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Putney
In the spirit of Zoë Heller’s Notes on a Scandal and Tom Perrotta’s Mrs. Fletcher, an explosive and thought-provoking novel about the far-reaching repercussions of an illicit relationship between a young girl and a man twenty years her senior.
A rising star in the London arts scene of the early 1970s, gifted composer Ralph Boyd is approached by renowned novelist Edmund Greenslay to score a stage adaptation of his most famous work. Welcomed into Greenslay’s sprawling bohemian house in Putney, an artistic and prosperous district in southwest London, the musical wunderkind is introduced to Edmund’s activist wife Ellie, his aloof son Theo, and his nine-year old daughter Daphne, who quickly becomes Ralph’s muse.
Ralph showers Daphne with tokens of his affection—clandestine gifts and secret notes. In a home that is exciting but often lonely, Daphne finds Ralph to be a dazzling companion, and while he worships her, he doesn't touch her. Their bond remains strong even after Ralph becomes a husband and father. But in the summer of 1976, when Ralph accompanies thirteen-year-old Daphne alone to meet her parents in Greece, their relationship intensifies irrevocably. One person knows of their passionate Daphne’s best friend Jane, whose awe of the intoxicating Greenslay family ensures her silence.
Forty years later Daphne is back in London. After years lost to decadence and drug abuse, she is struggling to create a normal, stable life for herself and her adolescent daughter. When circumstances bring her back in touch with her long-lost friend, Jane, their reunion inevitably turns to Ralph, now a world-famous musician also living in the city. Daphne’s recollections of her childhood and her growing anxiety over her own daughter eventually lead to an explosive realization that propels her to confront Ralph and their years together.
Told from three diverse viewpoints—victim, perpetrator, and witness—Putney is a subtle and powerful novel about consent, agency, and what we tell ourselves to justify what we do, and what others do to us.
A rising star in the London arts scene of the early 1970s, gifted composer Ralph Boyd is approached by renowned novelist Edmund Greenslay to score a stage adaptation of his most famous work. Welcomed into Greenslay’s sprawling bohemian house in Putney, an artistic and prosperous district in southwest London, the musical wunderkind is introduced to Edmund’s activist wife Ellie, his aloof son Theo, and his nine-year old daughter Daphne, who quickly becomes Ralph’s muse.
Ralph showers Daphne with tokens of his affection—clandestine gifts and secret notes. In a home that is exciting but often lonely, Daphne finds Ralph to be a dazzling companion, and while he worships her, he doesn't touch her. Their bond remains strong even after Ralph becomes a husband and father. But in the summer of 1976, when Ralph accompanies thirteen-year-old Daphne alone to meet her parents in Greece, their relationship intensifies irrevocably. One person knows of their passionate Daphne’s best friend Jane, whose awe of the intoxicating Greenslay family ensures her silence.
Forty years later Daphne is back in London. After years lost to decadence and drug abuse, she is struggling to create a normal, stable life for herself and her adolescent daughter. When circumstances bring her back in touch with her long-lost friend, Jane, their reunion inevitably turns to Ralph, now a world-famous musician also living in the city. Daphne’s recollections of her childhood and her growing anxiety over her own daughter eventually lead to an explosive realization that propels her to confront Ralph and their years together.
Told from three diverse viewpoints—victim, perpetrator, and witness—Putney is a subtle and powerful novel about consent, agency, and what we tell ourselves to justify what we do, and what others do to us.
375 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2018
248 people are currently reading
8574 people want to read
About the author
Sofka Zinovieff
8 books103 followersSofka Zinovieff was born in London and was educated at Cambridge. She has worked as a freelance journalist and lived in Moscow and Rome before settling in Athens with her Greek husband and their two daughters in 2001.
Her book, Red Princess: A Revolutionary Life has been translated into ten languages and she is the author of Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens.
Her book, Red Princess: A Revolutionary Life has been translated into ten languages and she is the author of Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 540 reviews
September 21, 2018
This book frustrated the hell out of me.
Which is EXACTLY what it was supposed to do.
The story follows the Greenslay family. It's the 1970's and let's just say their lifestyle is a bit bohemian. Barefoot and braless is the way of the household. Guests come and go on a whim. Drugs and drinks always at hand. Ed and Ellie, the parents, are eclectic and self absorbed people. He an author and she an activist. Their 9 year old daughter Daphne is allowed to run wild and be free.
Ed welcome's into their home, Ralph, a 28 year old man who is an up and coming music composer that he plans to work with. As soon as Ralph lays eyes on the vibrant Daphne he becomes consumed with an urgent lust that he can not and will not resist.
"A slow-motion hunt so gradual that the prey didn't even realize it was being pursued, and would eventually just lie down to be mauled."
As you can imagine from here the story becomes difficult to digest.
Ralph is a predator, without a doubt, but he doesn't see it that way. He doesn't think there is anything wrong with the fact that this is a child. (I believe the abuse started at 9, he takes her virginity at 13, and the relationship continues into her late teens). To him this is just a game, a little secret for just the two of them to share.
"Our story had nothing to do with abuse. To link them is like pouring filth on flowers, like denying the power of love."
GAG!
Daphne, now at 51, a single mother to 13 year old Libby has been recalling her youth and the years she spent tangled in the web of Ralph's making. It is only now, with the help of her childhood best friend Jane, that she realizes that what he did to her was sexual abuse and that he is a pedophile.
We watch her struggle to come to terms with this and it is as equally frustrating and heartbreaking to witness. She constantly wants to defend him and to justify his actions which made me want to scream. She really believed they were in love and this is a harsh new reality that she needs to accept.
And her parents, COME ON PEOPLE! They really pissed me off. Why did no one pay attention to this child? Why didn't any one see the red flags? Honestly, I hated them for being so damn selfish.
Okay, I'll stop ranting now even though I could go on and on. It's just one of those types of books. I suggest you buy it, read it, then come back and rant with me.
Thank you to Jennifer @ Harper Collins for generously sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Which is EXACTLY what it was supposed to do.
The story follows the Greenslay family. It's the 1970's and let's just say their lifestyle is a bit bohemian. Barefoot and braless is the way of the household. Guests come and go on a whim. Drugs and drinks always at hand. Ed and Ellie, the parents, are eclectic and self absorbed people. He an author and she an activist. Their 9 year old daughter Daphne is allowed to run wild and be free.
Ed welcome's into their home, Ralph, a 28 year old man who is an up and coming music composer that he plans to work with. As soon as Ralph lays eyes on the vibrant Daphne he becomes consumed with an urgent lust that he can not and will not resist.
"A slow-motion hunt so gradual that the prey didn't even realize it was being pursued, and would eventually just lie down to be mauled."
As you can imagine from here the story becomes difficult to digest.
Ralph is a predator, without a doubt, but he doesn't see it that way. He doesn't think there is anything wrong with the fact that this is a child. (I believe the abuse started at 9, he takes her virginity at 13, and the relationship continues into her late teens). To him this is just a game, a little secret for just the two of them to share.
"Our story had nothing to do with abuse. To link them is like pouring filth on flowers, like denying the power of love."
GAG!
Daphne, now at 51, a single mother to 13 year old Libby has been recalling her youth and the years she spent tangled in the web of Ralph's making. It is only now, with the help of her childhood best friend Jane, that she realizes that what he did to her was sexual abuse and that he is a pedophile.
We watch her struggle to come to terms with this and it is as equally frustrating and heartbreaking to witness. She constantly wants to defend him and to justify his actions which made me want to scream. She really believed they were in love and this is a harsh new reality that she needs to accept.
And her parents, COME ON PEOPLE! They really pissed me off. Why did no one pay attention to this child? Why didn't any one see the red flags? Honestly, I hated them for being so damn selfish.
Okay, I'll stop ranting now even though I could go on and on. It's just one of those types of books. I suggest you buy it, read it, then come back and rant with me.
Thank you to Jennifer @ Harper Collins for generously sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 12, 2018
This book made me mad, it made me anxious, it stressed me out with no end – and I could not stop reading it (I mean, except for frequent breaks to calm down). My Kindle died halfway through this book and I finished it on my laptop, which should give you an indication of how much I needed to get to the end.
This is story of Ralph and Daphne’s developing ‘relationship’, only that Ralph is 25 and Daphne is nine when they meet. Told in flashbacks from three different perspectives, Ralph’s, Daphne’s, and her best friend Jane’s, this story spans nearly 40 years. The book is unflinching it its portrayal of its characters; they are fully formed and human, which makes reading it all the more gruelling (for me at least). Ralph is despicable, but (of course) doesn’t see himself that way and reading about his justifications for his actions made me sick to my stomach. His characterisation is extremely well done and shows the brilliance of this book. Daphne is equally compelling and you feel sorry for her while wanting to shake her. I personally would have loved to spend more time with her because I found her inner workings the most fascinating. Jane’s perspective did not always quite work for me but I can see how it was needed to give a bit of an outside perspective on the immorality of the ‘relationship’.
Overall, the characters are what makes this book shine but there were other strengths as well. I admire Sofka Zinovieff’s willingness to tell this story and found it provoking but needed. This novel deals with memory and its unreliability in a truly excellent way. She also deftly handles other topics such as mental health, classism, and female friendship. The framing of this story was very successful to me as somebody who loves stories jumping between different time periods in somebody’s life.
I did feel the need to take a shower after this book, because even though the sex is never gratuitously described, spending this much time in a creep’s head made my skin crawl. I am also not the biggest fan of some of the narrative decisions towards the end and thus was glad to have finished it. I am also very glad to have read it though.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and other thoughts on books on my blog.
This is story of Ralph and Daphne’s developing ‘relationship’, only that Ralph is 25 and Daphne is nine when they meet. Told in flashbacks from three different perspectives, Ralph’s, Daphne’s, and her best friend Jane’s, this story spans nearly 40 years. The book is unflinching it its portrayal of its characters; they are fully formed and human, which makes reading it all the more gruelling (for me at least). Ralph is despicable, but (of course) doesn’t see himself that way and reading about his justifications for his actions made me sick to my stomach. His characterisation is extremely well done and shows the brilliance of this book. Daphne is equally compelling and you feel sorry for her while wanting to shake her. I personally would have loved to spend more time with her because I found her inner workings the most fascinating. Jane’s perspective did not always quite work for me but I can see how it was needed to give a bit of an outside perspective on the immorality of the ‘relationship’.
Overall, the characters are what makes this book shine but there were other strengths as well. I admire Sofka Zinovieff’s willingness to tell this story and found it provoking but needed. This novel deals with memory and its unreliability in a truly excellent way. She also deftly handles other topics such as mental health, classism, and female friendship. The framing of this story was very successful to me as somebody who loves stories jumping between different time periods in somebody’s life.
