved in their unfortunate situation. Leading me onto one more quote I’d like to take from this novel, as I felt it summed things up rather well. How often do we look at situations in front of us in a far too complex way, rather than just focusing on the important things:
“This thing we’ve been living through. It’s not about people trafficking, immigration, community relations; it’s not about racism, multiculturalism, and all the things I am supposed to put at the top of my agenda as a social worker; it’s not about forced marriage, honour killing or the enslavement of women. It is about that girl and how to give her back her life.”
On that note, I’d like to recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well written novel with depth, that challenges our thoughts on many very real aspects of modern day society.
I would also strongly recommend this book be used as part of a book club read, as there are lots of topics that would make for great discussion.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2015
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I chose this book --not knowing anyone who had read it before me --unfamiliar with this author -- but I was NOT expecting extremely intelligent writing which explores Afghan migrants living in Britain, and a multicultural sensitive story....with vivid characters that will make you FEEL! (nails-on-the chalk board FEEL).
To be honest --this book is so powerful --I wish a 'real' writer was writing this review --as I just don't know where to begin to describe all that goes on in this novel.
I took pages of notes --(so that's not the problem) --I could answer any question anyone asks of me --but I'm just not sure what I most want to say--other than its DEEPLY FELT!!!
This novel would also make a POWERFUL DISCUSSION BOOK!
When looking at the 'context' of this story --
We have two different characters (two men) --each obsessed with protecting a vulnerable female ---
Both of these 'men' (*Stephen* and *Justin Fellowers*) -- are 'extremely' obsessed about 'a woman' they feel they must protect --yet both of these men know very little about each female.
*Stephen Haycraft* is a teacher in a private school. *Justin* works for "Copley Solutions" --working on projects for carbon-neutral houses.
*Stephen*, age 30, wants to save a 16 year old *Sharon*, who is living in the Angel Towers --(low cost housing for refugee families and their children who attend the private school) ---who is one of his literature students.
*Justin* wants to save *Muhibba Shahin*, a young woman 20 years younger than him, whom he has hired to be his accountant. *Muhibba* was from a migrant Afghan family.
*Muhibba* was no ordinary refugee --she was intelligent --ambitious --and would use every opportunity to her own advantage....A free thinker --modern person.
*Sharon*, has pale pretty features, with strange feelings of sadness, her clothes threadbare --- (her safety living conditions are 'in questions').
*Stephen*, as her teacher and friend, is worried that *Sharon* might be being in danger --(abuse, etc.)
He goes to speak to social worker, *Inona Ferguson*, and says:
"So that when the girl has been gang-raped, sold into slavery and finally done to death somewhere in Saudi Arabia and social workers can say they did what they could, and in any case they are overworked and underfunded and it is all the government's fault. That kind of thing. When were you born for Chrissake?"
SEVERAL other themes and stories --(much to discuss)
SEVERAL more memorable characters!!!
This author PACKED in around 600 pages of 'worth-reading' material into a book LESS than 300 pages! Masterful Talent!
This is a 'different' type of mystery storytelling --Political --Personal -- Pivotal!
Thank You Netgalley!!
Thank you to the author! I'd like to read more books by you!
To be honest --this book is so powerful --I wish a 'real' writer was writing this review --as I just don't know where to begin to describe all that goes on in this novel.
I took pages of notes --(so that's not the problem) --I could answer any question anyone asks of me --but I'm just not sure what I most want to say--other than its DEEPLY FELT!!!
This novel would also make a POWERFUL DISCUSSION BOOK!
When looking at the 'context' of this story --
We have two different characters (two men) --each obsessed with protecting a vulnerable female ---
Both of these 'men' (*Stephen* and *Justin Fellowers*) -- are 'extremely' obsessed about 'a woman' they feel they must protect --yet both of these men know very little about each female.
*Stephen Haycraft* is a teacher in a private school. *Justin* works for "Copley Solutions" --working on projects for carbon-neutral houses.
*Stephen*, age 30, wants to save a 16 year old *Sharon*, who is living in the Angel Towers --(low cost housing for refugee families and their children who attend the private school) ---who is one of his literature students.
*Justin* wants to save *Muhibba Shahin*, a young woman 20 years younger than him, whom he has hired to be his accountant. *Muhibba* was from a migrant Afghan family.
*Muhibba* was no ordinary refugee --she was intelligent --ambitious --and would use every opportunity to her own advantage....A free thinker --modern person.
*Sharon*, has pale pretty features, with strange feelings of sadness, her clothes threadbare --- (her safety living conditions are 'in questions').
*Stephen*, as her teacher and friend, is worried that *Sharon* might be being in danger --(abuse, etc.)
He goes to speak to social worker, *Inona Ferguson*, and says:
"So that when the girl has been gang-raped, sold into slavery and finally done to death somewhere in Saudi Arabia and social workers can say they did what they could, and in any case they are overworked and underfunded and it is all the government's fault. That kind of thing. When were you born for Chrissake?"
SEVERAL other themes and stories --(much to discuss)
SEVERAL more memorable characters!!!
This author PACKED in around 600 pages of 'worth-reading' material into a book LESS than 300 pages! Masterful Talent!
This is a 'different' type of mystery storytelling --Political --Personal -- Pivotal!
Thank You Netgalley!!
Thank you to the author! I'd like to read more books by you!
April 1, 2015
If you are looking for a cosy read, this is not it.
If you are looking for a dark read on the wrong side of humanity, this is it.
If you are looking for something to curl up with, this is not it.
If you are looking for something that you hate reading but compelled to carry on, this is for you.
I make no bones at the fact its an easy straight forward book to read. It really stretches you emotionally.
It takes a slooow while [and yes I did drag out the slooow] while to piece each character and it takes a slooow while to see how they are interwoven. You NEED to concentrate when you first start this book for the first [quite a few] chapters.
The relationship between student and teacher was quite complex and got me REALLY thinking.
This book is piled with layers, as you take one off, there is another, as you take off that one, there appears another, you do wonder when you will get to peel off the final one.
I was thrown in the first couple of chapters, I really thought I had either missed pages or opened a completely new book, it was quite bizarre.
I am not saying I didn't like this book, because I did, but it wasn't an easy book to follow, as a reader you really needed to stay with it. At times it was like finding my way out of a maze only to be thrown back to where I started.
Yep, I know this is a funny review, I can hear you asking:
Sue, did you like it?
