In the Seeing Hands of Others

by Nat Ogle

You are about to enter a novel formed of documents and evidence. Here is the blog of a nurse on a dialysis ward attempting to live in the aftermath of bringing a rape trial to court in which the defendant was exonerated. Here are the transcripts of the police interviews with her, and the accused, the emails and texts between them submitted for trial; his journal, his conversations on 4chan, his drama scripts, him, him, him. How will the nurse, Corina, ever get him out of her head?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Adult

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 2022

Reviews

[leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

through the amalgamation of documents presented in this book, the reader is plucked from the passive and placed into the active role of a jury member, trying to work out what happened on the night of 23rd august 2014, when nurse corina slate alleges that her ex-boyfriend cameron struth raped her at a party. although we already know that the defendant has been exonerated, the reader is provided with a wealth of information to sift through, including blog posts, witness statements, police interview transcripts, screenshots of emails and texts, 4chan conversations, and more.

while the book reads like a gritty legal drama that you can’t tear your eyes from, what i found the most striking about in the seeing hands of others was its unflinching exploration of the human experience. by offering up the perspectives of both the victim and the accused, the book makes the reader grapple with some of life’s hardest questions: is truth just one, concrete entity, or can multiple truths co-exist? are there boundaries to empathy, and if so, how do we decide who is deserving of it, and who is not?

although it’s fiction, the book is inextricably grounded in reality. it provides a necessary look at the justice system, offering a reminder of how often systemic misogyny seeps into the outcome of rape trials and continuously fails victims of sexual violence. the mixed-media format adds another dimension to the novel, placing it firmly within the contemporary world, along with all its complexities and contradictions. subtle dark humour is traced throughout; for example when someone leaves an anonymous, victim-blaming comment on corina’s blog, she quips back “is that you, your honour?”.

the subject matter is harrowing, but ogle’s writing makes it a compulsive read. we follow a character trying to accept the harsh reality that even after trauma, life continues. even when it feels like your earth has halted on its axis, it continues to spin for everyone else. but the book doesn’t need to rely on dramatics or shock-value - its poignancy lies in its subtleties.

[read as part of the @serpentstail blog tour]

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seeing the blurb of this book I was very intrigued to read it but unfortunately for me I just didn’t get along with it!

I appreciate the way in which Ogle approached the trial and the aftermath and felt this was done very well and handled with respect.

What I struggled with most was that I felt quite confused during the blog entries from Corina and particularly during any of Cam’s scripts and journals. I did expect more in terms of getting into each of their heads and seeing their true thoughts and feelings, rather than following their current storyline which to me, doesn’t really mention anything to do with the trial. I felt that the trial evidence and the blog itself felt unrelated.

This is likely more a me problem than an issue with the novel itself, but I feel it’s important to get across my opinions during and after reading.

As a debut novel, I feel Ogle has done a terrific job in portraying such a sensitive, important topic.

[AD-PR Product. Thank you to Serpent’s Tail for sending me this proof!]

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book. I love when authors move away from a traditional prose and try to deliver their stories in a unique format.

Here we are told the story of Corina who was raped by someone she knew and the aftermath of the trial.

As you can see, this won't be a novel you will enjoy as such. However it will definitely challenge you, challenge how you think and the way that you see people.

The format of the novel, which is comprised of blog posts, transcripts of police interviews, screenshots of emails only adds to the intrigue of the story and subject matter. I know this won't be to everyone's taste but given the subject matter it added a layer of realism to the story.

A really impressive debut novel which will be a massive hit

Thanks to Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘i’ve been trying to find a way of living, of loving to live, with vulnerability, the likelihood of pain, of cruelty. i haven’t found it, i probably won’t, but i hope that the likelihood of cruelty is the price we have to pay to love.’
in the seeing hands of others is a novel that discusses the very fine line between suffering within literature and suffering within real life. it’s impossible to convey human suffering so completely in a single novel, but this one comes rather close.
it begins with a nurse named corina who has been sexuaIIy assauIted. her job already forces her to expend her energy on other people, as well as her mother’s declining health. the care work therefore spans from her job into her home life. she tells her friends and family about her assauIt, yet she is rarely believed. we, the readers, can see the statements, blogs, emails and diary entries for ourselves. we become the jury; not for the crime, i felt, but a witness for the complexity of corina’s emotions. this is not a book about reaching a solid conclusion, it is not crime fiction or investigative as the blurb would lead you to believe - it is a mirror being held up to humanity, to see if we can truly face the nuance of mental turmoil.
the emotion is tangible; it is suffocating and so upsetting to read, but it is masterfully crafted to show the intricacies of humanity and the emotions that we may feel towards others, no matter what we endure.
beautifully, beautifully written.