I did feel the need to take a shower after this book, because even though the sex is never gratuitously described, spending this much time in a creep’s head made my skin crawl. I am also not the biggest fan of some of the narrative decisions towards the end and thus was glad to have finished it. I am also very glad to have read it though.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and other thoughts on books on my blog.
September 21, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I’m not even going to bother with a review. I am going to say the blurb is about a million and a half paragraphs too long. Do yourself a favor and only read the first one and skip all the oversharing that could potentially ruin the entire reading experience. It tells you everything you need to know before deciding whether or not you want to give this book a chance. Per that first paragraph, I can confirm Putney truly is explosive and thought provoking and it certainly is about an illicit relationship between a grown man and a young girl. My only comment regarding the comparisons to Notes on a Scandal or Mrs. Fletcher are that Lolita was probably too obvious so the “blurbists” chose to mix things up a bit. Honestly, though, Lolita is what can’t help but come to mind – only this version follows everyone for the next 40 years.
That’s all you get. This is a love it or hate it novel and, sadly, one that people will choose to judge without even reading a page due to the pearl-clutching type of storyline. There’s no point in wasting my breath . . . or manicure, I guess would be the case here. I have a feeling most discussions with the anti-Putney sect would only result in me looking something like this . . . .
All the Stars.
I’m not even going to bother with a review. I am going to say the blurb is about a million and a half paragraphs too long. Do yourself a favor and only read the first one and skip all the oversharing that could potentially ruin the entire reading experience. It tells you everything you need to know before deciding whether or not you want to give this book a chance. Per that first paragraph, I can confirm Putney truly is explosive and thought provoking and it certainly is about an illicit relationship between a grown man and a young girl. My only comment regarding the comparisons to Notes on a Scandal or Mrs. Fletcher are that Lolita was probably too obvious so the “blurbists” chose to mix things up a bit. Honestly, though, Lolita is what can’t help but come to mind – only this version follows everyone for the next 40 years.
That’s all you get. This is a love it or hate it novel and, sadly, one that people will choose to judge without even reading a page due to the pearl-clutching type of storyline. There’s no point in wasting my breath . . . or manicure, I guess would be the case here. I have a feeling most discussions with the anti-Putney sect would only result in me looking something like this . . . .
All the Stars.
October 4, 2018
A remarkable book with all the hallmarks of a modern Greek tragedy, including the pitiful hero at the centre of this book. Everything about this book builds up to a poetic and dramatic crescendo. The ending was so fitting and was a true hallelujah moment, I felt the story ended perfectly with not such a neat and flawless ending but with an epic symphonic conclusion! I loved it!!
August 9, 2019
„Пътни“ е изключителна книга. Не просто заради проблемите от социално и общоморално значение, които поставя, и не само заради широкия спектър на значимост на тези проблеми. „Пътни“ е изключителна заради начина, по който е написана и по който превежда читателя по пътя на една неудобна, разнопосочна и фино разказана история. Това не е от историите, които биха оставили читателя безразличен. „Пътни“ засяга много теми – от сексуалното насилие над малолетни, през неспособността ни да осъзнаваме нередността на онова, което ни се случва, и неизбежната и трайна травма, която оставя у нас, чак до бягството от отговорност – пълното откъсване от реалността, която обитават децата в живота на родителите си.
„Пътни“ е една история, напоена с много силна, омайваща атмосфера. Като че ли Пътни, район в Югозападен Лондон, на фона на сезоните, които се сменят в дома на семейство Грийнслей, се откроява във въображението на читателя като още един, съвсем отделен герой в този вълнуващ и смущаващ разказ. Историята тръгва именно от Пътни през седемдесетте години – епоха, в която задръжките отстъпват пред повсеместния устрем към изпитване границите на новото възможно, новото свободно и новото щастливо Аз. И в центъра на този бохемски живот на артистично изобилие се появява Ралф Бойд – композитор, обещаващ талант и ексцентрик в края на своите двайсет години. В сблъсък с намека за претенциозност и голямата амбиция на Ралф идва Дафне – тогава деветгодишната дъщеря на неговия добър приятел и известен писател Едмънт Грийнслей. Съвсем близо до вихрушката на тази история се намират и самите родителите на Дафне – хора, чието съзряване минава в бунта срещу следвоенния период. Несъмнено очарователни и омайващи фигури, разкрепостени, жадни за свобода и подем, разтворили широко вратите на бохемския си, но иначе потънал в безредие „Аврамов“ дом.
Последвалите събития са израз на едни сложни, притеснителни, а понякога и завладяващи взаимоотношения, които оставят неизличима следа върху живота на героите на Софка Зиновиеф. Дафне минава бурно през своето съзряване, пометена и отнесена от хаоса, сред който расте, и от опасното престъпване на границата, която я е отделяла досега от разрухата. Отчаяната нужда от солидна почва под краката й, която родителите й не са способни да й осигурят, е привидно замаскирана от свободата и волния дух, който я насърчават да проявява. Загубила ориентир за нормите на правилно и грешно, морално и аморално, Дафне се превръща в жертва на своя довереник и минава през по-голямата част от съзнателния си живот в неосъзнаване на разрушителната сила на вредата, която й е била нанесена. Тук Зиновиеф поставя въпроса кога едно дете престава да бъде дете и само определя своите избори, докъде се простират нормите и черно-белите шаблони за морално и аморално, законно и незаконно, какво значат те при наличието на чувства като основна подбуда. Доколко искрени са тези чувства, ако онова, което се случва, трябва да остане в тайна от толкова разкрепостените Грийслейеви? Способно ли е едно тринайсетгодишно момиче да прецени и съзнава какво е любов? Действително има ли възраст любовта? И изобщо може ли да говорим за любов, когато в уравнението е включено съблазняване на тринайсетгодишно момиче от страна на трийсетгодишен женен мъж?
Пленителен е начинът, по който Зиновиеф успява да накара читателя да се почувства див и дързък, изкушен да се отърси от всякакви предразсъдъци и да отхвърли всякакви окови на разума, след което рязко да бъде захвърлен в противоположния спектър на емоциите си, разтърсен и засрамен, погнусен и ядосан от осъзнаването на вредата, на злоупотребата, на егоизма и прикритата като обожание похот.
Историята се разкрива късче по късче и навлизаме все по-дълбоко в мрач��ите дебри на едно неосъзнато напълно престъпление. Зиновиеф успява да я предаде достоверно през погледа на трима разказвачи (насилник, жертва и свидетел), на читателя се предоставя възможността да повярва във всяка една перспектива и да възприеме картината в нейната неразривна и сложна цялост.
Сложни са и героите в "Пътни", дълбочината им не ни позволява да ги заклеймим като злодеи или невинни жертви, а ги превъплъщава в нещо познато и близко. Романът успява да пречупи светлината като пукнато огледало – хвърля светлина ту върху една страна от сложната същина на героите, ту върху друга, превръщайки всеки образ във витраж от фрагментирани сцени, цветове и нюанси, докато накрая читателят не е всмукан в дезориентацията на Дафне, в изкривената истина на Ралф и изострените до крайност възприятия на Джейн.
„Пътни“ е платно на контрасти, пред което зрителите лъкатушат между безкрайното бегрижие и зле прикрития и неизбежен упадък. И на фона на всичко това Зиновиеф ни връща обратно в Гърция със своя бит и романтизъм, засилвайки усещането за историята на Ралф и Дафне за една притеснителна, ярка и въздействаща гръцка трагедия.
„Пътни“ е една история, напоена с много силна, омайваща атмосфера. Като че ли Пътни, район в Югозападен Лондон, на фона на сезоните, които се сменят в дома на семейство Грийнслей, се откроява във въображението на читателя като още един, съвсем отделен герой в този вълнуващ и смущаващ разказ. Историята тръгва именно от Пътни през седемдесетте години – епоха, в която задръжките отстъпват пред повсеместния устрем към изпитване границите на новото възможно, новото свободно и новото щастливо Аз. И в центъра на този бохемски живот на артистично изобилие се появява Ралф Бойд – композитор, обещаващ талант и ексцентрик в края на своите двайсет години. В сблъсък с намека за претенциозност и голямата амбиция на Ралф идва Дафне – тогава деветгодишната дъщеря на неговия добър приятел и известен писател Едмънт Грийнслей. Съвсем близо до вихрушката на тази история се намират и самите родителите на Дафне – хора, чието съзряване минава в бунта срещу следвоенния период. Несъмнено очарователни и омайващи фигури, разкрепостени, жадни за свобода и подем, разтворили широко вратите на бохемския си, но иначе потънал в безредие „Аврамов“ дом.
Последвалите събития са израз на едни сложни, притеснителни, а понякога и завладяващи взаимоотношения, които оставят неизличима следа върху живота на героите на Софка Зиновиеф. Дафне минава бурно през своето съзряване, пометена и отнесена от хаоса, сред който расте, и от опасното престъпване на границата, която я е отделяла досега от разрухата. Отчаяната нужда от солидна почва под краката й, която родителите й не са способни да й осигурят, е привидно замаскирана от свободата и волния дух, който я насърчават да проявява. Загубила ориентир за нормите на правилно и грешно, морално и аморално, Дафне се превръща в жертва на своя довереник и минава през по-голямата част от съзнателния си живот в неосъзнаване на разрушителната сила на вредата, която й е била нанесена. Тук Зиновиеф поставя въпроса кога едно дете престава да бъде дете и само определя своите избори, докъде се простират нормите и черно-белите шаблони за морално и аморално, законно и незаконно, какво значат те при наличието на чувства като основна подбуда. Доколко искрени са тези чувства, ако онова, което се случва, трябва да остане в тайна от толкова разкрепостените Грийслейеви? Способно ли е едно тринайсетгодишно момиче да прецени и съзнава какво е любов? Действително има ли възраст любовта? И изобщо може ли да говорим за любов, когато в уравнението е включено съблазняване на тринайсетгодишно момиче от страна на трийсетгодишен женен мъж?
Пленителен е начинът, по който Зиновиеф успява да накара читателя да се почувства див и дързък, изкушен да се отърси от всякакви предразсъдъци и да отхвърли всякакви окови на разума, след което рязко да бъде захвърлен в противоположния спектър на емоциите си, разтърсен и засрамен, погнусен и ядосан от осъзнаването на вредата, на злоупотребата, на егоизма и прикритата като обожание похот.
Историята се разкрива късче по късче и навлизаме все по-дълбоко в мрач��ите дебри на едно неосъзнато напълно престъпление. Зиновиеф успява да я предаде достоверно през погледа на трима разказвачи (насилник, жертва и свидетел), на читателя се предоставя възможността да повярва във всяка една перспектива и да възприеме картината в нейната неразривна и сложна цялост.
