The Missing World

The Missing World is a wonderful blend of psychological thriller and Iris Murdoch-type novel that I completely enjoyed. Hazel has been hit by a car and is beset by a series of seizures. Her memory of the last three years has vanished and, because of the seizures, in walks Jonathan, an old lover, who by virtue of Hazel's memory loss, Hazel believes to be her current lover. He takes complete advantage of the memory loss and little by little, Livesey reveals what it is exactly that Hazel has forgotten. Let's just leave it at Jonathan is not a very nice person. At the beginning of the novel, Livesey also introduces two other characters who have yet to meet Hazel, but who ultimately play an important role in Hazel's life with Jonathan--Freddie, an American expatriate roofer in search of someone to love and someone to save and Charlotte, an unemployed actress in search of somewhere to live. Livesey ultimately brings all three lives together in a fascinating way. The Missing World is a well told story that will keep you wondering how it will turn out. Enjoy

This is one of the best dark novels I have read in quite a while. And I love its recurring theme: second chances. After his ex-girlfriend loses her memory, Jonathan takes advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity: Hazel does not remember the loathsome experiences she had with him, and so he devotes his life to her and tries to wipe away the blunder in their past. Obsessed, Jonathan has turned Hazel into a prisoner in his home -- he is afraid of losing her. While Jonathan rewrites their history, an American roofer and an unsuccessful actress cross Jonathan's path -- each of them haunted by unpleasant memories they would rather forget. There are many disturbing scenes in this novel, especially the one in which Jonathan rapes Hazel while she's having a seizure.Margot Livesey's voice is absolutely exquisite -- she has written a wonderful novel filled with dark humor. Also, I love the backdrop of London in the story. I highly recommend this one!

Again, Livesey displays her mastery of writing with multiple points of view. The immediate and urgent beginning with Hazel's brain seizure and Jonathan's frantic drive to rescue her at once drew me in. One of the things I like the most about this book, indeed about Livesey's style, is how she portrays psychological detail so accurately that I forget I am reading a book. At first I found myself cheering for Jonathan, but as the plot unfolded, I grew to detest him. He reminds me so much of the slimy Kenneth--a character in her previous novel, Criminals. The drama surrounding Charlotte also was interesting, but I was most involved in Hazel's missing memory and what the characters were doing about it. With every page, the tension continued to build, constantly drawing me closer and yet frustrating me with the torturous psychological suspense. One problem I had was that the shifts in point of view were sometimes too abrupt (my own reading could be at fault, though). Another doubt I had was how similar this book was to her previous novel; I guess the way everyone converges at the ending made me think of the similar scene at Mill of Fortune in Criminals. The final moments of each book are focused on the bad guys: in Criminals, Kenneth is at the phone in the Blind Beggar, trying, perhaps, to get money in another scheme; in The Missing World, Jonathan is pondering his next move in his obsession with Hazel. The similar endings make me wonder if the author stayed too closely to what worked for her before. I'm really not sure if I'm right about this--it's just something that occurs to me when I think about the book. The writing is outstanding; her craft and technique magically wonderful. p.s. If you can find her first novel, Homework, buy it. It's outstanding, too.

The brilliant idea behind this novel is the idea of "second chances" to right the wrongs one has committed, and who doesn't want to get a second chance tossed his or her way once in a while? So I began this book somehow pulling for Jonathan who is hoping to make ammends after the disasterous breakup with his girlfriend Hazel - who P.S. - has amnesia after an accident and can't remember that they are finished. Then Margot Livesey so deftly and eerily twists the story, and the character of Jonathan is gradually unpeeled, layer after layer, until we want to leap into the pages to rescue Hazel. The other characters surrounding Hazel and Jonathan are just as fascinating and disturbing, one of my favorites being Charlotte, an out-of-work actress with a magnificent heart that gets trampled upon constantly, whether it's by her unforgiving sister, Nurse Bernie, or her louse of a boyfriend. The Missing World really is a stunning read and quite impossible to put down.

I found THE MISSING WORLD extraordinary for how it renders the complexity of its characters, their deep flaws and deep yearnings, while never backing up and passing judgment on them. By shifting points of view, Margot Livesey allows us to keep seeing the world of this novel from multiple vantage points; the results are at once gripping and psychologically complex. The novel explores memory and repression, the way people can manipulate each other, the blindness of both love and hatred--all while being an unbelievably engrossing read.