Yes
Sue did you not like anything about it?
Yes plenty
But would you recommend it?
Yes, but with caution to whom
Is it good?
Yes
Is there some awful bits?
No
Is it slow?
Yes but picked up towards the end
So Sue, would you say it was good or bad?
I DUNNO!!!
Yes it was good, no it was slow, yet the finale was good.
With that, I'll leave it to you :)
I would like to thank Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) via Net Galley for my copy
March 1, 2015
9/10 from me.
This is the first book that I've read by this Author, it was well written and well thought out.
I found it a disturbing but compelling read about the dark side of humanity and the depraved world that we sadly live in. This book is definitely not a cosy story by any stretch of the imagination and I feel that it would make a great reading group read due to the nature of the subject.
It's a many layered story with quite a cast of characters, some nice and some definitely not so nice. As the scene is set we try to get our head round the cast of characters and who is who and what is what, as events are divulged to us and we begin to see how they might be linked. It does take a while but once things begin to settle down and we become engrossed in each and every different storyline it takes off at speed.
Dealing with immigrants, criminals, human trafficking, rape and many more disturbing topics you can see it's not an easy read at all.
Personally I enjoyed the storyline between the teacher and pupil, without going in to too much detail and in order not to give away any spoilers, things are not always what they seem at first. Why are people so quick to judge others and their actions?
This book has recently been published and my thanks go to the Publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story will definitely stay with me for some time and was my cracker of the month for February. Thoroughly recommended to others but tread with some caution.
This is the first book that I've read by this Author, it was well written and well thought out.
I found it a disturbing but compelling read about the dark side of humanity and the depraved world that we sadly live in. This book is definitely not a cosy story by any stretch of the imagination and I feel that it would make a great reading group read due to the nature of the subject.
It's a many layered story with quite a cast of characters, some nice and some definitely not so nice. As the scene is set we try to get our head round the cast of characters and who is who and what is what, as events are divulged to us and we begin to see how they might be linked. It does take a while but once things begin to settle down and we become engrossed in each and every different storyline it takes off at speed.
Dealing with immigrants, criminals, human trafficking, rape and many more disturbing topics you can see it's not an easy read at all.
Personally I enjoyed the storyline between the teacher and pupil, without going in to too much detail and in order not to give away any spoilers, things are not always what they seem at first. Why are people so quick to judge others and their actions?
This book has recently been published and my thanks go to the Publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story will definitely stay with me for some time and was my cracker of the month for February. Thoroughly recommended to others but tread with some caution.
January 20, 2015
I have had to think long and hard before reviewing "The Disappeared" because reading it has been a powerful experience. The first half of the novel is quite complex, as the storylines are developed. The main characters are so varied and so well developed that really careful reading is justified.
The author draws the plot together in quite a subtle and satisfying manner, allowing for significant development of his characters, their relationships and their understanding of the complex central themes.
The exploration of the teacher/student relationship, with all of the challenges and potent pitfalls is richly described, well placed in the context of the relatively challenging school as well as nicely contrasted with the teacher's own educational experiences.
The added dimension of the 'sink' estate of towerblocks, occupied by the more deprived part of the school population, including a more criminal element and those eager to rise above their current circumstances, is equally realistic and compelling.
This all works together to allow the author to explore some modern demons; multiculturalism, child protection, child abuse and human trafficking are all elements of story. How we respond to them, stand up to the challenges of terrible experiences and emerge triumphant, or at least intact, are all parts of this satisfying and highly modern novel.
The author draws the plot together in quite a subtle and satisfying manner, allowing for significant development of his characters, their relationships and their understanding of the complex central themes.
The exploration of the teacher/student relationship, with all of the challenges and potent pitfalls is richly described, well placed in the context of the relatively challenging school as well as nicely contrasted with the teacher's own educational experiences.
The added dimension of the 'sink' estate of towerblocks, occupied by the more deprived part of the school population, including a more criminal element and those eager to rise above their current circumstances, is equally realistic and compelling.
This all works together to allow the author to explore some modern demons; multiculturalism, child protection, child abuse and human trafficking are all elements of story. How we respond to them, stand up to the challenges of terrible experiences and emerge triumphant, or at least intact, are all parts of this satisfying and highly modern novel.
April 13, 2015
The subject matter is important and bravely dealt with. The issues of child sex abuse, trafficking, all bundled into one plot which does not quite sustain the weight of such enormous themes.
I have racked my brains trying to figure out why I don't quite like this book. What is it that leaves me cold? The characterisation is disappointing - perhaps that's the main reason. We are told several times on a page how flawlessly beautiful a woman is...and in my imagination she ceases to be a character and becomes a doll.
And there are irritating solecisms - the headteacher of a comprehensive school referred to repeatedly as "headmistress"...the schoolgirl carrying a "satchel"... The Teach First teacher who has endless evenings during which he can just cook, read and listen to music...doesn't he have any marking to do? But it is wrong of me to be distracted by such flaws. I know I ought to approve of this book but I just don't quite.
I have racked my brains trying to figure out why I don't quite like this book. What is it that leaves me cold? The characterisation is disappointing - perhaps that's the main reason. We are told several times on a page how flawlessly beautiful a woman is...and in my imagination she ceases to be a character and becomes a doll.
And there are irritating solecisms - the headteacher of a comprehensive school referred to repeatedly as "headmistress"...the schoolgirl carrying a "satchel"... The Teach First teacher who has endless evenings during which he can just cook, read and listen to music...doesn't he have any marking to do? But it is wrong of me to be distracted by such flaws. I know I ought to approve of this book but I just don't quite.
June 5, 2015
I will never read another novel by an author with an axe to grind. life is too short. cut out all the fluff and write it in an essay. ok, i get it, maybe the potential emotive power or structure of a good yarn has a kind of epistomological value, where truth is communicated like with a poem or a painting. but i dont have the time or the patience. just say it, or maybe make a heavy handed soviet style propaganda poster that conveys your point
October 7, 2020
In and around the Angel Towers housing project five lives intertwine: two men, two women, and a young girl. In a decaying society, these characters seek safety, freedom, love, and meaning. Around them, the customs and traditions of England are being overwritten by multiculturalism, as well as dark new practices that exploit the gaps in a society struggling with mass immigration from tribal cultures.