Сложни са и героите в "Пътни", дълбочината им не ни позволява да ги заклеймим като злодеи или невинни жертви, а ги превъплъщава в нещо познато и близко. Романът успява да пречупи светлината като пукнато огледало – хвърля светлина ту върху една страна от сложната същина на героите, ту върху друга, превръщайки всеки образ във витраж от фрагментирани сцени, цветове и нюанси, докато накрая читателят не е всмукан в дезориентацията на Дафне, в изкривената истина на Ралф и изострените до крайност възприятия на Джейн.
„Пътни“ е платно на контрасти, пред което зрителите лъкатушат между безкрайното бегрижие и зле прикрития и неизбежен упадък. И на фона на всичко това Зиновиеф ни връща обратно в Гърция със своя бит и романтизъм, засилвайки усещането за историята на Ралф и Дафне за една притеснителна, ярка и въздействаща гръцка трагедия.
October 14, 2018
Putney is a highly controversial novel that explores illicit behavior and how a person justifies it and makes it a beautiful memory in their mental scrapbook. It's also about consent, the protection of the vulnerable and the underage, what constitutes a sexual assault, the importance of exposing wrong doings by coming forward, and what justice does and doesn't look like.
I am uncomfortable saying how engaging this book was for me. Watching an inappropriate relationship play out while having access to multiple POV's and an alternating timeline was a fascinating case study of sorts. It's also stomach-turning and horrific, and it puts it all in your face and makes you think, feel, and question. It should be noted there are significant trigger warnings associated with this story, and if you are a reader sensitive to the subjects of sexual grooming/abuse, then please proceed with caution.
An incredibly timely novel that mirrors recent/current events in the US, and a story that is unfortunately timeless in its relevance. You'll either absorb its messages and use the gained perspective to prevent, educate, and support, or you won't make it through the book at all. Either way, prepare yourself. This is one of those things you won't be able to unsee.
My favorite quote:
"The whole episode lasted maybe a minute. But that is long enough, she thought. You can kill a person in a second. Why should it take much longer to complete a sexual assault?"
I am uncomfortable saying how engaging this book was for me. Watching an inappropriate relationship play out while having access to multiple POV's and an alternating timeline was a fascinating case study of sorts. It's also stomach-turning and horrific, and it puts it all in your face and makes you think, feel, and question. It should be noted there are significant trigger warnings associated with this story, and if you are a reader sensitive to the subjects of sexual grooming/abuse, then please proceed with caution.
An incredibly timely novel that mirrors recent/current events in the US, and a story that is unfortunately timeless in its relevance. You'll either absorb its messages and use the gained perspective to prevent, educate, and support, or you won't make it through the book at all. Either way, prepare yourself. This is one of those things you won't be able to unsee.
My favorite quote:
"The whole episode lasted maybe a minute. But that is long enough, she thought. You can kill a person in a second. Why should it take much longer to complete a sexual assault?"
September 22, 2018
Engaging!!!!!
An abuser- a victim - and a witness - deliver dangerous narrative.
That’s all I’m saying!
An abuser- a victim - and a witness - deliver dangerous narrative.
That’s all I’m saying!
January 3, 2021
Трудно се пише ревю при условие, че всичко, което би искал да кажеш, е вече посочено от други. А мразиш да повтаряш като папагал.
"Пътни" е прекрасна и страшна. История за това какво си мислим, че е било детството, и това, което се оказва, че е било. За непростими престъпления, които оправдаваме в съзнанието си като неразбрана от обществото велика любов от чист егоизъм. За отговорността на родителя и значението на границите.
"Пътни" е прекрасна и страшна. История за това какво си мислим, че е било детството, и това, което се оказва, че е било. За непростими престъпления, които оправдаваме в съзнанието си като неразбрана от обществото велика любов от чист егоизъм. За отговорността на родителя и значението на границите.
November 29, 2019
Впечатляващ роман, с тежка тема, разказан много умело, с живи и реалистични герои. Малко е да се каже, че оставя силно послание. "Пътни" е една от най-силните книги, пресрещнали ме в читателския ми път през тази година. Горещи препоръки за него!
September 4, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Full blog tour post at https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
Instagram Giveaway for book at https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUC-k4lq...
If you can get past all of the triggers, Putney by Sofka Zinovieff is going to be THE book you will want to read this year.
What it's about: Ralph is a 27 year old up-and-coming composer when he meets with novelist Edmund Greenslay who wants to do a stage adaptation of Ralph's most famous piece. Ralph is welcomed into the laid back, extremely free-spirited Greenslay household where people come and go as they please from the sprawling mansion in Putney, London. It is basically 'lust at first sight' when Ralph meets the Greenslay's 9-year-old daughter Daphne, and he ends up beginning a decade long relationship with the young girl that turns physical when she is just 13 years old to his 31 years. Putney basically covers what happens when Daphne realizes as an adult that what happened to her as a child was actually sexual abuse and not the pure love she thought it was; and the ensuing confrontation with Ralph and her past.
The book is told mostly in present time, with consistent flashbacks to the past by our 3 character viewpoints - the abuser (Ralph), the abused (Daphne), and a bystander to the abuse (Daphne's childhood friend Jane). I loved the style in which Putney is written, and it is a very provocative look at illicit relationships. This was definitely a slower read for me, but I found Zinovieff's writing style very eloquent and detailed. The subject matter makes it rather hard not to put this book down for breaks, but that is simply due to how hard it is to read.
Final Thought: This is a brilliant novel that fits in nicely with the #MeToo movement of today. Triggers abound though, so if you have a hard time reading about consent and/or grooming you may not want to read this one. However, if you can stand the triggers, this book will be an incredibly frustrating but rewarding book to check out. I also appreciated that Zinovieff was very tasteful with the scenes of abuse and did not choose to be graphic. Overall this book should spark quite the conversation, and I am very open to reading more from this author!
Full blog tour post at https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
Instagram Giveaway for book at https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUC-k4lq...
If you can get past all of the triggers, Putney by Sofka Zinovieff is going to be THE book you will want to read this year.
What it's about: Ralph is a 27 year old up-and-coming composer when he meets with novelist Edmund Greenslay who wants to do a stage adaptation of Ralph's most famous piece. Ralph is welcomed into the laid back, extremely free-spirited Greenslay household where people come and go as they please from the sprawling mansion in Putney, London. It is basically 'lust at first sight' when Ralph meets the Greenslay's 9-year-old daughter Daphne, and he ends up beginning a decade long relationship with the young girl that turns physical when she is just 13 years old to his 31 years. Putney basically covers what happens when Daphne realizes as an adult that what happened to her as a child was actually sexual abuse and not the pure love she thought it was; and the ensuing confrontation with Ralph and her past.
The book is told mostly in present time, with consistent flashbacks to the past by our 3 character viewpoints - the abuser (Ralph), the abused (Daphne), and a bystander to the abuse (Daphne's childhood friend Jane). I loved the style in which Putney is written, and it is a very provocative look at illicit relationships. This was definitely a slower read for me, but I found Zinovieff's writing style very eloquent and detailed. The subject matter makes it rather hard not to put this book down for breaks, but that is simply due to how hard it is to read.
Final Thought: This is a brilliant novel that fits in nicely with the #MeToo movement of today. Triggers abound though, so if you have a hard time reading about consent and/or grooming you may not want to read this one. However, if you can stand the triggers, this book will be an incredibly frustrating but rewarding book to check out. I also appreciated that Zinovieff was very tasteful with the scenes of abuse and did not choose to be graphic. Overall this book should spark quite the conversation, and I am very open to reading more from this author!
July 9, 2022
4.5, rounded down.
One would think Nabokov already had cornered the market on obsessive pedophiliac love for nymphets with Lolita, but there have recently been a surfeit of new books limning the same fertile ground. Two of the books - The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World and Rust & Stardust - stem from the same story that Nabokov based his magnum opus on, but Zinovoeff invents her own sordid tale from scratch.... and comes up with a compelling, at times maddening, but nonetheless riveting novel.
The story is told in alternating chapters by the three principal players: Ralph, a burgeoning composer, who at 27 falls inexplicably in love/lust with the 9 year old daughter of a compatriot; Daphne, said daughter, whose deflowering at 13 comes via her older paramour; and Jane, Daphne's best friend, who serves as something of an Iago figure throughout the novel.
Most of the story is told in retrospect, when the 50-ish Daphne begins to examine whether her affair with Ralph was the lighthearted and harmless romp she had always thought it to be - or a monstrous abuse of childhood innocence, perpetrated by a demented bastard. The book never quite goes exactly where you expect, and that is both its strength and, if one can use the term for such a harrowing topic - charm. Zinovieff is in firm control of both her subject and her exquisite prose throughout, and I dare say this would have been a better Booker nominee than fully half of what DID make the list (especially the execrable and boring 'Milkman', which covers much the same themes).
It is dispiriting that the execrable My Dark Vanessa has 100 times the number or readers than this much superior tome on the same subject - since it is 1,000 times better!
One would think Nabokov already had cornered the market on obsessive pedophiliac love for nymphets with Lolita, but there have recently been a surfeit of new books limning the same fertile ground. Two of the books - The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World and Rust & Stardust - stem from the same story that Nabokov based his magnum opus on, but Zinovoeff invents her own sordid tale from scratch.... and comes up with a compelling, at times maddening, but nonetheless riveting novel.
The story is told in alternating chapters by the three principal players: Ralph, a burgeoning composer, who at 27 falls inexplicably in love/lust with the 9 year old daughter of a compatriot; Daphne, said daughter, whose deflowering at 13 comes via her older paramour; and Jane, Daphne's best friend, who serves as something of an Iago figure throughout the novel.
Most of the story is told in retrospect, when the 50-ish Daphne begins to examine whether her affair with Ralph was the lighthearted and harmless romp she had always thought it to be - or a monstrous abuse of childhood innocence, perpetrated by a demented bastard. The book never quite goes exactly where you expect, and that is both its strength and, if one can use the term for such a harrowing topic - charm. Zinovieff is in firm control of both her subject and her exquisite prose throughout, and I dare say this would have been a better Booker nominee than fully half of what DID make the list (especially the execrable and boring 'Milkman', which covers much the same themes).
It is dispiriting that the execrable My Dark Vanessa has 100 times the number or readers than this much superior tome on the same subject - since it is 1,000 times better!
