Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan Book Review
By Aisling Finn, Founder & Lead Curator
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan: Book Review
Megan Nolan is from Waterford, so this was always going to be a book we were interested in reading. Acts of Desperation is her debut novel and it is an uncomfortable, sharply observed look at obsession, power and the stories we can tell ourselves when a relationship is doing us harm.
What Is Acts of Desperation About?
The narrator looks back on her relationship with Ciaran, an older man she becomes intensely attached to. From the outside, many of the warning signs are obvious. From inside the relationship, they are much harder for her to acknowledge.
The book moves between Dublin and Athens as she tries to understand why she stayed, what she accepted and how much of herself she changed in order to keep the relationship going.
What We Liked
Nolan is particularly good at writing the less flattering parts of being in love: jealousy, self-deception, humiliation and the urge to make excuses for somebody because admitting the truth would be worse.
The narrator is not written as a simple victim or a perfect person. She can be frustrating and self-destructive, which is part of what makes the book convincing.
There is also a very recognisable Irishness to parts of the novel without the setting ever feeling forced.
For readers
Is It an Easy Read?
No. The subject matter is heavy and the relationship at the centre of the novel is damaging from quite early on.
That said, the writing is direct and the book is difficult to put down. It is more interested in why somebody stays in a bad relationship than in giving the reader an easy villain-and-victim story.
Our Verdict
Acts of Desperation will not suit everyone, but readers who like contemporary literary fiction about difficult relationships will find plenty to discuss in it.
We would recommend it to readers who liked books that are psychologically sharp, messy and willing to leave some discomfort unresolved.
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The Book Resort Team x