Powerful and disturbing, this fiction weaves together the characters' fates in a world where the past is fading and the future seems dismally opaque. As teacher Stephen concludes, "The Christian religion, he decided, was the heart of our civilization. This heart had grown old and weak, and culture had been put in the place of it. But the heart transplant didn't take, and our civilization, after gasping for a while, had died."
Stephen finds himself drawn toward protecting a young student, Sharon, from a rape gang. In doing so, he soon experiences emotional conflict that, if unchecked, could destroy his career and land him in jail.
At the same time, Justin, a rising star in the field of green energy, becomes enamored with beautiful intelligent Muhibbah. Having spurned her Afghan family's suffocating ways, Muhibbah seemed destined to excel in modern society. But Justin soon learns, that this enchanting woman is a hive of unwholesome secrets.
At the same time, accountant Laura flees the embers of a dashed romance, going to work for Justin. But her safety is jeopardized after a criminal element mistakes Laura for another woman.
Scruton's deep, well-crafted tale eventually comes full-circle. And while I had some difficulty with the time frame, and the puzzling use of second person for one character, the author's ability to forge empathy was excellent.
The writing is powerful. The imagery strong as in this passage describing Angel Towers: "All the surfaces were covered with the same black graffiti, a repeated pattern that, in its meaninglessness, seemed to exude a bestial anger. It was as though worms had been spat on this wall, spoiling its unclaimed spaces, and preventing any human thought from breeding there."
A suitable read for lovers of literature, as well as a good book for discussions of our post-modernist world.
Powerful and disturbing, this fiction weaves together the characters' fates in a world where the past is fading and the future seems dismally opaque. As teacher Stephen concludes, "The Christian religion, he decided, was the heart of our civilization. This heart had grown old and weak, and culture had been put in the place of it. But the heart transplant didn't take, and our civilization, after gasping for a while, had died."
Stephen finds himself drawn toward protecting a young student, Sharon, from a rape gang. In doing so, he soon experiences emotional conflict that, if unchecked, could destroy his career and land him in jail.
At the same time, Justin, a rising star in the field of green energy, becomes enamored with beautiful intelligent Muhibbah. Having spurned her Afghan family's suffocating ways, Muhibbah seemed destined to excel in modern society. But Justin soon learns, that this enchanting woman is a hive of unwholesome secrets.
At the same time, accountant Laura flees the embers of a dashed romance, going to work for Justin. But her safety is jeopardized after a criminal element mistakes Laura for another woman.
Scruton's deep, well-crafted tale eventually comes full-circle. And while I had some difficulty with the time frame, and the puzzling use of second person for one character, the author's ability to forge empathy was excellent.
The writing is powerful. The imagery strong as in this passage describing Angel Towers: "All the surfaces were covered with the same black graffiti, a repeated pattern that, in its meaninglessness, seemed to exude a bestial anger. It was as though worms had been spat on this wall, spoiling its unclaimed spaces, and preventing any human thought from breeding there."
A suitable read for lovers of literature, as well as a good book for discussions of our post-modernist world.
February 25, 2016
The Disappeared was published in UK, and is now available to readers in the USA. Scruton shines a spot light on victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and rape. It’s a timely issue, and no one can read his story and walk away unmoved. Thanks go to Bloomsbury Reader for inviting me to read and review the DRC free in exchange for an honest review. This book is available to the public tomorrow, February 26.
The stories evolve around three women’s stories; we have Sharon, Muhibbah, and the reader is the third, with the narrative switching to the second person, a woman being abducted and raped on board a ship: “…you are nothing but female meat.”
The default for the second-person character is female, which I found gutsy and laudable. Unfortunately, positive treatment of women in this novel begins and ends here…and the second-person character is going to be raped right away.
Justin and Stephen are the two goodhearted men that are trying to assist Muhibbah and Sharon, both of whom are being cruelly abused at home. In each case, it is an immigrant that is doing the abusing. And here I winced.
On the one hand, I can see that Scruton is letting us know that the cultural mores of Islam should not be considered a legitimate excuse for domestic abuse. He clearly can’t do that without including a Muslim woman. Yet if we could have some positive depiction of a Muslim individual somewhere within the text to cut across the stereotype that is so widespread, and which this novel tends to embrace, it would make for better literature and a fairer accounting. Because not all Muslim families hurt their women. I have taught Muslim girls in Seattle that are well educated and whose parents permit them to choose what their futures will hold. Scruton’s depiction of only sneaky, violent, and abusive Muslims makes for a two dimensional telling, which is a shame, because his academic background and word-smithery indicate he is capable of better things.
The central part of the novel slows, and here the plot drags when the writer tries to do too much with a single story. Justin lapses into philosophical musing, which would perhaps work for mainstream fiction or romance genres, but not as much for a suspenseful, missing-woman mystery or thriller. The character worries about the environment, and a lot of detail is given to wind farms and solar panels that not only fails to move the plot forward, but brings all action to a halt. He loses himself in heavy metal music, and several pages are suddenly devoted to hard rock. What? Why? Scruton is by trade a philosopher above all else, but to write a strong thriller, the message has to be driven home through story only. A drifting inner narrative in the midst of what has been action, action, and more action leaves the reader feeling cheated.
Toward the end of the novel, the pace quickens once more, and ultimately the three narratives are braided together at the story’s end in a way that is masterful.
Spoiler: don’t read past this point if you want the ending to be a complete surprise.
I find myself perturbed at the gender stereotypes that seem to belong to another era. Women here are either victims, sex objects, or both. The only female professional is one that steps in as a bureaucrat and foils the rescue effort one of our two male heroes is attempting. In addition, I found myself wondering why neither man can use his position and authority to lend comfort and aid without either becoming sexually involved with the girl or woman he is trying to help, or wanting to do so. The 16 year old girl that can’t get over her crush on the older male teacher and immediately drops her clothes for him despite his reticence sounds like something out of a men’s magazine. No, no, and no.
Scruton is an experienced writer, and is eloquent in painting a portrait of abused women hidden in plain view in the major urban centers of Western, developed nations. If he can cut across stereotypes and introduce greater complexity as he develops his characters, the next novel will be even better.
The stories evolve around three women’s stories; we have Sharon, Muhibbah, and the reader is the third, with the narrative switching to the second person, a woman being abducted and raped on board a ship: “…you are nothing but female meat.”
The default for the second-person character is female, which I found gutsy and laudable. Unfortunately, positive treatment of women in this novel begins and ends here…and the second-person character is going to be raped right away.