August 21, 2018
"Putney" by Sofka Zinovieff is an unsettling and yet fascinating story about how one secret can destroy the lives of three people. This book takes place over numerous decades, starting from the mid-1970s until present day. There are three alternating points-of-view: Ralph (the abuser), Daphne (the victim), and Jane (the witness). "Putney" is a frank and dark novel about grooming, molestation, statutory rape, and emotional manipulation. Although the story is never gratuitous, this book might be upsetting to sexual abuse survivors. Overall, Zinnovieff did a respectable job making you feel connected to the characters (even Ralph who is a fucking monster, no doubt). My heart went out to Daphne (she's so deeply wounded, naïve, and swimming in self-doubt), and Jane, who becomes the most vital voice (and unsung heroine) of "Putney". There is a twist halfway through that I didn't see coming. Wow. Simply riveting. Unfortunately, I had to dock a star because some parts were a bit draggy and well, the ending just left me bewildered and deeply frustrated. I'm sure it was intentional on the author's behalf though. What makes "Putney" worth reading is ultimately, the uncomfortable subject matter. These stories need to be told, dissected, rip to shreds, and talked about. Terrible things like sexual abuse really happen in this country and around the world (it needs to be addressed, not swept under the rug). Thank you, Sofka Zinovieff for being courageous enough for creating a narrative(s) to this insidious epidemic.
Thank you, Harper Collins for sending me a free copy, in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be released August 21, 2018.
Thank you, Harper Collins for sending me a free copy, in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be released August 21, 2018.
August 7, 2018
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'She couldn’t have known what I was feeling but I wanted to lie down before her and let her walk on me.'
That ‘she’ is a child! This novel is one of my favorites of 2018, having read it months ago it was killing me to hold back on posting a review per the publisher’s request.
A rising star in the London arts scene of the early 1970s, gifted composer Ralph Boyd is approached by renowned novelist Edmund Greenslay to score a stage adaptation of his most famous work. Welcomed into Greenslay’s sprawling bohemian house in Putney, an artistic and prosperous district in southwest London, the musical wunderkind is introduced to Edmund’s beautiful activist wife Ellie, his aloof son Theo, and his nine-year old daughter Daphne, who quickly becomes Ralph’s muse.
Muse and so much more. It really begs the question, do more carefree times really excuse illicit relationships, forbidden ‘love’, seduction of an innocent? What is interesting are the different answers people of all ages give you! Make no mistake, Daphne is groomed however ‘pure’ Ralph swears his intentions are and it begins for her at the tender age of 9. Oh but there is no touching, no spoiling, nothing so vile as that, not yet anyway. Nothing illicit in his train of thinking, which seems to be off the tracks! Her father is Edmund Greenslay, famous novelist living a bohemian life with his gorgeous Greek wife Ellie, an activist whose not always present. How could a child surrounded by the energy of such parents not be enchanting, intelligent and wildly imaginative? He is beyond enraptured! She becomes an obsession, in a different home maybe his access to Daphne would have been less easy but it’s so hard for Ralph to keep away from this extraordinary creature. Soon he has treasures for her, the attention she sorely needs in a home where her artistic parents are always entertaining, working, traveling after all it’s the 1970s, and their parenting is carefree. They have important endeavours that don’t always make room for raising their offspring. They are so trusting of their circle, it never crosses their minds to wonder why a grown man is so attentive of their darling child.
Children love secrets, and what’s more exciting to a lonely yet adventurous little girl than a secret that’s ‘just for us‘? This becomes the theme of their relationship. Ralph is convinced it’s pure, feels he is behaving so long as it’s not sexual until she turns 13 and everything alters.
Daphne now calls her past the ‘Dark Ages’, where in the wreckage lies a broken marriage, drug abuse in her twenties, trying to reclaim herself, create a stable life in her thirties and presently trying to prove to Ralph that she is okay, that she is healthy and good, that she has made a life worth living. With her teenaged daughter Libby by her side Daphne has returned to London, stepping back into her childhood best friend Jane’s life. Jane was the one person who kept Daphne and Ralph’s secrets, possibly to her own detriment. If Daphne holds her love for Ralph in some charming bubble, Jane is there to burst it with the seedy, ugly reality. She wasn’t always so immune to his ‘compelling’ nature, our Jane. How could she be when even the adults seemed to hum with excitement in his presence. More than her friend, it could well be through mothering her daughter that Daphne begins to see just how much she was hunted, abused. But how will everyone feel when she confronts the truth?
Ralph deludes himself, and the reader’s feelings may well sour more and more with the reading, he gets darker and darker. Instead of being a sinister, dark foreboding presence, though at the start and through much of the novel he is human, we like our monsters to be completely dark so we can spot them don’t we? But Ralph truly is the skin such threats walk around in. Charming, trustworthy to the adults, a friend of the family and wise enough to know what makes a little girl’s heart tick. Smart enough to dodge being found out ‘sniffing around’ her. Daphne is fragile (as all children are) and has no understanding of the adult world, in fact is exposed to it far too soon with a bohemian upbringing. Love is a fairy tale to little girls, a grown man is exciting! We are meant to trust and like Ralph sometimes and that is the nail in the coffin. He inserts himself in young Daphne’s life, happening upon her everywhere she goes feeling surely that, oh its fate. “He was Dog; always waiting for her..” full of promises, educating her on Stravinsky, a gravitational force in the space where one’s parents should be. I spent so much time reading this novel angry at their lax attitude. There are girlfriends for Ralph, but Daphne has his heart, will always be the one. Loved by her mother and father, she forgives them their absences when really, should she? How will they feel much later, when Daphne faces the rot of it all?
Jane has felt for a long time that Daphne’s ‘chaos might be contagious.’ There is a lot of trepidation in Daphne’s return, their last encounter during her wedding was of a wilder friend. Yet she is as intrigued by Daphne as she was when they first became friends. Soon, they are on the phone making plans to meet up. Jane is pushy as an adult, she knows her friend was victimized even if Daphne doesn’t own that reality and she is going to convince her of this, she is there to take the ‘rosie tinted glasses’ off of her friend, who still holds Ralph on some pedestal. She knows full well what went on at 7 Barnabas Road wasn’t pure and had nothing to do with love. It is sick, Jane knows all of it is sick, but at the back of the reader’s mind one wonders, what exactly is driving Jane’s rage? The shifting perspectives are wildly different. Daphne’s strolls through memory lane are haunting to read, disturbing because she holds Ralph in a special place in her heart even now. “Although her memories of being with Ralph as a girl were tender, she knew they could not be talked about openly. It had always been a secret, but not a dirty one.” This is how victims are made. What Daphne romanized Jane sees as poison, just how far-reaching was Ralph’s desires?
What about time, surely if enough time has passed you can’t accuse someone, destroy the life of a gifted, talented beloved man? What if that man is tied, still, to your family? The times… those seventies were all about dissolving boundaries, free love… At least, that’s what Ralph feels. How strange, being in the mind of an abuser and how they justify it to themselves or the victim who sees their situation as different, special. This is perfect for a book club, so many directions to go, so much to debate. All the enablers…
Yes, read it!
Publication Date: August 21, 2018
Harper
'She couldn’t have known what I was feeling but I wanted to lie down before her and let her walk on me.'
That ‘she’ is a child! This novel is one of my favorites of 2018, having read it months ago it was killing me to hold back on posting a review per the publisher’s request.
A rising star in the London arts scene of the early 1970s, gifted composer Ralph Boyd is approached by renowned novelist Edmund Greenslay to score a stage adaptation of his most famous work. Welcomed into Greenslay’s sprawling bohemian house in Putney, an artistic and prosperous district in southwest London, the musical wunderkind is introduced to Edmund’s beautiful activist wife Ellie, his aloof son Theo, and his nine-year old daughter Daphne, who quickly becomes Ralph’s muse.
Muse and so much more. It really begs the question, do more carefree times really excuse illicit relationships, forbidden ‘love’, seduction of an innocent? What is interesting are the different answers people of all ages give you! Make no mistake, Daphne is groomed however ‘pure’ Ralph swears his intentions are and it begins for her at the tender age of 9. Oh but there is no touching, no spoiling, nothing so vile as that, not yet anyway. Nothing illicit in his train of thinking, which seems to be off the tracks! Her father is Edmund Greenslay, famous novelist living a bohemian life with his gorgeous Greek wife Ellie, an activist whose not always present. How could a child surrounded by the energy of such parents not be enchanting, intelligent and wildly imaginative? He is beyond enraptured! She becomes an obsession, in a different home maybe his access to Daphne would have been less easy but it’s so hard for Ralph to keep away from this extraordinary creature. Soon he has treasures for her, the attention she sorely needs in a home where her artistic parents are always entertaining, working, traveling after all it’s the 1970s, and their parenting is carefree. They have important endeavours that don’t always make room for raising their offspring. They are so trusting of their circle, it never crosses their minds to wonder why a grown man is so attentive of their darling child.
Children love secrets, and what’s more exciting to a lonely yet adventurous little girl than a secret that’s ‘just for us‘? This becomes the theme of their relationship. Ralph is convinced it’s pure, feels he is behaving so long as it’s not sexual until she turns 13 and everything alters.
Daphne now calls her past the ‘Dark Ages’, where in the wreckage lies a broken marriage, drug abuse in her twenties, trying to reclaim herself, create a stable life in her thirties and presently trying to prove to Ralph that she is okay, that she is healthy and good, that she has made a life worth living. With her teenaged daughter Libby by her side Daphne has returned to London, stepping back into her childhood best friend Jane’s life. Jane was the one person who kept Daphne and Ralph’s secrets, possibly to her own detriment. If Daphne holds her love for Ralph in some charming bubble, Jane is there to burst it with the seedy, ugly reality. She wasn’t always so immune to his ‘compelling’ nature, our Jane. How could she be when even the adults seemed to hum with excitement in his presence. More than her friend, it could well be through mothering her daughter that Daphne begins to see just how much she was hunted, abused. But how will everyone feel when she confronts the truth?
Ralph deludes himself, and the reader’s feelings may well sour more and more with the reading, he gets darker and darker. Instead of being a sinister, dark foreboding presence, though at the start and through much of the novel he is human, we like our monsters to be completely dark so we can spot them don’t we? But Ralph truly is the skin such threats walk around in. Charming, trustworthy to the adults, a friend of the family and wise enough to know what makes a little girl’s heart tick. Smart enough to dodge being found out ‘sniffing around’ her. Daphne is fragile (as all children are) and has no understanding of the adult world, in fact is exposed to it far too soon with a bohemian upbringing. Love is a fairy tale to little girls, a grown man is exciting! We are meant to trust and like Ralph sometimes and that is the nail in the coffin. He inserts himself in young Daphne’s life, happening upon her everywhere she goes feeling surely that, oh its fate. “He was Dog; always waiting for her..” full of promises, educating her on Stravinsky, a gravitational force in the space where one’s parents should be. I spent so much time reading this novel angry at their lax attitude. There are girlfriends for Ralph, but Daphne has his heart, will always be the one. Loved by her mother and father, she forgives them their absences when really, should she? How will they feel much later, when Daphne faces the rot of it all?