[Chakib Miraoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

this lad has written a very interesting novel comprised solely of journals, that were kept by: first, a 31 years old english-japanese nurse, that gets exposed to evil in the form of rape, death of her mother, a difficult brother that whe she fails to help, and second, the journals of her ex boyfriend who rapes her.

the journals describe so many emotions and struggles through difficult situations that are the norm for many poor and common folks, and that precisely drew me in to their intense reality

[Jami Gerhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering this was the authors debut novel, I only had trouble following the writing style a couple times. I also really loved the way the book was written, though and the main character being a nurse and the battles she fought hit hard

[Alvaro Garat · Rating 4 out of 5]

SI

[Ruby Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY CLEVER, loved the format but it sometimes was hard to keep track of the chronological order of events, was actually funny in parts and the relationship between corina and her brother and mother was so real

[Jess Donn · Rating 3 out of 5]

the blog posts DRAGGED

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unconventional - yet nonetheless impressive - debut novel by Nat Ogle. First impressions: the layout is as far from a traditional novel as is imaginable. By including images of witness statements, blog posts, and medical reports as evidentiary material, we might be forgiven for assuming we were about to enjoy a work of non-fiction. This idea is quickly dispelled, however, once the raw, gritty realism, and often violent, and disturbing storyline quickly takes shape.
Be warned: The Seeing Hands of Others is often a very confronting, uncompromising read that doesn’t pull any punches. It’s unlikely to be to everyone’s taste. What will doubtless appeal though, is the combination of ‘authentic’ evidence and the sometimes conflicting storyline, which run in parallel and make for an intriguing read. The plot exposes the vulnerable underbelly of society and offers an insight into the mind of a ruthless madman in a way that leaves one shocked and appalled. However, this is tempered by Ogle’s poetic language that prevails upon us to keep reading.
Searingly original and authentically devised, this might just break the mould for the way adult fiction is penned in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail/Viper/Profile Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 This novel defies the traditional linear structure of storytelling. Instead it is composed of various documentation and evidence that builds the experience of Corina Slate, a nurse on a dialysis ward, trying to get on with life following the aftermath of bringing a rape trial where she witnesses Cameron Struth walk away exonerated.

This structure draws the reader to play an active role in uncovering the truth by having to sift through all the evidence presented by both sides; blog entries, anonymous texts, emails, police interview transcripts and statements. This style of writing is fascinating and really made me question what the truth is while reading conflicting evidence. Are there multiple truths that co-exist? Can someone with a good character reference still commit a horrid act of violence?

With the shades of grey and contextual layers weaved in with the different evidence and perspectives, Ogle draws out all the complex emotions of frustration, fear, trauma that continue to haunt Corina years after the assault with a heavy focussed bias on Cameron. This sharply contrasts with her continuing to play a role in caring for others, like Ali who she’s a nurse for, and her mother who has terminal cancer. There are also elements of dark humour in the dialogue which I particularly enjoyed in observing the complex relationships between Corina, her mother and brother, Hiro.

This is a fascinating, thought provoking and well executed debut. Excited to read more from this talented author who adds an original voice to the literary world.

[Emily Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Seeing Hands of Others presents readers with a series of blog posts, word documents, police reports, internet threads, and health evaluations which piece together to tell the story of Corina, her rape, and her journey onwards after a criminal trial. The format is what made me pick the book up, and it is intriguing, but also confusing at times. I was lost with the actual plot at points, which kept me a bit at arms length from the characters. Still, the story at its heart, and its questions of resilience, forgiveness, and the limits of empathy, was emotional and thought provoking. I also appreciated the authors note at the end, having written a story outside of his own experience, and his thoughtfulness in that endeavour.