Justin and Stephen are the two goodhearted men that are trying to assist Muhibbah and Sharon, both of whom are being cruelly abused at home. In each case, it is an immigrant that is doing the abusing. And here I winced.
On the one hand, I can see that Scruton is letting us know that the cultural mores of Islam should not be considered a legitimate excuse for domestic abuse. He clearly can’t do that without including a Muslim woman. Yet if we could have some positive depiction of a Muslim individual somewhere within the text to cut across the stereotype that is so widespread, and which this novel tends to embrace, it would make for better literature and a fairer accounting. Because not all Muslim families hurt their women. I have taught Muslim girls in Seattle that are well educated and whose parents permit them to choose what their futures will hold. Scruton’s depiction of only sneaky, violent, and abusive Muslims makes for a two dimensional telling, which is a shame, because his academic background and word-smithery indicate he is capable of better things.
The central part of the novel slows, and here the plot drags when the writer tries to do too much with a single story. Justin lapses into philosophical musing, which would perhaps work for mainstream fiction or romance genres, but not as much for a suspenseful, missing-woman mystery or thriller. The character worries about the environment, and a lot of detail is given to wind farms and solar panels that not only fails to move the plot forward, but brings all action to a halt. He loses himself in heavy metal music, and several pages are suddenly devoted to hard rock. What? Why? Scruton is by trade a philosopher above all else, but to write a strong thriller, the message has to be driven home through story only. A drifting inner narrative in the midst of what has been action, action, and more action leaves the reader feeling cheated.
Toward the end of the novel, the pace quickens once more, and ultimately the three narratives are braided together at the story’s end in a way that is masterful.
Spoiler: don’t read past this point if you want the ending to be a complete surprise.
I find myself perturbed at the gender stereotypes that seem to belong to another era. Women here are either victims, sex objects, or both. The only female professional is one that steps in as a bureaucrat and foils the rescue effort one of our two male heroes is attempting. In addition, I found myself wondering why neither man can use his position and authority to lend comfort and aid without either becoming sexually involved with the girl or woman he is trying to help, or wanting to do so. The 16 year old girl that can’t get over her crush on the older male teacher and immediately drops her clothes for him despite his reticence sounds like something out of a men’s magazine. No, no, and no.
Scruton is an experienced writer, and is eloquent in painting a portrait of abused women hidden in plain view in the major urban centers of Western, developed nations. If he can cut across stereotypes and introduce greater complexity as he develops his characters, the next novel will be even better.
February 15, 2015
I think if you liked the movie Crash, you will perhaps like this novel. It is similarly structured (alternating characters who are all connected) and, like Crash, very much devoted to thematic considerations.
Roger Scruton is a philosopher and prolific author of primarily non-fiction, which definitely shows in The Disappeared, his latest fiction effort. People talk about stories being "ripped from the headlines", and this one really is. You might recall that it was revealed not too long ago that thousands of children in a northern English city had been raped and abused and trafficked by a ring of mostly Pakistani men and that the local police knew about it but did nothing for fear of being accused of racism. And look, the cowards in the press are afraid as well -- this article from Time doesn't mention the racial/religious element at all, leaving naive readers to wonder at the apparently inexplicable inaction of the police.
This is the conflict at the heart of this novel. The question this novel considers is, What has our fanatical devotion to "multiculturalism" wrought? Can there be any understanding between cultures that are ideological opposites? Can there be love? To what lengths ought we go in order to protect the innocent? Roger Scruton doesn't have easy answers to these questions, and the heroes and villains aren't entirely clear cut in The Disappeared. I think the issues this novel raises are incredibly relevant, and it's nice to read some fiction that doesn't take as gospel a progressive viewpoint.
I have read and enjoyed several of Scruton's non-fiction philosophical works, and I was pleased to recognize the same loveliness and precision in his prose here, perhaps even on better display in his fiction. Sentence by sentence, this novel is crafted very well. But when it came purely to the story and characters -- the novel's interest in big questions and ideas aside -- I had a very difficult time connecting with this book. There was intellectual engagement, but emotionally I was pretty near flat-line throughout the novel. The constant change of character perspective certainly didn't help (and that's a stylistic choice I tend never to like anyway). Choosing second-person for one character was an interesting authorial move. It occurs to me now that perhaps it was meant to indicate the ultimate morality/reliability/sanity of that character in the midst of the rest, to ally the reader to her more than anyone. I like the idea of using second-person to do that, although I didn't care for it in practice, and I didn't relate to her at all. I hate to say it, but I don't think Scruton writes female characters very well (and I don't think I've ever made that complaint about a book before).
Overall, I think the ideas in this book are better than the execution, but the importance and relevance of those ideas are enough for an extra star from me.
*The publisher provided a free copy for review via Netgalley.*
Roger Scruton is a philosopher and prolific author of primarily non-fiction, which definitely shows in The Disappeared, his latest fiction effort. People talk about stories being "ripped from the headlines", and this one really is. You might recall that it was revealed not too long ago that thousands of children in a northern English city had been raped and abused and trafficked by a ring of mostly Pakistani men and that the local police knew about it but did nothing for fear of being accused of racism. And look, the cowards in the press are afraid as well -- this article from Time doesn't mention the racial/religious element at all, leaving naive readers to wonder at the apparently inexplicable inaction of the police.
This is the conflict at the heart of this novel. The question this novel considers is, What has our fanatical devotion to "multiculturalism" wrought? Can there be any understanding between cultures that are ideological opposites? Can there be love? To what lengths ought we go in order to protect the innocent? Roger Scruton doesn't have easy answers to these questions, and the heroes and villains aren't entirely clear cut in The Disappeared. I think the issues this novel raises are incredibly relevant, and it's nice to read some fiction that doesn't take as gospel a progressive viewpoint.
I have read and enjoyed several of Scruton's non-fiction philosophical works, and I was pleased to recognize the same loveliness and precision in his prose here, perhaps even on better display in his fiction. Sentence by sentence, this novel is crafted very well. But when it came purely to the story and characters -- the novel's interest in big questions and ideas aside -- I had a very difficult time connecting with this book. There was intellectual engagement, but emotionally I was pretty near flat-line throughout the novel. The constant change of character perspective certainly didn't help (and that's a stylistic choice I tend never to like anyway). Choosing second-person for one character was an interesting authorial move. It occurs to me now that perhaps it was meant to indicate the ultimate morality/reliability/sanity of that character in the midst of the rest, to ally the reader to her more than anyone. I like the idea of using second-person to do that, although I didn't care for it in practice, and I didn't relate to her at all. I hate to say it, but I don't think Scruton writes female characters very well (and I don't think I've ever made that complaint about a book before).