Jane has felt for a long time that Daphne’s ‘chaos might be contagious.’ There is a lot of trepidation in Daphne’s return, their last encounter during her wedding was of a wilder friend. Yet she is as intrigued by Daphne as she was when they first became friends. Soon, they are on the phone making plans to meet up. Jane is pushy as an adult, she knows her friend was victimized even if Daphne doesn’t own that reality and she is going to convince her of this, she is there to take the ‘rosie tinted glasses’ off of her friend, who still holds Ralph on some pedestal. She knows full well what went on at 7 Barnabas Road wasn’t pure and had nothing to do with love. It is sick, Jane knows all of it is sick, but at the back of the reader’s mind one wonders, what exactly is driving Jane’s rage? The shifting perspectives are wildly different. Daphne’s strolls through memory lane are haunting to read, disturbing because she holds Ralph in a special place in her heart even now. “Although her memories of being with Ralph as a girl were tender, she knew they could not be talked about openly. It had always been a secret, but not a dirty one.” This is how victims are made. What Daphne romanized Jane sees as poison, just how far-reaching was Ralph’s desires?
What about time, surely if enough time has passed you can’t accuse someone, destroy the life of a gifted, talented beloved man? What if that man is tied, still, to your family? The times… those seventies were all about dissolving boundaries, free love… At least, that’s what Ralph feels. How strange, being in the mind of an abuser and how they justify it to themselves or the victim who sees their situation as different, special. This is perfect for a book club, so many directions to go, so much to debate. All the enablers…
Yes, read it!
Publication Date: August 21, 2018
Harper
August 28, 2018
I could not put this book down. Does that mean I liked it? I was horrified, disgusted, and frightened as I read Putney. Does that mean I didn't like it?
This was a tough one for me. Do I think this is a good book? Yes, the writing is extraordinary. The story is told from three different perspectives and each character's voice is so clearly define. But, the subject matter is difficult. I'm not spoiling anything when I saw this is about a nearly 30 year old man (Ralph) who has a sexual relationship with 9 year old girl (no, that is not a typo), Daphne, the daughter of a good friend. Decades later, Ralph, Daphne, and Daphne's friend Jane, who witnessed the abuse, must come to terms with what went on and what should be done.
I found Ralph repulsive and his explanations of his behavior (which we later find out goes far beyond his abuse of Daphne) repugnant. There were times that I could not believe what I was reading. This is the first time I've read a book and want to go back and take notes, just to document everything that made me angry. The scenes that depicted their physical relationship made me sick to my stomach. But, in the end I think because the book evoked such strong reactions from me, it did what it was supposed to do. Inspire thoughtful conversation.
This was a tough one for me. Do I think this is a good book? Yes, the writing is extraordinary. The story is told from three different perspectives and each character's voice is so clearly define. But, the subject matter is difficult. I'm not spoiling anything when I saw this is about a nearly 30 year old man (Ralph) who has a sexual relationship with 9 year old girl (no, that is not a typo), Daphne, the daughter of a good friend. Decades later, Ralph, Daphne, and Daphne's friend Jane, who witnessed the abuse, must come to terms with what went on and what should be done.
I found Ralph repulsive and his explanations of his behavior (which we later find out goes far beyond his abuse of Daphne) repugnant. There were times that I could not believe what I was reading. This is the first time I've read a book and want to go back and take notes, just to document everything that made me angry. The scenes that depicted their physical relationship made me sick to my stomach. But, in the end I think because the book evoked such strong reactions from me, it did what it was supposed to do. Inspire thoughtful conversation.
September 29, 2020
“Perhaps this is what makes a monster, he thought. Someone who has no idea the damage they are wreaking.”
A beautifully written and thought-provoking book, “Putney” addresses a subject that is all too common these days: historical sexual abuse. The brain is a tricky thing, and it has a way of warping some events, and it is only almost forty years later that Daphne Greenslay realizes that what she had always thought of as her first love with composer Ralph Boyd was actually grooming and statutory rape.
I have to say that from a technical point of view, this book is rather flawless: the points of view of Daphne, Ralph and Daphne’s old friend Jane are weaved together in a non-linear fashion that let the events of both past and present unfold for, and even surprise, the reader. It is very hard to put down, as all three perspectives are captured vividly: Daphne’s denial and slow realization, Ralph’s unraveling, Jane’s discomfort and outrage. I wasn’t sure where Zinovieff was going with a few elements and it kept nagging at me, but the way she tied them up in the end, while not entirely neat, is cruelly realistic, and I appreciate that she made those choices to wrap up this story.
I was very struck by the Greenslay family dynamic: I’ve always thought that helicopter or bulldozer parenting is egregious, but the flip-side of that coin is that excessively liberal parenting can cause it’s own set of serious problems. It was hard for me not to feel like Ellie and Ed had some responsibility in what happened to their daughter, using their liberated lifestyle as a very good excuse not to pay attention. Kids do need to learn from experience, but some things they should always be protected from: sexual abuse is not exactly on the same level as falling off a bike.
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars for this one, because one the one hand, the writing is great, the tone is on point for the story, and the subtle changes in the characters make this a fascinating read: not only do you want to know what the characters will do next, but when they do, you understand exactly why they did. But the fact is that I detested all three narrators. I can’t, for the life of me, understand what could have been so interesting about Ralph at any point in his life that Daphne would have latched onto him the way she did. Jane’s obvious jealousy and hypocrisy reminded me of the worse parts of teenage friendships. I also didn’t think there was much about Daphne that justified a life-long obsession. So 3 and a half, rounded down because I probably won’t re-read this one, but don’t let that rating deter you from checking it out.
A beautifully written and thought-provoking book, “Putney” addresses a subject that is all too common these days: historical sexual abuse. The brain is a tricky thing, and it has a way of warping some events, and it is only almost forty years later that Daphne Greenslay realizes that what she had always thought of as her first love with composer Ralph Boyd was actually grooming and statutory rape.
I have to say that from a technical point of view, this book is rather flawless: the points of view of Daphne, Ralph and Daphne’s old friend Jane are weaved together in a non-linear fashion that let the events of both past and present unfold for, and even surprise, the reader. It is very hard to put down, as all three perspectives are captured vividly: Daphne’s denial and slow realization, Ralph’s unraveling, Jane’s discomfort and outrage. I wasn’t sure where Zinovieff was going with a few elements and it kept nagging at me, but the way she tied them up in the end, while not entirely neat, is cruelly realistic, and I appreciate that she made those choices to wrap up this story.
I was very struck by the Greenslay family dynamic: I’ve always thought that helicopter or bulldozer parenting is egregious, but the flip-side of that coin is that excessively liberal parenting can cause it’s own set of serious problems. It was hard for me not to feel like Ellie and Ed had some responsibility in what happened to their daughter, using their liberated lifestyle as a very good excuse not to pay attention. Kids do need to learn from experience, but some things they should always be protected from: sexual abuse is not exactly on the same level as falling off a bike.
I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars for this one, because one the one hand, the writing is great, the tone is on point for the story, and the subtle changes in the characters make this a fascinating read: not only do you want to know what the characters will do next, but when they do, you understand exactly why they did. But the fact is that I detested all three narrators. I can’t, for the life of me, understand what could have been so interesting about Ralph at any point in his life that Daphne would have latched onto him the way she did. Jane’s obvious jealousy and hypocrisy reminded me of the worse parts of teenage friendships. I also didn’t think there was much about Daphne that justified a life-long obsession. So 3 and a half, rounded down because I probably won’t re-read this one, but don’t let that rating deter you from checking it out.
Read
July 28, 2019Книгата е страхотна- добре структурирана, добре написана, прекрасен стил, майсторски изпипани герои, автентична атмосфера, но...не мога да се абстрахирам от темата( с педофилски привкус) , която меко казано ме отблъсква. Прочетох романът главно заради отзивите, въпреки че знаех, че сюжетът няма да ми е по вкуса. И да, книгата наистина си заслужава като литературно произведение, но мен лично много ме натоварва.
Емоциите на първите сексуални трепети и първото физическо изживяване са представени цветущо, само Дафне да беше малко по- голяма, за да не изглежда толкова пошло и педофилско.Добре че после сюжетната линия тръгва в друга посока, в която порасналата Дафне всъщност осъзнава какво точно се е случило и започва да преосмисля всичко по нов начин, от гледна точка на нейната зряла и опитна перспектива. Тя вече не е малката Дафне, която може да бъде подлъгана като Хензел и Гретел, а опитна личност, която може да се изправи срещу своите травми от миналото, да ги анализира и да се опита да се справи емоционално с тях.
" Пътни" е доста провокативен роман и ако някой успее да превъзмогне предразсъдъците си, ще му се наслади изцяло.
Ако оставим настрана сексуалните сцени с малолетната Дафне, книгата е топ.
Емоциите на първите сексуални трепети и първото физическо изживяване са представени цветущо, само Дафне да беше малко по- голяма, за да не изглежда толкова пошло и педофилско.Добре че после сюжетната линия тръгва в друга посока, в която порасналата Дафне всъщност осъзнава какво точно се е случило и започва да преосмисля всичко по нов начин, от гледна точка на нейната зряла и опитна перспектива. Тя вече не е малката Дафне, която може да бъде подлъгана като Хензел и Гретел, а опитна личност, която може да се изправи срещу своите травми от миналото, да ги анализира и да се опита да се справи емоционално с тях.
" Пътни" е доста провокативен роман и ако някой успее да превъзмогне предразсъдъците си, ще му се наслади изцяло.
Ако оставим настрана сексуалните сцени с малолетната Дафне, книгата е топ.
December 27, 2020
Страхотна книга. Софка Зиновиеф разказва една история за педофилия, сексуално насилие и отблъскваща родителска небрежност, прикрити като "свобода" и "разкрепостеност", видяна през трите най-чувствителни гледни точки – на насилника, на жертвата и на свидетеля. Героите са изградени изключително пълнокръвно, така че да разбереш съвършено (къде със съчувствие, къде с отвращение) нагласата на всеки един от замесените. Лично за мен един от най-интересните аспекти беше причинно-следствената връзка, която Зиновиеф прокарва между сексуалната революция на 70-те и зараждането на движения като Me Too в наши дни.
Както може и да се очаква, в "Пътни" има някои безкрайно неудобни, гнусни моменти, но те не са самоцелни. Бих насърчила всеки, които има скрупули да посегне към нея заради това, да ги преосмисли. Темата е достатъчно важна, а и романът е написан толкова увлекателно, че се изчита на един дъх и определено си заслужава.
Както може и да се очаква, в "Пътни" има някои безкрайно неудобни, гнусни моменти, но те не са самоцелни. Бих насърчила всеки, които има скрупули да посегне към нея заради това, да ги преосмисли. Темата е достатъчно важна, а и романът е написан толкова увлекателно, че се изчита на един дъх и определено си заслужава.