[Dani✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

chaotic but poignant. i enjoyed the mix media but was confused at moments. maybe that’s the whole point

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I read his opening words Nat Ogle grabbed hold of me and refused to let go until I had reached the end. He is a very seductive writer despite the darker than dark themes he explores with razor-sharp precision. It is a bold writer indeed who takes on rape, kidney failure, suicide, terminal cancer, legal injustice, homelessness, and a burning hostel all in one novel and even bolder still to do that in a debut.
Nat's debut is innovative, thought-provoking and stunning. I have a strong feeling there is a lot more to come from his pen. I sincerely hope so.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just read In The Seeing Hands of Others in 24 hours, I'm left with a lot of mixed thoughts and feelings, and not a huge amount of confidence in my ability to organise them.

On the surface, I found this book utterly compulsive reading, I couldn't put it down. Saying that, the last 100 pages really started to drag a bit (but I was committed!)

I've given the book 4 stars based on the fact that I ended up utterly absorbed by it, as well as the effortless sense of authenticity in the writing, and the unusual structure for a novel.

It was the fact that the story was presented through blog posts, emails, chatroom screenshots, police interview records etc. that made me order this book in the first place - I was intrigued - and for me, it really worked. That being said, I found the "copies of blog posts" really unbelievable. I enjoyed reading them, they were brilliantly written bodies of prose, but it's ridiculous to suggest that anyone (least of all a nurse in her early 30s) is going to be writing blog posts that read like excerpts from a novel. The "blog posts" read like any novel written in the first person, they don't read like blogs at all. For a start, nobody is including pages and pages of dialogue in their blog posts, they'll just say "we discussed our evening plans whilst eating lunch". Here however we've expected to believe that a character is recording, word for word, a lengthy conversation in a blog post? As such, I would say that the "blog posts" are well written chunks of novel, sporadically punctuated by supporting "documents", such as emails, or 4Chan threads - rather than the entire book being made up of alternative documents.

The other issue that I have with this book, is an ethical one. I don't know entirely how I feel about a man writing in the first person as a female protagonist who is detailing her experience of rape, and her recovery in the aftermath of the assault. It does feel... A bit grubby. Had this been written by a woman I think I'd have gushed about how well the topic was explored - because it WAS explored well. Nat Ogle's female rape victim is absolutely believeable and well written. I love her. I just don't know how I feel about the fact that I love her so much - knowing that she's written by a man. Generally speaking, men writing in the first person as women doesn't make me uncomfortable, but given the nature of Corina's story - it doesn't sit entirely comfortably with me, however well it may be executed. If I didn't *know* the author was male, I'd absolutely have believed this book to have been written by a woman.

This brings me to my second ethical dilemma, and that's white people writing in the first person as people of colour. To be clear, I ABSOLUTELY want representation and diversity in characters. I want people of colour to feature in the fiction I read, regardless of the author's racial identity. However, a white man, writing in the first person as a woman of colour - giving detailed accounts of her experiences of racism and racial fetishisation? Again, icky. It leaves me uncomfortable. Is it believable? Again, yes. This book is clearly VERY well researched, but I think when it comes to what white men "should" be writing about in the first person - experience of gender based violence, and experience of racism, are not on the list for me.

I need to sit for longer with these issues to figure out how I really feel about them.

[mandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wish I could get back the 20 something days I wasted of my life reading this. Its so bad. It makes no sense. I really wanted to like it because I was intrigued by the format (story told through blog posts, emails, police repots, etc.) but it just made no sense. I'm so sad about it.

[Gabby Humphreys · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the description of the book advertised to me, I snapped it up. Yep, sold. Here’s why:

In the seeing hands of others is a mixture of digital communications. To me, this is the future directions for books. It’s hard to do without it feeling like an odd nod to my youth of msn, bbm and even a dabble in Snapchat (which I’m far too old for). But, my interest is always peaked at this label because when it’s done right it works so bloody well.

This book the communication of Corina Slate and Cameron Struth mainly around the 24th August, 2014. This is because Corina filed a rape claim against Cameron which occurred in the early hours of this morning. As evidence, we see texts, emails, 4chan pages, psychological screening forms, interview transcripts, diary and blog posts from the two.

Alongside this main focus on the book, Ogle manages to create the perfect (well, shit, but perfectly executed) life goes on message, with Corina’s mum being taken ill, her job as a nurse on a dialysis ward testing her, her friendships becoming frozen and dad trying to come back into her life. The impact of this event is never screamed out loud. It’s instead slow tension on relationships, snapping from strained family members and toilet cries at work.

