The Witch Elm / Tana French

There were a couple things in this book that really irked me:
a) how Toby kept talking about how hot his cousin Susanna was;
b) the oft repeated use of the description of anger as “taking my breath away”, and;
b) a final act completely out of left field and narratively dissonant with the rest of the book.

Other than that, I think what stands out to me most about this story is that it’s not so much about the mystery or who did what or what their motivations were as it is about how consequences for the same action are different for different people. In that sense, I guess the final act wasn’t so dissonant, but it was a very jarring turn nonetheless. I think I liked this book, and I know I disliked Toby and all he represents (blasé, blithe “I’m a nice guy” toxic masculinity here we come). I don’t think anyone is actually meant to like Toby. A lot of the reviews for this say “the main character was so unlikable” and yeah, he was, but he wasn’t MEANT to be someone the reader wants to be friends with. I mean, I would avoid this entire extended family and (spoilers) Melissa made extremely the right choice when she broke up with Toby (/spoilers) but having an unlikable narrator isn’t exactly a bad thing. Why should we like Toby? Why is likability something readers find so important? Am I thinking about this too much?

Toby is the kind of person who thinks we should all be civil and get along, who’s severe lack of introspection or empathy leads him to disregard those around them (thereby putting them in danger), who refuses to acknowledge his privilege in any except one very small way near the end of the book, who puts others at risk for a laugh, and who’s convinced that he’s just a "lucky" person and that's why things go his way. He’s a White Dude in the one of the worst ways, so of course he’s unlikable. He becomes more and more revolting as the book goes on, and that feels like the point. 

I feel like I could try another Tana French book at some point, because this was a good book and her examination of Toby was spot on, I just think I need to take a wee break.

Content warnings for this book: sexual violence (past events described by a character), suicide, violence.

Justice for Rafferty.