June 29, 2020
Изключителна и разтърсваща - това е тази книга за мен в две думи. Много се радвам, че все пак я прочетох, въпреки огромните си резерви и колебания. Софка Зиновиев е страхотен разказвач, а образите на Ралф, Дафне и Джейн са просто топ!
Ако се колебаете дали да я прочетете, просто го направете - заслужава си! Въпреки тежката тема за насилието над деца, книгата се чете леко.
И въпреки темата не можех да я оставя последните няколко дни.
Ако се колебаете дали да я прочетете, просто го направете - заслужава си! Въпреки тежката тема за насилието над деца, книгата се чете леко.
И въпреки темата не можех да я оставя последните няколко дни.
October 30, 2018
Crucial scenes in Putney are set not in London, but in Greece, especially the sexual consummation of the ill-starred relationship between the thirty-something Ralph Boyd and the thirteen-year-old Daphne Greenslay and their final encounter aboard a ferry boat whose name appropriately translates as Holy Nectar. This story is very much a Greek tragedy. Ralph re-enacts the pattern Aeschylus described: hubris attracts Nemesis, and though vengeance is slow – taking thirty-seven years – her aim is sure. We even have a Fury in the person of Daphne’s girlhood BF, who urges her to prosecute Ralph for this ancient crime. Daphne herself, now a recovering drug addict working as a travel agent specialising in Greek holidays, had seemed unaware of any psychologically damaging after effects of this crime till she noticed how her own thirteen-year-old daughter was developing her sexuality.
Britain is practically unique amongst civilized nations in having no statute of limitations for sex crimes. In most American states it varies between ten and twenty-one years (though not in Maryland, as many of us have become very aware recently). Even so, with a long history of drug abuse, Daphne would not be the most convincing witness against Ralph, now a distinguished composer, though diagnosed with cancer.
Daphne’s parents, Edmund and Ellie (for Eleftheria – why can’t modern Greeks pronounce an upsilon?), a writer and an activist lawyer, certainly put the SOUCE in insouciance; neither of them seemed to pay any attention to what must have been obviously a most unhealthy interest in their daughter on Ralph’s part. Which raises a problematic issue with this story. While the relationship between Ralph and Daphne is criminal and totally sick, for the story to generate pathos it also has to have a kind of terrible beauty. I had feared Putney might read like Lolita, but for me it didn’t. Ralph isn’t a usual paedophile – unlike Humbert Humbert he is not fixated on nymphettes. All of his other sexual relationships seem to be either with adult women or teenaged boys. I find him a full-blown victim of Aphrodite at her most careless. There may be undertones of the story of Daphne and Apollo as well, as Ralph is a musician and his first encounter with Daphne occurs in a treehouse. It’s not Daphne’s age that attracts Ralph, it’s her soul. Though he is totally selfish – especially in his treatment of his wife Nina – and utterly sleazy, he seemed to me perfectly to exemplify the contemporary expression ‘eyes wide shut’. Because the liaison began in the mid ’70s, when the antinomianism of the later ’60s was still prevalent, it is easy to accept a bohemian like Ralph imagining he could get away with anything. Not even imagining; starkly insensible that there was anything wrong even though he has to go to a lot of trouble to disguise the relationship.
There is a school of criticism that holds Sophocles’ Oedipus actually knew his mother’s identity even before the events of the play. I do not believe that. But I am very taken with the parallels between the story of Oedipus and Putney, especially the denouement in Greece, that in several respects (including a visit to Thebes) is reminiscent of Oedipus at Colonus. In both cases we have an old man pursued by guilt for an unnatural relationship. Different readers will surely have quite varying responses to the fate of Ralph. Some will feel he gets off too lightly; others that the ending is appropriate and we can close the book with the sense that justice was done and perhaps the name of the boat wasn’t entirely ironic.
Because I love classical tragedy and the early potions of the book took place in London at the time in my life I felt most at home there (including the famous hot summer of ’76, the setting of so many marvelouslly moving stories including My Summer of Love and The Ladybird), I was reluctant to put this book down. If you’re not too repulsed by theme, you should find this a gripping read that will leave you with lots to consider.
Britain is practically unique amongst civilized nations in having no statute of limitations for sex crimes. In most American states it varies between ten and twenty-one years (though not in Maryland, as many of us have become very aware recently). Even so, with a long history of drug abuse, Daphne would not be the most convincing witness against Ralph, now a distinguished composer, though diagnosed with cancer.
Daphne’s parents, Edmund and Ellie (for Eleftheria – why can’t modern Greeks pronounce an upsilon?), a writer and an activist lawyer, certainly put the SOUCE in insouciance; neither of them seemed to pay any attention to what must have been obviously a most unhealthy interest in their daughter on Ralph’s part. Which raises a problematic issue with this story. While the relationship between Ralph and Daphne is criminal and totally sick, for the story to generate pathos it also has to have a kind of terrible beauty. I had feared Putney might read like Lolita, but for me it didn’t. Ralph isn’t a usual paedophile – unlike Humbert Humbert he is not fixated on nymphettes. All of his other sexual relationships seem to be either with adult women or teenaged boys. I find him a full-blown victim of Aphrodite at her most careless. There may be undertones of the story of Daphne and Apollo as well, as Ralph is a musician and his first encounter with Daphne occurs in a treehouse. It’s not Daphne’s age that attracts Ralph, it’s her soul. Though he is totally selfish – especially in his treatment of his wife Nina – and utterly sleazy, he seemed to me perfectly to exemplify the contemporary expression ‘eyes wide shut’. Because the liaison began in the mid ’70s, when the antinomianism of the later ’60s was still prevalent, it is easy to accept a bohemian like Ralph imagining he could get away with anything. Not even imagining; starkly insensible that there was anything wrong even though he has to go to a lot of trouble to disguise the relationship.
There is a school of criticism that holds Sophocles’ Oedipus actually knew his mother’s identity even before the events of the play. I do not believe that. But I am very taken with the parallels between the story of Oedipus and Putney, especially the denouement in Greece, that in several respects (including a visit to Thebes) is reminiscent of Oedipus at Colonus. In both cases we have an old man pursued by guilt for an unnatural relationship. Different readers will surely have quite varying responses to the fate of Ralph. Some will feel he gets off too lightly; others that the ending is appropriate and we can close the book with the sense that justice was done and perhaps the name of the boat wasn’t entirely ironic.
Because I love classical tragedy and the early potions of the book took place in London at the time in my life I felt most at home there (including the famous hot summer of ’76, the setting of so many marvelouslly moving stories including My Summer of Love and The Ladybird), I was reluctant to put this book down. If you’re not too repulsed by theme, you should find this a gripping read that will leave you with lots to consider.
September 28, 2020
Има книги, които четем за развлечение. Има такива, които четем, за да се потопим в различен свят и във въображението си да сме някъде другаде. Има толкова много четива, които ни отвеждат къде ли не, но има и такива, които ни свалят на земята с разглежданата в тях тема.
Книгата на Зиновиеф ме разтревожи. Четях страница след страница и усещах как всичките ми разбирания и убеждения се разбиват малко по-малко на пух и прах. Не ме разбирайте погрешно – да имаш усет, за да напишеш толкова реалистична история, която ще хвърли читателя в буря от въпроси без отговори, е повече от майсторство.
В романа всяка глава е разказана от гледната точка на един от главните герои, като действието непрекъснато прескача между минало и настояще, показвайки последиците върху всеки един от тримата. Чела съм доста книги, които са изградени по подобен начин, като, честно казано, повечето са неумело написани и карат читателя да се връща назад объркан, за да проверява дати и години. В „Пътни“ обаче този подход е особено сполучлив.
Моралните дилеми, с които ще се сблъскате, са толкова комплексни, че непрекъснато ще си задавате въпроси, чиито отговори ще останат незадоволителни. Разглежданите отношения, върху които се е фокусирала Зиновиеф, са от всякакъв характер –между родител и дете, които влияят върху развитието и бъдещето му; между приятели; между мъж и жена. Всички те са разгърнати като карта, която остава да разчетете, и да си дадете сметка, че нищо не е черно и бяло.
„Пътни“ от Софка Зиновиеф не е книга, която цели сочене с пръст, но ще ви даде три различни гледни точки в една смущаваща история – тези на насилник, жертва и свидетел. Четиво, което в никакъв случай не е леко, но ще провокира у вас размисли. Има ли място за разбиране, осъзнаване на грешки и прошка? И най-важното: как бихте постъпили вие, ако бяхте на мястото на някой от героите?
Цялото ревю може да прочетете тук.
Книгата на Зиновиеф ме разтревожи. Четях страница след страница и усещах как всичките ми разбирания и убеждения се разбиват малко по-малко на пух и прах. Не ме разбирайте погрешно – да имаш усет, за да напишеш толкова реалистична история, която ще хвърли читателя в буря от въпроси без отговори, е повече от майсторство.
В романа всяка глава е разказана от гледната точка на един от главните герои, като действието непрекъснато прескача между минало и настояще, показвайки последиците върху всеки един от тримата. Чела съм доста книги, които са изградени по подобен начин, като, честно казано, повечето са неумело написани и карат читателя да се връща назад объркан, за да проверява дати и години. В „Пътни“ обаче този подход е особено сполучлив.
Моралните дилеми, с които ще се сблъскате, са толкова комплексни, че непрекъснато ще си задавате въпроси, чиито отговори ще останат незадоволителни. Разглежданите отношения, върху които се е фокусирала Зиновиеф, са от всякакъв характер –между родител и дете, които влияят върху развитието и бъдещето му; между приятели; между мъж и жена. Всички те са разгърнати като карта, която остава да разчетете, и да си дадете сметка, че нищо не е черно и бяло.
„Пътни“ от Софка Зиновиеф не е книга, която цели сочене с пръст, но ще ви даде три различни гледни точки в една смущаваща история – тези на насилник, жертва и свидетел. Четиво, което в никакъв случай не е леко, но ще провокира у вас размисли. Има ли място за разбиране, осъзнаване на грешки и прошка? И най-важното: как бихте постъпили вие, ако бяхте на мястото на някой от героите?
Цялото ревю може да прочетете тук.
August 13, 2022
Не за всички книги мога да изкажа чувствата си. Тази е от онези, за които не мога да говоря много. Заобичах тази книга, заради стила, атмосферата, красотата и проблематиката на сюжета. Втората половина на книгата беше много по-слаба от първата, защото сериозно се дистанцирах от разсъжденията и решенията, които вземаше Дафне. Последните стотина страници обаче успяха да ми припомнят какво усещах в началото на тази история и защо трябваше да я прочета. Изключително дързък роман с помитащо въздействаща атмосфера. Само това мога да кажа.