It’s messy. It’s morbid. But, at times it’s funny. Nat grew up in the north-east on England, meaning some niche references had me cackling. Queen Ethelberga’s is a posh school with helicopter pads that would post a leaflet through your common as much door. I think every northern family has a joke about it and seeing this in the book? A treat. It’s also such a cool experience to read about these things in this style; feeling a little cluedo like (which there’s more humour around), and much more interactive than other books.

As I said before, SO COOL. So novel and Nat should be chuffed with this debut. He also works as a bookseller so we all love Nat don’t we.

I do think perhaps a little more of something was needed. I don't know what though. A cracking read, but like 7/10.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three stars.
Like many others here, I was intrigued when I picked up this book and read the blurb. It sounded absolutely fascinating. So then I started reading it. The blog part by Corina was really interesting and I did consistently enjoy reading it throughout the book. What I got really bored of very quickly was the long rambling monologues from old mate’s computer (sorry it’s been awhile since I finished this and I forget what his name was). Everything else that was documented in the book made sense and added to the story and narrative (Corina’s blog posts, the interview transcripts, and other bits like text messages etc). But the ramblings of the alleged attacker were boring and long and seemed to take up half the book. I don’t think that the actuality of this book quite made it to how intriguing it sounded in the blurb.

I understand that this book is a debut novel for the author, and I have to congratulate anyone who has gotten to that point. What an amazing effort. This book was still good enough to make me want to pick up whatever new offering that Nat Ogle produces, depending on the topic though I think. If it’s written in the same style as this book was, then that would be interesting too. Though hopefully without half the book being filled with the long rambling bits that basically just seem to show old mate’s descent into very poor mental health. As I said though, this is a solid debut and enough for me to pick up other books by the author as they are released.

[Rhoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

In The Seeing Hands of Others began as part of the author's PHD thesis before being developed into a book. It is the aftermath of the trial, Corina is trying to get on with her life having been raped by someone she knew. She's a nurse, helping other people to keep control of their lives, while she finds it difficult to do the same herself. With a poorly mother who doubts her rape claim, a brother who is always one step from trouble, and an absent father, Corina is trying to hold her family together too. 

Written largely as documents collated as evidence for the trial, we slowly unpick Corina's story and that of those around her. I don't think this is the kind of book you can 'enjoy', but you can certainly admire. It bravely encompasses a huge range of subjects and issues, and I found it quite an emotional read. 

The only criticism I have is that I read this as an early e-galley and found the formatting a little challenging. I think I'd prefer to read a hard copy to get the true feel of the evidentiary documents. That's just a personal preference though, and perhaps the final ebook will have better formatting when it comes to the documentary evidence.

[Duckfacekim09 (Kim Howell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in a bit of a reading slump at the moment where I'm very particular about what I'm reading and if it doesn't hook me straight away then I don't want to read it. I've been intrigued by this one for a while with it's really blatant, attention-grabbing cover and the fact it's told via mixed media (blog posts, a Word Document and Police interview transcripts) and then I started reading and realised one of our main characters was a medical professional and I knew this was the right book for me now!

It definitely took me a good 100 pages to make up my mind as to who was lying and I loved how any new piece of evidence could make me change my mind. I did find some of Cameron's Word documents very confusing though; both in terms of content and how they fit in with the story.

In places this was quite gross (not so much the SA as the account of that thankfully isn't hugely detailed, but other stuff). And the last 50 or so pages didn't really grip me; I felt like there were a lot of gaps in the story and even after finishing I feel like there should be more?

A very interesting read though.

[Hannah Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about care and cruelty. It is told, very unusually, through documents. A nurse on a dialysis ward attempts to come to terms with being sexually assaulted, following which the defendant was exonerated. In non-legal terms, the fucker was let go.
And so what follows is a series of blog posts, emails, police reports, court documents, witness statements, among many other things, as she grapples with her world, changed. This is a book about the aftermath of trauma, rather than the thing itself, which is what I found best about it: it doesn't glorify or complicate the specific details of SA, instead it focuses on how on earth you continue with your life afterwards.

The unusual documentary form gives it the ability to swing between cold paperwork and deeply intimate narration. It is complex and compassionate, and I have found it immensely helpful in how I approach my own experience. It is difficult to process at times, the subject matter being SA, but handled in an affirming way I was wholly surprised by given that the author is male. Very very good.