Overall, I think the ideas in this book are better than the execution, but the importance and relevance of those ideas are enough for an extra star from me.
*The publisher provided a free copy for review via Netgalley.*
January 30, 2021
I read Sir Roger's other "major" novel just before this, "Notes from Underground." That demonstrated not only his firsthand knowledge of pre-1989 Czech society but his attempt to craft a story in the line of much intellectual Central European fiction. More successful as a novel about ideas than the characters who embody them, still, it offered deep thought and insightful reflections that dazzled. At times, especially at the start, it reached a five-star level, and it was a strong "four."
So, why does the better fictional foray, "The Disappeared," also get four? Due to Goodreads' limitations, I cannot parse it better. It merits a higher four, but why not a perfect five? Scruton's more successful on his native English turf. He conveys the dialogue of Yorkshire people more convincingly, he explores the interactions and reactions of Muslims, "native English," and he depicts the police and social worker bureaucracy charged with keeping away from its alleged "institutional racism." The story is full of twists, and sure, coincidences that are endemic to any thriller, but he connects the threads deftly and inventively in that genre style. However, the plot peaks a little too soon, and the remainder keeps the tale-spinning out a bit weary for the length.
If the late philosopher had aspired, like Iris Murdoch maybe, to combine a career of fiction with one of scholarship, I bet he'd have written powerful and increasingly assured imaginative work. Of course, he spent his life writing furiously t an amazing rate of productivity, but fiction remained his sideline, and only in his last decade did he create his two "major" (if minor in impact in the awareness of the world) novels. And both novels offer readers much to ponder and contemplate.
So, why does the better fictional foray, "The Disappeared," also get four? Due to Goodreads' limitations, I cannot parse it better. It merits a higher four, but why not a perfect five? Scruton's more successful on his native English turf. He conveys the dialogue of Yorkshire people more convincingly, he explores the interactions and reactions of Muslims, "native English," and he depicts the police and social worker bureaucracy charged with keeping away from its alleged "institutional racism." The story is full of twists, and sure, coincidences that are endemic to any thriller, but he connects the threads deftly and inventively in that genre style. However, the plot peaks a little too soon, and the remainder keeps the tale-spinning out a bit weary for the length.
If the late philosopher had aspired, like Iris Murdoch maybe, to combine a career of fiction with one of scholarship, I bet he'd have written powerful and increasingly assured imaginative work. Of course, he spent his life writing furiously t an amazing rate of productivity, but fiction remained his sideline, and only in his last decade did he create his two "major" (if minor in impact in the awareness of the world) novels. And both novels offer readers much to ponder and contemplate.
March 21, 2015
The Disappeared has quite a complex narrative and if I tried to provide a synopsis, I feel I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I struggled with this book. To say I can't explain why would make me an awful reviewer, but sometimes books just don't gel with you and you find them hard to read, without being able to pinpoint why. I found I was forcing myself to get through this book, which took away some of the enjoyment of reading and with the huge amount of characters within the book, I found it hard to concentrate on who was who and what was happening. The language used by Scruton is a high point, however. With powerful language portraying raw emotion, it was one of my favourite aspects of this book. Another aspect I enjoyed was the clash of different cultures. The writer explores some complex cultural themes within the book and I did enjoy reading this. I wouldn't advise reading this book if you are at all sensitive to child abuse, human trafficking or sexual abuse as they do play a prominent part in the story. I'm not being humble when I say that maybe I wasn't intelligent enough for this novel, or mature enough - I'm not sure the reason I didn't enjoy it but I just didn't. I've seen three other raving reviews for this book - all who can communicate their thoughts about it much better than I can so I urge you to read them before deciding whether or not to read this book.
*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion.
*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion.
April 7, 2015
Amazing tale of abuse and redemption
Escape from the political correctness that has imprisoned young girls as victims of sexual assault in England leaves no one unscathed. This story weaves these tragic lives together slowly at first. As the pieces come together, we can see the emptiness of the ideals of multiculturalism, an ideal the shields abusers from any consequences and traps victims in a cycle of abuse. Drawn straight from the news, there is a fresh and unflinching honesty in this book.
Escape from the political correctness that has imprisoned young girls as victims of sexual assault in England leaves no one unscathed. This story weaves these tragic lives together slowly at first. As the pieces come together, we can see the emptiness of the ideals of multiculturalism, an ideal the shields abusers from any consequences and traps victims in a cycle of abuse. Drawn straight from the news, there is a fresh and unflinching honesty in this book.
April 5, 2015
Not the rantings of the swivel-eyed lunatic that the Guardian has sometimes made Scruton out to be, this novel wins because it is brave and exhilarating and never loses sight of an essential humanity that transcends all cultures and persists through the most horrific abuses and privations. Not a philosophical novel, but this is a strong and consuming yarn that calls to mind Thackery and Dickens, which given the subject matter is quite fitting.
August 11, 2017
From the description of the book, I was expecting more of a "thriller" type novel then I felt this was.
"The Disappeared is a story of our times, of kidnap and rescue, of abuse and healing. It is the story of Stephen, a teacher whose love for the pupil who shares his dreams brings him face to face with ruin; of Sharon, the child of a feckless stepmother, and her criminal abusers; of Laura, the investigative high-flyer, now faced with rape and sexual slavery; of Justin, environmentalist and Heavy Metal fan, whose obsession with Muhibbah, rescued from forced marriage, spells disaster for them both. It is the story of a police force fearful of charges of racism, and a social worker, Iona, expected to make a viable community from fragments that will not join.
With dizzying speed The Disappeared uncovers the chaotic underworld of a Yorkshire city, its characters eventually stumbling across one another in a single catastrophe. A victim may bring redemption: but who will it be?"
This is what the book is about, but it delves into many cultural and societal subjects. At times, there seems to be a bit too much detail about certain things - like Justin's Heavy Metal fanaticism and environmentalism, but not enough to ruin the book for me.