Малко хора биха посегнали към тази книга, защото все още е пълно с прекалено много моралисти, но смелите читатели, които го направят, ще пътуват по бурните течения на сюжета и ще си припомнят как добрата литература може да превръща ниското във високо и първичното в нещо свещено.
Малко хора биха посегнали към тази книга, защото все още е пълно с прекалено много моралисти, но смелите читатели, които го направят, ще пътуват по бурните течения на сюжета и ще си припомнят как добрата литература може да превръща ниското във високо и първичното в нещо свещено.
August 12, 2019
I am very disturbed.
This is a tricky topic - the one dealing with child sexual abuse. Sofka Zinovieff has done a marvellously brave job delving into the murky waters of seduction and lust, and that put into the context of a 13 year-old girl's experiences, seems so unnerving. A child could be a victim of sexual abuse and not realise it, being groomed into thinking that it is a game, an exciting love affair, when in fact it is rape. Lack of awareness, however, does not prevent grim consequences in the future such as self-distruction and feelings of loss and emptiness. All this set in 70s bohemian Putney with occassional Mediterranean wiffs entwined to create an impossible ambiance of desire, guilt, repenance and forgiveness. Brilliant book.
This is a tricky topic - the one dealing with child sexual abuse. Sofka Zinovieff has done a marvellously brave job delving into the murky waters of seduction and lust, and that put into the context of a 13 year-old girl's experiences, seems so unnerving. A child could be a victim of sexual abuse and not realise it, being groomed into thinking that it is a game, an exciting love affair, when in fact it is rape. Lack of awareness, however, does not prevent grim consequences in the future such as self-distruction and feelings of loss and emptiness. All this set in 70s bohemian Putney with occassional Mediterranean wiffs entwined to create an impossible ambiance of desire, guilt, repenance and forgiveness. Brilliant book.
April 12, 2020
Важна, значима книга.
Книга за тема табу - темата за детското насилие и склоняване.
Това е тема, която ни кара да се чувстваме некомфортно.
Точно този некомфортизъм в обсъждането и избягването на темата го прави толкова налагащ четенето на романа на Софка Зиновиеф.
В книгата откриваме три гледни точки-на жертвата, на хищника и на свидетеля на ставащато. Всеки глас изпълнен със своето виждане за случващото се.
Невероятно представяне, сурово и истинско.
Книга за тема табу - темата за детското насилие и склоняване.
Това е тема, която ни кара да се чувстваме некомфортно.
Точно този некомфортизъм в обсъждането и избягването на темата го прави толкова налагащ четенето на романа на Софка Зиновиеф.
В книгата откриваме три гледни точки-на жертвата, на хищника и на свидетеля на ставащато. Всеки глас изпълнен със своето виждане за случващото се.
Невероятно представяне, сурово и истинско.
August 22, 2018
"You remember how Hansel and Gretel ends?" Her voice was calm and sly.
"Uh, yes. They kill the witch and escape back home?"
"Exactly. It's Gretel, the little girl, who outwits the witch and shoves here into the oven, saves her fattened-up brother from the cage, and finds a way out of the dark forest. It's never too late to kill the witch, Daphne. Think about it. There's a natural balance in getting justice, even if it's much later. The witch should't get away with it. I know you think your case is unique, but you can bet there were other children tempted by the candies...."
I felt every single emotion under the sun as I read Sofka Zinovieff's brilliant book, Putney and it easily secures a spot on my list of top reads of 2018. Please mind your triggers on this one so before you read any further, if grooming and sexual assault are triggers for you in any way, then I would proceed with great caution with this review and this book. Never before have I experienced a novel that so powerfully addressed the manipulation of adults over children, or that provided such an eye opening look at the many forms that complicity can take. Told in alternating view points from the perspectives of the perpetrator, the victim, and the witness, Zinovieff delves deeply in to the issues of consent and grooming, and provided a reading experience for me like no other.
I was totally repulsed when reading Ralph's chapters and I am grateful to the author for keeping the sexual portions of the book brief and not gratuitous in any way. The first time Ralph sees Daphne he is 27 and she is 9. He immediately begins grooming her for what will turn out to be an almost decade long affair. When Daphne turns 13, their physical relationship begins and to my shock and horror, the adults in Daphne's life are not at all concerned that this older man has taken such an unusual interest in their child. It isn't until years later, when her friend Jane pushes Daphne about the things that Jane saw occur between she and Ralph that Daphne slowly comes to the realization that what happened to her was not love and it was not ok.
"The girls were all done up... and then I saw the peculiar disconnect that happens when young girls play with sexiness. I do realize it's normal - what they all do- what we all did. But it's like a game, like practicing before the real thing. And I thought about me at eleven or twelve and about Ralph. And sleeping with him when I was only thirteen. And it was like being punched in the stomach. I mean Libby's going to be thirteen soon.... It was such a strange sort of shock - the sort you've known about all along but haven't understood. I thought that if an older man did to Libby what Ralph did to me, I'd"....Daphne stopped and then said very simply, "I'd kill him." Daphne wrestles with the justifications she has told herself for so long and the roller coaster of emotions she experiences over what happened to her left me holding my breath... waiting for Daphne to grasp the severity of the situation and do something. ACT. SPEAK OUT. I found myself silently urging her along as she worked through their relationship and begin to see it for what it truly was.
Zinovieff's ability to convey how terrifying it is for Daphne to come forward after all this time - to speak what she has endured out loud, to call it by it's name and stand before her parents, her community and her perpetrator and say " I was abused. You did this to me, and you and you and you knew about it and no one did anything to help me or to stop it" is an incredibly powerful thing to read. It is a monumental moment in the book and the entire time I was reading I kept thinking about all of the women who have been touched by the Me Too movement, who have bravely stepped forward and spoken out about the horrible things that have been done to them at the hands of adults that they trusted. I could not turn the pages fast enough, so powerful was Daphne's story.
This book will not be for everyone and that is certainly understandable. I feel like it is an important catalyst for hard and necessary conversations and that it will be something that readers return to time and again for a myriad of reasons. I have never read anything like this, and I can assure you, you haven't either. Thank you Sofka for telling this story, for taking me on such an explosive and visceral journey and for writing a book that will no doubt inspire others to come forward and know that they do not need to be ashamed. I am humbled to be included on the blog tour for this significant and provocative work. Thank you so much to Harper Books and to Jen for allowing me to take part.
"Uh, yes. They kill the witch and escape back home?"
"Exactly. It's Gretel, the little girl, who outwits the witch and shoves here into the oven, saves her fattened-up brother from the cage, and finds a way out of the dark forest. It's never too late to kill the witch, Daphne. Think about it. There's a natural balance in getting justice, even if it's much later. The witch should't get away with it. I know you think your case is unique, but you can bet there were other children tempted by the candies...."
I felt every single emotion under the sun as I read Sofka Zinovieff's brilliant book, Putney and it easily secures a spot on my list of top reads of 2018. Please mind your triggers on this one so before you read any further, if grooming and sexual assault are triggers for you in any way, then I would proceed with great caution with this review and this book. Never before have I experienced a novel that so powerfully addressed the manipulation of adults over children, or that provided such an eye opening look at the many forms that complicity can take. Told in alternating view points from the perspectives of the perpetrator, the victim, and the witness, Zinovieff delves deeply in to the issues of consent and grooming, and provided a reading experience for me like no other.
I was totally repulsed when reading Ralph's chapters and I am grateful to the author for keeping the sexual portions of the book brief and not gratuitous in any way. The first time Ralph sees Daphne he is 27 and she is 9. He immediately begins grooming her for what will turn out to be an almost decade long affair. When Daphne turns 13, their physical relationship begins and to my shock and horror, the adults in Daphne's life are not at all concerned that this older man has taken such an unusual interest in their child. It isn't until years later, when her friend Jane pushes Daphne about the things that Jane saw occur between she and Ralph that Daphne slowly comes to the realization that what happened to her was not love and it was not ok.
"The girls were all done up... and then I saw the peculiar disconnect that happens when young girls play with sexiness. I do realize it's normal - what they all do- what we all did. But it's like a game, like practicing before the real thing. And I thought about me at eleven or twelve and about Ralph. And sleeping with him when I was only thirteen. And it was like being punched in the stomach. I mean Libby's going to be thirteen soon.... It was such a strange sort of shock - the sort you've known about all along but haven't understood. I thought that if an older man did to Libby what Ralph did to me, I'd"....Daphne stopped and then said very simply, "I'd kill him." Daphne wrestles with the justifications she has told herself for so long and the roller coaster of emotions she experiences over what happened to her left me holding my breath... waiting for Daphne to grasp the severity of the situation and do something. ACT. SPEAK OUT. I found myself silently urging her along as she worked through their relationship and begin to see it for what it truly was.
Zinovieff's ability to convey how terrifying it is for Daphne to come forward after all this time - to speak what she has endured out loud, to call it by it's name and stand before her parents, her community and her perpetrator and say " I was abused. You did this to me, and you and you and you knew about it and no one did anything to help me or to stop it" is an incredibly powerful thing to read. It is a monumental moment in the book and the entire time I was reading I kept thinking about all of the women who have been touched by the Me Too movement, who have bravely stepped forward and spoken out about the horrible things that have been done to them at the hands of adults that they trusted. I could not turn the pages fast enough, so powerful was Daphne's story.
This book will not be for everyone and that is certainly understandable. I feel like it is an important catalyst for hard and necessary conversations and that it will be something that readers return to time and again for a myriad of reasons. I have never read anything like this, and I can assure you, you haven't either. Thank you Sofka for telling this story, for taking me on such an explosive and visceral journey and for writing a book that will no doubt inspire others to come forward and know that they do not need to be ashamed. I am humbled to be included on the blog tour for this significant and provocative work. Thank you so much to Harper Books and to Jen for allowing me to take part.
June 15, 2018
3.5 stars
There’s no doubt about the importance of the story being told here about sexual grooming, underage sex, power hierarchies and the role of legal processes in historical sexual abuse cases – but I do wish this book had been a bit more incisive in its treatment of them.
In some cases it’s nicely subtle such as Daphne’s long-held refusal to face up to events which shaped not just her childhood but her future life:
But to get to the heart of the story I felt I had to wade through a lot of extraneous family soap-opera not just related to Daphne and Ralph, who both have complicated family relationships filled with issues, but also Jane, Daphne’s friend who gets tangled into the main story in a not wholly believable fashion.
It’s interesting that Ralph is made a sometimes sympathetic character even while we recognise his selfishness, his self-absorption, his falsified way of making sense of his under-age sexual encounters to himself. He’s not malign but emotionally careless – which is no defence whatsoever.
