“How many people are there left who are neither locked up nor standing guard at the gate?”
Honestly 2020 really took it out of me and wasn't the best time to read this book as I found it hard to deal with. You'll notice a swathe of reviews coming up as I attempt to clean out my closet of books read in 2020, before I begin the onslaught of 2021. It has taken annual leave for me to have the time to do so - its either read or review when I'm not working, as work seems to take up the balance of the scales. Ironic then that this book is about a man who is unable to work to support himself without working outside of the oppressive regime in which he's imprisoned.
This is a tale of a life that is so unfair on so many levels. Every time you think there's a silver lining for the protagonist, it is merely another dark cloud. It is undoubtedly well written and deserving of the praise heaped on it since it's release in 1983 (booker prize winner and all that) and yet I found it very difficult to engage with because it just pulled me down into the depths of despair.
3/5 because despite evidence to the contrary I'm not a glutton for punishment.
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