[Zoe A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly the most original and unique novel i have read in a long time.. At first I wasn't sure on the style , it seemed to be jumping all over the place but once you get into it it is GOOD and you will be hooked. We have screenshots, transcripts from interviews, blog posts, diary extracts, yes it's a lot but it sort of works really well. As a reader you get inside the heads of both the accused and the victim and we have a family drama playing alongside . There's some hard hitting subjects in there, rape, cancer, suicide are just some so it won't be a book for everyone . However it is not a depressing book by any means, it's dark but also has humour in there.
I was left slightly deflated by the ending as there is no formal conclusion but maybe that is the whole point as it leaves you thinking....
A great debut and already looking forward to see more from the author .

[Elizabeth Solverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strikingly original and achingly relatable, this debut novel takes us through a process that is all too familiar. A rape. An investigation. A trial. A victim working through it all whilst dealing with all that life throws at her as a nurse, a daughter, a woman. An assailant presenting his side, refuting her claims, and spiralling through his guilt.

The format of this novel adds to its appeal - simultaneously humanizing and dehumanizing the themes and processes explored. Consisting of blog posts, letters, screenshots of chats, 4Chan threads, and emails, and legal documents, spanning a period of about 6 years but presented out of chronological order, it tasks the reader with deciphering contradicting accounts of events and characters, revealing the ways human lives are simultanously separate and intertwined.

I finished this book several days ago but haven't stopped thinking about it since.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel brings the epistolary into the 21st century through police interview documents, emails, texts, 4chan posts, word docs and blog posts. It is a book formed of the written evidence that exists surrounding the rape of dialysis nurse Corina Slate by smalltime actor Cameron Struth. Ogle asks a lot of his reader in bearing witness to the damage caused to everybody involved in this case, even those who become indirectly embroiled in its aftermath. Whether the reader is justly rewarded for their efforts is unclear by the final pages, but it is a gripping and engrossing pursuit throughout. At times it felt as though Ogle was testing how far the reader could care. This is a highly original, cerebral, uncompromising, difficult, scattershot novel about care and its limits.

[Katie Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking the main focus of my thoughts would be about who was to be believed in a he said she said case, I maintained that throughout the first quarter but by the half way point the main message of the book had shifted. We do learn the real truth but in more ways than I expected, humans are complex and we all come with our pain, struggles and difficulties. Obviously it does not excuse someone doing a bad thing, causing another pain but it was different and thought provoking to see the bigger picture and the story behind all characters. Id recommend going in blind and just experiencing the read!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting concept for a novel- I liked how it presents the reader with the evidence as it comes up throughout the story. You hear both sides of the narrative from all the characters involved. The author Nat tackles a string of very serious subject matters.
However I did struggle when I would come back to the book after putting it down. The narrative is not linear and as it's framed with evidence and transcripts, it's a little bit too jumpy for me and it was hard to remember where I was in the story.
Aside from this the cover for this book is so bright and striking

[Ika Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good GOD what an absolutely extraordinary book. I had no idea where it was going, and it was an extremely uncomfortable read, but the horror was held with so much compassion, and the world was so capacious, and the ending was so exactly right. I thought the different ways in which bodies encounter one another and experience extreme things were held together very beautifully, and the high-risk strategy of seeming to set up a he-said/she-said frame for the rape narrative but then just not doing that was staggeringly effective.

There might be a few rough edges around Cam's voice/narrative, and some of the contrasts might be a bit too broad-brush. I can't wait to see what this author does next.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

the chapters from the point of view of someone clearly schizophrenic, manipulative and reckless were by far the best chapters in the book. aside from that I liked certain moments and descriptions - at one stage the shadows on the ceiling were compared to guylian chocolate seashells which was pretty memorable. anyway at other stages large swathes of the book didn't really seem to say anything and I found myself skimming certain conversations that just didn't seem relevant to any of the characters or situations in the novel. very solid 2.7 stars from me boss

[Tripti Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a story of living after an irreversible event through the lens of documents of a case was the last thing I expected to be chilling. With this novel Ogle reminds us of the horror and pain hidden between the lines of court documents and medical records. Through blogs and journals he brings the thoughts of the protagonists alive in a way which is closer to reality, closer to us. His writing makes the subject unputdownable and presents evidence for the reader to create the story. A wonderful, heartbreaking novel.