So this is a thoughtful book about a sensitive topic – it just gets bogged down repeatedly in non-essentials so that less, in this case, would have been more: 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley
There’s no doubt about the importance of the story being told here about sexual grooming, underage sex, power hierarchies and the role of legal processes in historical sexual abuse cases – but I do wish this book had been a bit more incisive in its treatment of them.
In some cases it’s nicely subtle such as Daphne’s long-held refusal to face up to events which shaped not just her childhood but her future life:
’There are laws and what he did is illegal. You were a child.’
‘But he didn’t force me to do anything. Ever. I did love him.’
But to get to the heart of the story I felt I had to wade through a lot of extraneous family soap-opera not just related to Daphne and Ralph, who both have complicated family relationships filled with issues, but also Jane, Daphne’s friend who gets tangled into the main story in a not wholly believable fashion.
It’s interesting that Ralph is made a sometimes sympathetic character even while we recognise his selfishness, his self-absorption, his falsified way of making sense of his under-age sexual encounters to himself. He’s not malign but emotionally careless – which is no defence whatsoever.
So this is a thoughtful book about a sensitive topic – it just gets bogged down repeatedly in non-essentials so that less, in this case, would have been more: 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley
July 4, 2022
"Пътни" Софка Зиновиеф е безкрайно противоречива книга, която не просто разказва неудобна история, но и се опитва максимално правдоподобно да опише героите на тази история, всеки със своите тъмни страни и желания, с грешките си.
Резюмето ги задава като насилник, жертва и свидетел, но те и тримата са жертви по някакъв начин, а и никой от тях не вписва класически в отредената му роля.
Дафне е само на девет, когато среща успешният композитор и приятел на родителите си, Ралф, а той е на двадесет и седем. В началото от една страна сякаш търсим някаква необичайна "любов" между тях, но все по-ясно изглежда, че има нещо нередно и неестествено във взаимоотношенията им. Ралф е обсебен от Дафне, има нещо угнетително и първично в неговата страст, с времето перспективата към всеки от героите се променя, в началото сякаш тя е единствена, а той е очарователен и талантлив бохем, но в някакъв момент започнах да мисля, че неговата обсебеност дори не е към нея конкретно, а към това, което олицетворява - младост, свобода, невинност. Може би към тези неща, които той някак отдавна е изгубил (има такива загатвания). Докато при Дафне промяната идва като тежест, тя е покварена от Ралф, от тайните, от криенето, от липсата на емоционални връзки, които да я насочат в трудните моменти. Въпреки безспорната любов на родителите ѝ, Ед и Ели са продукт на своето време, без правила, без ограничения, те се лутат в някакви свои търсения и оставят крехката Дафне да се бори сама с тежестите и изкушенията. Ралф също не може да е тази липсваща опора, той взима повече от нея, по същия начин, по който взима и от другите, но Дафне не е способна да оцени ситуациите и бива затиснатата от случващото се.
Джейн е приятелката и съучастницата, но и тя има своите тъмни страни, ревност и завист.
Години по-късно всеки от тримата ще се връща назад, за да осмисли събитията, между техните три гледни точки фактите не се променят, но емоциите се усещат много различно. Някой беше писал, че връзката на Ралф и Дафне остава мръсна и лепкава, без да има възможността да израсне до любов и тя наистина е такава, като не знам дали е възможно да бъде различна. Ралф може и да не си дава сметка колко нередни са отношенията им, но той съзнателно използва един и същи манипулации към различни хора и разчита на всички средства, за да постигне целите си.
В тази история няма физическо насилие, но емоционалните следи остават дълбоки и водят до силен гняв и желание за отмъщение, за възмездие.
Убягва ми идеята как точно в един момент виждаш миналото по един начин и изведнъж стигаш до осъзнаването, че то не е точно такова, чисто психологически това е единственото, което ми е някак недостоверно.
Всички останали фази в емоциите и травмите на героите за мен са майсторски представени.
Изключително много ми допадна начинът, по който Дафне израства и преработва събитията от миналото си, има нещо много жизнеутвърждаващо в това.
Резюмето ги задава като насилник, жертва и свидетел, но те и тримата са жертви по някакъв начин, а и никой от тях не вписва класически в отредената му роля.
Дафне е само на девет, когато среща успешният композитор и приятел на родителите си, Ралф, а той е на двадесет и седем. В началото от една страна сякаш търсим някаква необичайна "любов" между тях, но все по-ясно изглежда, че има нещо нередно и неестествено във взаимоотношенията им. Ралф е обсебен от Дафне, има нещо угнетително и първично в неговата страст, с времето перспективата към всеки от героите се променя, в началото сякаш тя е единствена, а той е очарователен и талантлив бохем, но в някакъв момент започнах да мисля, че неговата обсебеност дори не е към нея конкретно, а към това, което олицетворява - младост, свобода, невинност. Може би към тези неща, които той някак отдавна е изгубил (има такива загатвания). Докато при Дафне промяната идва като тежест, тя е покварена от Ралф, от тайните, от криенето, от липсата на емоционални връзки, които да я насочат в трудните моменти. Въпреки безспорната любов на родителите ѝ, Ед и Ели са продукт на своето време, без правила, без ограничения, те се лутат в някакви свои търсения и оставят крехката Дафне да се бори сама с тежестите и изкушенията. Ралф също не може да е тази липсваща опора, той взима повече от нея, по същия начин, по който взима и от другите, но Дафне не е способна да оцени ситуациите и бива затиснатата от случващото се.
Джейн е приятелката и съучастницата, но и тя има своите тъмни страни, ревност и завист.
Години по-късно всеки от тримата ще се връща назад, за да осмисли събитията, между техните три гледни точки фактите не се променят, но емоциите се усещат много различно. Някой беше писал, че връзката на Ралф и Дафне остава мръсна и лепкава, без да има възможността да израсне до любов и тя наистина е такава, като не знам дали е възможно да бъде различна. Ралф може и да не си дава сметка колко нередни са отношенията им, но той съзнателно използва един и същи манипулации към различни хора и разчита на всички средства, за да постигне целите си.
В тази история няма физическо насилие, но емоционалните следи остават дълбоки и водят до силен гняв и желание за отмъщение, за възмездие.
Убягва ми идеята как точно в един момент виждаш миналото по един начин и изведнъж стигаш до осъзнаването, че то не е точно такова, чисто психологически това е единственото, което ми е някак недостоверно.
Всички останали фази в емоциите и травмите на героите за мен са майсторски представени.
Изключително много ми допадна начинът, по който Дафне израства и преработва събитията от миналото си, има нещо много жизнеутвърждаващо в това.
November 25, 2018
It is impossible to "recommend" this book because of the sheer volume of paragraphs and scenes that made me feel disgusted. Despite that, I am giving it four stars. It has been named "modern-day Lolita" story but I don't agree. In Lolita the language and writing was pure poetry, a sort of lilac scent sprayed over the rotting case of child abuse. Here the writing is plain in your face good but very it is not stylistically significant. The language just gives you the story and boy is it a disturbing one.
It revolves around an illicit relationship between Daphne (12) and Ralph (30 something). It shifts in time - from 1970s when it took place- to modern day. There are alternating chapters that give three different viewpoints to it. Daphne herself, Ralph and Daphne's friend Jane. It is literally a case study how a childhood trauma can affect and ruin an individual's whole life. How Parental neglect can have consequences so severe that it is just heartbreaking. How admitting the truth about one's own trauma can take decades. Some of the scenes in this book, how a clueless innocent child is being lulled into doing things way above her developmental phase and how blind she is to what is happening to her are almost too difficult to read. This book certainly isn't for everyone but it is an excellent example of how child abuse can change the lives of a number of people for decades - the damage never goes away, no matter how many years pass.
It revolves around an illicit relationship between Daphne (12) and Ralph (30 something). It shifts in time - from 1970s when it took place- to modern day. There are alternating chapters that give three different viewpoints to it. Daphne herself, Ralph and Daphne's friend Jane. It is literally a case study how a childhood trauma can affect and ruin an individual's whole life. How Parental neglect can have consequences so severe that it is just heartbreaking. How admitting the truth about one's own trauma can take decades. Some of the scenes in this book, how a clueless innocent child is being lulled into doing things way above her developmental phase and how blind she is to what is happening to her are almost too difficult to read. This book certainly isn't for everyone but it is an excellent example of how child abuse can change the lives of a number of people for decades - the damage never goes away, no matter how many years pass.
August 10, 2018
Review to come. LOVE
July 18, 2022
За мен Пътни е важна книга, защото поставя въпроси и социални теми. Дафне е твърде малка, когато започва сексуалната си връзка с по-възтрастния Ралф и вярва, че той я обича както и тя него. След години тя осъзнава колко токсично се оказва за нея това и повлиява на целия й живот. Всъщност това може да се случи във всяка възраст, с всякакъв тип отношения.
Книгата засяг и срама, който може да предизвика насилието у жертвата, така че тя никога да не потърси помощ.
Книгата поставя въпроса за здварословната и адекватна комуникация: между родител и дете, между приятели, между жертва и общество.
Да, книгата е предизвикателна. И аз обичам именно точно такива сюжети и стил на разказа. Особено тук - когато имаме трите гледни точки - на жертва, насилник и свидетел, всяка от тях напълно реална, всеки психично счупен по своему.
Книгата засяг и срама, който може да предизвика насилието у жертвата, така че тя никога да не потърси помощ.
Книгата поставя въпроса за здварословната и адекватна комуникация: между родител и дете, между приятели, между жертва и общество.
Да, книгата е предизвикателна. И аз обичам именно точно такива сюжети и стил на разказа. Особено тук - когато имаме трите гледни точки - на жертва, насилник и свидетел, всяка от тях напълно реална, всеки психично счупен по своему.
October 28, 2018
Have to clarify- the 5*s are for how well this novel is written. It exposes the dynamics of sexual abuse, and it is moving, thought provoking, and horrifying to watch a slow motion hunt so gradual that the prey didn't even realize it was being pursued, and would eventually lie down to be mauled."
The topic may not be one everyone would choose to read a novel about, but it happens far too often, and forever alters the lives of its victims. I don't understand what is controversial about this novel. The fact that sexual abuse is written about??
Michelle, Jennifer, Kelly(and the Book Boar), and Reading Between Wines wrote wonderful reviews for you to read.
PS Excellent quote was selected by Michelle, and I lifted it directly from her review.
The topic may not be one everyone would choose to read a novel about, but it happens far too often, and forever alters the lives of its victims. I don't understand what is controversial about this novel. The fact that sexual abuse is written about??
Michelle, Jennifer, Kelly(and the Book Boar), and Reading Between Wines wrote wonderful reviews for you to read.
PS Excellent quote was selected by Michelle, and I lifted it directly from her review.
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