Sharon to me was really the most interesting character, but I suppose that's because I am a female and can relate to some of her life experiences. I was disappointed in her teacher, Stephen, but also see it as how the type of situation would often end up in real life.
The different incidents and characters do tie up in the end, and there was some wonderful prose by author. It did lead me to looking up and reading some other material about subjects such as human trafficking.
Overall, if you're looking for a typical thriller or crime story this is probably not the book for you. It is a bit slow in a few spots, but for the most part it flowed pretty well.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion.
"The Disappeared is a story of our times, of kidnap and rescue, of abuse and healing. It is the story of Stephen, a teacher whose love for the pupil who shares his dreams brings him face to face with ruin; of Sharon, the child of a feckless stepmother, and her criminal abusers; of Laura, the investigative high-flyer, now faced with rape and sexual slavery; of Justin, environmentalist and Heavy Metal fan, whose obsession with Muhibbah, rescued from forced marriage, spells disaster for them both. It is the story of a police force fearful of charges of racism, and a social worker, Iona, expected to make a viable community from fragments that will not join.
With dizzying speed The Disappeared uncovers the chaotic underworld of a Yorkshire city, its characters eventually stumbling across one another in a single catastrophe. A victim may bring redemption: but who will it be?"
This is what the book is about, but it delves into many cultural and societal subjects. At times, there seems to be a bit too much detail about certain things - like Justin's Heavy Metal fanaticism and environmentalism, but not enough to ruin the book for me.
Sharon to me was really the most interesting character, but I suppose that's because I am a female and can relate to some of her life experiences. I was disappointed in her teacher, Stephen, but also see it as how the type of situation would often end up in real life.
The different incidents and characters do tie up in the end, and there was some wonderful prose by author. It did lead me to looking up and reading some other material about subjects such as human trafficking.
Overall, if you're looking for a typical thriller or crime story this is probably not the book for you. It is a bit slow in a few spots, but for the most part it flowed pretty well.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion.
August 3, 2017
This was a dark book to read, not because of the writing but the subject matter. Two men caught up in trying to protect one female. What they are trying to save her from? Read the book. I have not read a book on human trafficking, abuse, and other atrocities of white women by Muslim and Asian immigrants. This book was hard to read in some spots, graphic in some parts but the ending brings it all together. Despite the subject matter, I think this would make an excellent book for a book club read., this book makes for a lively discussion. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
August 4, 2017
Have been listening to RS over the past few weeks on YouTube etc and found him very interesting. Given that most of his works (40+!) are philosophical I thought it interesting how he would handle writing a novel. I found it a good read from beginning to end. It had a clear plot, good characters, intelligently and perceptively written dealing with difficult issues (and people) with sensitivity ands impartiality. I look forward to reading his "Notes from the underground".
August 28, 2017
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Exceptionally elegant writing detailing abuse, kidnapping, rape...all in today's society. Told in a very well-developed writing style, all characters are full and well described, and although graphic, the story pulls together so well. Recommended reading.
Exceptionally elegant writing detailing abuse, kidnapping, rape...all in today's society. Told in a very well-developed writing style, all characters are full and well described, and although graphic, the story pulls together so well. Recommended reading.
December 18, 2017
Enjoyable, nuanced, and artful. Pulls no punches.
June 15, 2018
A thought provoking book that starts off very well but the plot gets more and more twisted and over-dramatised for the characters and the story to be believable.
August 31, 2022
Symphonic, difficult, incredible.
February 2, 2025
A novel looking at sex trafficking gangs, poverty, culture clashes and other heavy subjects. Not always the most elegantly written, but certainly provoked thought.
January 16, 2017
This book avoids being a "don't bother" only because I think it's useful to read things with which you fundamentally disagree if only to provide occasional perspective on the way that others view the world. The Disappeared is a useful, if disheartening, reminder of what makes people afraid of and resistant to immigration by people who are "too different" from them. It concerns a group of people whose stories are drawn together as they try to deal with the impact of immigration and immigrant communities on British society. The message of the story is that these communities of people - Afghans, Iraqis, Eastern Europeans, etc. - are too different in their worldviews, actions and desires to ever fit into a Western society, and that both they and the people who welcome them in suffer when they try to meld them together.
I fundamentally disagree with this depiction. I have to say as a caveat that I don't have direct experience with the world the author is describing - lower- and middle-class England - but the immigrants I've known are in fact hungry to assimilate Western values and perspectives, and I would guess that those who have been forced from their homes and their countries by war would feel this hunger even more strongly. The foreigners in Scruton's story are drawn one-dimensionally: the scary, amoral human traffickers, the honor-obsessed girls, the hopelessly insular families who shut out everything that could "corrupt" their children. They're portrayed as Others, who will never be like us, despite the best efforts of the Well-Intentioned White Saviours, of whom the book portrays a few.
The other thing I find incredibly frustrating about this book is how it, in a sick irony, plays on the nativist fear of attacks from outsiders on the honor and chastity of our white daughters. The two most sympathetic characters in the book are white women, both of whom endure sexual assault at the hands of foreigners and who have to deal with the emotional or physical scars that result. You don't have to look too hard under the surface to find the parallels to white Americans decrying the threat of assault on their daughters by black men in the South, a frequent justification for the lynchings that occurred with horrifying frequency in our all-too-recent past.
So this is an ugly book from where I stand, because it set up the issue of immigration into Western society as an insoluble problem, with the only obvious solution being to stop it from happening. My guess is that the people who find this portrayal most convincing are those who haven't spent much, if any, time interacting with immigrant communities apart from getting change at the gas station or going to the dentist's office. It's easy to essentialize others and portray them as strange and frightening when you aren't actually confronted with the actual complexity of other people. But it's a sad fact that this view of immigrant communities carries a strong resonance with many people, both in Europe and the United States. For that reason, this is a useful book to read, even if it's not a fun one.
I fundamentally disagree with this depiction. I have to say as a caveat that I don't have direct experience with the world the author is describing - lower- and middle-class England - but the immigrants I've known are in fact hungry to assimilate Western values and perspectives, and I would guess that those who have been forced from their homes and their countries by war would feel this hunger even more strongly. The foreigners in Scruton's story are drawn one-dimensionally: the scary, amoral human traffickers, the honor-obsessed girls, the hopelessly insular families who shut out everything that could "corrupt" their children. They're portrayed as Others, who will never be like us, despite the best efforts of the Well-Intentioned White Saviours, of whom the book portrays a few.
