'The Misremembered Man' as a title comes from a throwaway line given by one of the few characters in the novel. As with much of the book its a line apparently designed to appear flippant whilst actually endowing the reader with a sudden glimpse of the truth of the sentiment. Except it doesn't really. As a line it makes little sense and it's choosing as a title sort of encapsulates the try hard nature of Christina McKenna's novel.
'The Misremembered Man' is a brief intrusion into the life of James Kevin Barry Michael McCloone, farmer and ex-resident of Ireland's infamous 'Magdalene laundries'.The story follows his attempts (and the parallel attempts of 'Lydia Divine' - 'Lydia Divine'...pah) to find love and/or a female companion. From the shaky beginning of a lonely hearts ad. the story just sort of happens. An incident in a bar hints at dangerous consequences - which never materialize, a briefly mentioned armed robbery serves...very little purpose except to showcase another two 'kooky' characters - who then fail to impact on the narrative in the slightest, even the death of a main character just sort of happens...It's no great failing for nothing to happen in a book, or for characters to drift in and out with no discernible purpose, but here it feels like the style has been misappropriated.
The novel is essentially a fairly light 'cast of quirky Irish characters' chick-lit story. Yet rather than be content with this McKenna has shoehorned in some sob-lit in the shape of a stereotypically realized vision of the awful life in the laundries into the narrative. It's totally unnecessary. As a character Jamie McCloone is a grubby bachelor farmer who is, unsurprisingly single. In the context of his drinking and life on the farm his lack of female companionship is unremarkable, yet McKenna attempts to give it greater depth by blaming it on his mistreatment as a child. Rather than accepting the lower-brow reaches of the story there's been a real attempt to make it deeper, give it more emotional resonance but it's been done in such a way it feels tacked on, like lines meant for another book - probably not a particularly good one either.
Readability - 8/10 Taxing this ain't
Strength of narrative - 5/10 inconsequential story line with a profoundly dissatisfying and cliche 'twist' at the end
Care for characters - 3/10 I can barely remember their names
Possibility of incest - 7/10
Possibility of incest - 7/10
Arbitrary overall score - 4/10 Tries too hard and remains inconsequential
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