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The Echo Chamber: John Boyne

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I wouldn't wish a Stroke on any, but there could come a day when you, Peter Kay and (worse of al), Jimmy Carr, find out that there's nothing to laugh about. I also dislike when people sit behind a screen nitpicking at others' language without lifting a finger themselves.

A book that I might not have read if not sent a copy by Penguin Australia so thank you for opening my eyes. It’s just the sort of book that I thought I’d hate, and yet I kept picking it up and reading a little more and before long I’d ploughed my way through most of it. I liked this, a lot, the representation of their unravelling as a family unit as more social media platforms became available. I had no idea how a tortoise would fit into the plot and guessed the cover picture was metaphorical but I was wrong, as becomes clear in the first few chapters. Nelson, the eldest, is a twenty-two teacher, a neurotic virgin, who is seeking help from therapists.As well as the satire, his wonderfully oddball cast of characters engage in the whip-smart sizzling dialogue of the old Hollywood movies, as the whole thing descends into glorious farce. John Boyne has the ability to turn the written word ( some of which are rarely used on a day to day basis,) into a joy to read. This book just felt like John Boyne got annoyed he was targeted on twitter for his wrongdoings and thinks by taking the mick out of them, he's going to regain some personal pride or something. I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Along the way they will learn how volatile, how outraged, how unforgiving the world can be when you step from the prescribed path.

What made me give it 4 stars is the language, Boyne is a true wordsmith, with prose that captures the imagination and captivating dialogue. There is plenty of dialogues that should be considered funny, but I couldn’t stop feeling the author’s anger. It's obvious that these criticisms stem from Boyne's own experiences with his book about a trans girl. We are all aware of suicides, cyber bullying, echo chambers, and what not destroying people's lives. The international bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was made into a Miramax feature film and has sold more than eleven million copies worldwide.And this is all before we get on to Beverley’s affair with her Ukrainian dancer from Strictly; Nelson’s new therapist who accepts the patient regardless of her recent affair with George by whom she is pregnant; and Lord Husbery, a hunting-shooting BBC director general, who is apparently proud to say his loader is a “nancy boy”. I just like my baddies to be more nuanced and the novels less obviously message-y, which I realise is a contradiction when it comes to satire. A very unlikable, though maybe recognizable family for the most part, though they hadn't always been that way.

John Boyne's latest novel is an outrageously bonkers satire on the modern world's social media addiction, living life online rather than grounded in real life realities and relationships. I laughed many times reading this time and I enjoyed the unlikable characters and how everything was wrapped up at the end. We, they, are the norm, not the exception: arrogant, narcissistic, entitled, obnoxious, apathetic, pathetic. He is a handsome, skilful lover who seems to have slept with almost everyone, man or woman, in the story. I can't help but notice that those bemoaning it are, generally speaking, people who have had platforms and a certain privilege.Living in a very exclusive part of London, the Cleverly Family rarely spend time together as a unit. The first question I asked myself when I first heard the title The Echo Chamber is what does it mean? Spanning five days, the novel is broken up into five parts, each prefaced with a familial memory of the Cleverley’s from bygone days timed in sync with key developments of social media platforms. Thanks also to NetGalley and Random House/Transworld for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted, although I don’t think the selections I’ve chosen do justice to the book.

I think it’s idiotic and it feels like the obsession of narcissistic morons with far too much time on their hands, but I accept that the culture exists in the world.

Poor old George, for example, believes himself to be a dyed in the wool liberal, but he can't keep up with changing terminology and keeps putting his foot in it. I also know that this book comes from the author's own experience after writing his book "My Brother's name is Jessica" and getting lots of hate back then. The youngest of the three, the 17 year old Achilles extorts money from older men that want to ravage him. My thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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