The other thing I find incredibly frustrating about this book is how it, in a sick irony, plays on the nativist fear of attacks from outsiders on the honor and chastity of our white daughters. The two most sympathetic characters in the book are white women, both of whom endure sexual assault at the hands of foreigners and who have to deal with the emotional or physical scars that result. You don't have to look too hard under the surface to find the parallels to white Americans decrying the threat of assault on their daughters by black men in the South, a frequent justification for the lynchings that occurred with horrifying frequency in our all-too-recent past.
So this is an ugly book from where I stand, because it set up the issue of immigration into Western society as an insoluble problem, with the only obvious solution being to stop it from happening. My guess is that the people who find this portrayal most convincing are those who haven't spent much, if any, time interacting with immigrant communities apart from getting change at the gas station or going to the dentist's office. It's easy to essentialize others and portray them as strange and frightening when you aren't actually confronted with the actual complexity of other people. But it's a sad fact that this view of immigrant communities carries a strong resonance with many people, both in Europe and the United States. For that reason, this is a useful book to read, even if it's not a fun one.
May 29, 2015
On one level, this is a novel about the ways we disappear – the ways we hide ourselves, the ways we are stolen, and the ways we are exiled. But it is also about the ways we are found and redeemed.
On the surface, it’s a story about the things we can’t or don’t talk about: rape, human trafficking, pedophilia, inter-religious relations, political correctness, and immigration. Roger Scruton writes unflinchingly, but with great compassion and quiet skill he weaves his story. He draws us in, breathless, from the first chapter; and we follow him willingly through each agonizing twist, pausing with him at each new vista, seeing separate stories unfold through the eyes of his characters until we begin to see that it is all one story, necessarily complex and far more thoughtful than frantic.
As I read, I realized that it is also, in many ways, my story. Though I’ve not been sold into sexual-slavery, nevertheless I have come into contact with the secret and sordid world that Scruton describes. I have in my own (and very similar ways) hidden, been stolen, and been exiled. I suspect it’s an experience many single women would recognize and very few would talk about. I saw my reflection in several of the book’s characters, and in their heartbreak and redemption I found a new way to understand what my heart already and painfully knew. That Scruton should understand the issues so intimately would be uncanny if he weren’t already such an astute observer of the human condition.
Yes, this novel takes you on a breathless journey to the heart of darkness, but it does not leave you there. I am still, a week later, haunted by it. But the space where I sit with it in my thoughts is not dark like a storm; it is like the first rays of light after the storm – when the dark clouds still hover nearby but the sweet smell of the earth, after it has been scourged by the wind and rain, and the wet grass glistening like diamonds as far as you can see remind you that life is renewed after every storm.
On the surface, it’s a story about the things we can’t or don’t talk about: rape, human trafficking, pedophilia, inter-religious relations, political correctness, and immigration. Roger Scruton writes unflinchingly, but with great compassion and quiet skill he weaves his story. He draws us in, breathless, from the first chapter; and we follow him willingly through each agonizing twist, pausing with him at each new vista, seeing separate stories unfold through the eyes of his characters until we begin to see that it is all one story, necessarily complex and far more thoughtful than frantic.
As I read, I realized that it is also, in many ways, my story. Though I’ve not been sold into sexual-slavery, nevertheless I have come into contact with the secret and sordid world that Scruton describes. I have in my own (and very similar ways) hidden, been stolen, and been exiled. I suspect it’s an experience many single women would recognize and very few would talk about. I saw my reflection in several of the book’s characters, and in their heartbreak and redemption I found a new way to understand what my heart already and painfully knew. That Scruton should understand the issues so intimately would be uncanny if he weren’t already such an astute observer of the human condition.
Yes, this novel takes you on a breathless journey to the heart of darkness, but it does not leave you there. I am still, a week later, haunted by it. But the space where I sit with it in my thoughts is not dark like a storm; it is like the first rays of light after the storm – when the dark clouds still hover nearby but the sweet smell of the earth, after it has been scourged by the wind and rain, and the wet grass glistening like diamonds as far as you can see remind you that life is renewed after every storm.
May 29, 2015
On one level, this is a novel about the ways we disappear – the ways we hide ourselves, the ways we are stolen, and the ways we are exiled. But it is also about the ways we are found and redeemed.
On the surface, it’s a story about the things we can’t or don’t talk about: rape, human trafficking, pedophilia, inter-religious relations, political correctness, and immigration. Roger Scruton writes unflinchingly, but with great compassion and quiet skill he weaves his story. He draws us in, breathless, from the first chapter; and we follow him willingly through each agonizing twist, pausing with him at each new vista, seeing separate stories unfold through the eyes of his characters until we begin to see that it is all one story, necessarily complex and far more thoughtful than frantic.
As I read, I realized that it is also, in many ways, my story. Though I’ve not been sold into sexual-slavery, nevertheless I have come into contact with the secret and sordid world that Scruton describes. I have in my own (and very similar ways) hidden, been stolen, and been exiled. I suspect it’s an experience many single women would recognize and very few would talk about. I saw my reflection in several of the book’s characters, and in their heartbreak and redemption I found a new way to understand what my heart already and painfully knew. That Scruton should understand the issues so intimately would be uncanny if he weren’t already such an astute observer of the human condition.
Yes, this novel takes you on a breathless journey to the heart of darkness, but it does not leave you there. I am still, a week later, haunted by it. But the space where I sit with it in my thoughts is not dark like a storm; it is like the first rays of light after the storm – when the dark clouds still hover nearby but the sweet smell of the earth, after it has been scourged by the wind and rain, and the wet grass glistening like diamonds as far as you can see remind you that life is renewed after every storm.
On the surface, it’s a story about the things we can’t or don’t talk about: rape, human trafficking, pedophilia, inter-religious relations, political correctness, and immigration. Roger Scruton writes unflinchingly, but with great compassion and quiet skill he weaves his story. He draws us in, breathless, from the first chapter; and we follow him willingly through each agonizing twist, pausing with him at each new vista, seeing separate stories unfold through the eyes of his characters until we begin to see that it is all one story, necessarily complex and far more thoughtful than frantic.
As I read, I realized that it is also, in many ways, my story. Though I’ve not been sold into sexual-slavery, nevertheless I have come into contact with the secret and sordid world that Scruton describes. I have in my own (and very similar ways) hidden, been stolen, and been exiled. I suspect it’s an experience many single women would recognize and very few would talk about. I saw my reflection in several of the book’s characters, and in their heartbreak and redemption I found a new way to understand what my heart already and painfully knew. That Scruton should understand the issues so intimately would be uncanny if he weren’t already such an astute observer of the human condition.
Yes, this novel takes you on a breathless journey to the heart of darkness, but it does not leave you there. I am still, a week later, haunted by it. But the space where I sit with it in my thoughts is not dark like a storm; it is like the first rays of light after the storm – when the dark clouds still hover nearby but the sweet smell of the earth, after it has been scourged by the wind and rain, and the wet grass glistening like diamonds as far as you can see remind you that life is renewed after every storm.
March 31, 2015
Well, this book made me angry. Not at the writer, but at the dreadful injustices and fear of being accused of 'racism' which sadly abound in Britain these days, largely thanks to the political correctness brought on as a result of the uncontrolled immigration policies of the last Labour government, the EU, and immigrants' refusal to integrate into the society which has offered refuge, housing and welfare benefits.
The story appears to be partly based on the 'grooming' and sexual abuse of young white girls by Muslims, which has been happening in Yorkshire in recent years. It appears to accurately portray the reluctance felt by police and social workers when confronted with these crimes, and their lack of action when Islam comes into the picture. We have read much about this in the news recently.
Sadly, the misguided teacher is an easy target for prosecution, and suffers for his compassion. There are not many sympathetic characters, with the two white males both being somewhat creepy and obsessed, each with a different woman who they do not really know at all.
It was a powerful story, and well written apart from a few jarring things - the odd choice of second person singular POV, which became a little confusing towards the end, the poor attempt to depict the Yorkshire accent (which came across as Scottish to me, and I am English, and lived in Yorkshire for many years), and also there were some very strange and inappropriate phrases at times (... her eyes which were closely packed against her nose ...' is a memorable one).
Reviewed in exchange for a preview copy.
The story appears to be partly based on the 'grooming' and sexual abuse of young white girls by Muslims, which has been happening in Yorkshire in recent years. It appears to accurately portray the reluctance felt by police and social workers when confronted with these crimes, and their lack of action when Islam comes into the picture. We have read much about this in the news recently.
Sadly, the misguided teacher is an easy target for prosecution, and suffers for his compassion. There are not many sympathetic characters, with the two white males both being somewhat creepy and obsessed, each with a different woman who they do not really know at all.
It was a powerful story, and well written apart from a few jarring things - the odd choice of second person singular POV, which became a little confusing towards the end, the poor attempt to depict the Yorkshire accent (which came across as Scottish to me, and I am English, and lived in Yorkshire for many years), and also there were some very strange and inappropriate phrases at times (... her eyes which were closely packed against her nose ...' is a memorable one).
Reviewed in exchange for a preview copy.
July 4, 2016
You can read reams of Scruton's non-fiction, and you will learn a lot by doing so. Sometimes his prose requires perseverance, often what he is saying is just very difficult. He is a man of immense learning, understanding, sympathy and insight. But if you can't learn from Roger Scruton it is because something is wrong with you.
There is an easier way, also. The alternative is to pick up his fiction: Notes from Underground and The Disappeared, and may there be more. It is much easier to read, filled with beauty, difficult because often terrible, and nevertheless compelling and powerful. Much is illustrated in sketched life and illuminated through literary devices. Here, I think as I read it, is the unacknowledged literature of our age. Echoes, judgments, explanations, life, things that will astonish you. A woman who rescues a man-boy from his rock music in each book too.
The Disappeared is decidedly a book by none other than Roger Scruton. The way things develop, come together, resolve: amazing.
There is an easier way, also. The alternative is to pick up his fiction: Notes from Underground and The Disappeared, and may there be more. It is much easier to read, filled with beauty, difficult because often terrible, and nevertheless compelling and powerful. Much is illustrated in sketched life and illuminated through literary devices. Here, I think as I read it, is the unacknowledged literature of our age. Echoes, judgments, explanations, life, things that will astonish you. A woman who rescues a man-boy from his rock music in each book too.
The Disappeared is decidedly a book by none other than Roger Scruton. The way things develop, come together, resolve: amazing.
March 20, 2015
I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher. Here is my honest review.
I'm not really sure how I'm going to rate this book, which is an odd place to be when writing a review. The plot was gripping although after the first two chapters, the point of view shifted to what seemed to be a completely unrelated story. Scruton masterfully wove three seemingly unconnected stories together. The plot was the best part of this book. The characters were interesting and the writing style (almost stream of consciousness and first person for Laura's character) was very different from what I typically read, which I found to be a nice change.
It was very violent in parts and human trafficking is a serious issue that is quite frankly difficult to read about.
I'm not really sure how I'm going to rate this book, which is an odd place to be when writing a review. The plot was gripping although after the first two chapters, the point of view shifted to what seemed to be a completely unrelated story. Scruton masterfully wove three seemingly unconnected stories together. The plot was the best part of this book. The characters were interesting and the writing style (almost stream of consciousness and first person for Laura's character) was very different from what I typically read, which I found to be a nice change.
It was very violent in parts and human trafficking is a serious issue that is quite frankly difficult to read about.
did-not-finish
March 2, 20175 months after starting this and still didn't get past page 40.
So, bye bye.
So, bye bye.
Want to read
July 5, 2017Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ and netgalley for an ARC.
http://www.roger-scruton.com/
Roger Vernon Scruton is a self-employed English philosopher and writer, known in the UK as a key figure in the "New Right" in the 1980s and 1990s. He currently lives in rural Wiltshire, but was a professor of philosophy at Boston University from 1992 to 1995, and subsequently a professor at Birkbeck College, London.
http://www.roger-scruton.com/
Roger Vernon Scruton is a self-employed English philosopher and writer, known in the UK as a key figure in the "New Right" in the 1980s and 1990s. He currently lives in rural Wiltshire, but was a professor of philosophy at Boston University from 1992 to 1995, and subsequently a professor at Birkbeck College, London.
“Beautiful and dramatic prose...describes the class of cultures ...in Britain rather brilliantly.” ―Standpoint
“It's a gripping, disturbing narrative dealing with abduction and abuse but also love, escape and a type of redemption.” ―The Spectator
“An intelligent, intricate novel.” ―The Times
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews