Book Review: My Dark Vanessa
23/04/2021
Book Review | My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
As soon as I read the blurb for My Dark Vanessa I knew it was my kind of book and I was 100% correct. Slipping between present day (well 2017) and various points in the past, the novel explores the relationship between Vanessa and English teacher Jacob Strane which begins when she's his 15-year-old student. When we first meet Vanessa the relationship is over, although Strane clearly still has a hold on her, and she finds herself caught up in a #metoo inspired attempt, by other women who claim they've been abused by him, to hold him accountable. The problem is, much to the frustration of everyone around her, Vanessa doesn't see herself as his victim but rather as a consensual partner. I've long been interested in literature that explores the issue of consent but I don't think I've ever read a piece of fiction on the topic that is so incredibly nuanced.
Part of this may perhaps be author Russell's own experiences. Although My Dark Vanessa is a work of fiction, after the book first came out the author was forced to confirm that she had also personally experienced something along these lines. She hadn't wanted to talk publicly about her own situation or write a memoir so it's impossible to know how much overlap the story has with her real life. The fact that she had no choice but to declare her own victimhood is another issue altogether. Either way the novel does feel like something written by an individual who has considered deeply all the facets of such an experience in a way that would elude many.
The central character of Vanessa is so interesting and complex that she comes to life for the reader instantly. Russell just nails the confusion of puberty, the intensity of first crushes and the way someone can contain such darkness at the same time as being innocent and vulnerable. Vanessa isn't a consistently likeable character. She's passionate, intelligent and loyal at the same time as being disorganised, somewhat depressed and pretty self-destructive. At a point in the novel Vanessa compares herself to other girls, girls who appear as victims that people can feel sorry for, and questions whether her personality and lifestyle would preclude her from being considered a true victim. It's such a powerful reflection on something we see all the time. The dismissal of drunk women who are raped, the degradation of sex workers, the commentary that women out late at night are doing something to deserve their fate.
It took Russell a long time to write this novel, 18 years in fact, something that makes me shudder when I wonder how long my debut might take! I feel however that that time spent is reflected in the quality of the book. This story in someone else's hands might have been good, interesting and thought-provoking but in Russell's it's more than that. Every aspect of the story is elevated. The relationship between Strane and Vanessa, the responses of Vanessa's parents, of the school, of her friends, of the long term impact on her life. Russell tells her story and then she digs in deeper, finds the messiest, darkest parts of it and then digs deeper still. Although she's telling a story in which it's clear from the outset who the true villain is, who has the power and the responsibility and who misuses it, yet still she allows the reader to get lost inside it, to encounter human behaviour that can elicit sympathy for those we hate and hatred for those we long to protect. I mean, isn't that an absolute masterclass?
It's a dark novel and if you've encountered or struggled with sexual or emotional abuse it might not be for you. Personally, I found it staggeringly good, packed full with surprising and shocking moments. There's so much more I could say about the book. About the way in which the story of Lolita is intertwined with the narrative, about how so very sad the novel is, about how careful the author was to constantly muddy the waters for her protagonist. It's a really, really good novel but it's not a reassuring read. Ultimately though, for me, it was a breath of fresh air in a world where people are often so careful and clean cut when exploring contentious issues rather than risking saying something unsavoury or suggesting there's a greyer area than is often portrayed. Somehow this did everything at once.
Buy the book at Bookshop.Org (Note: This is my affiliate link so I will receive 10% profit of any sales made using it. 30% will go directly to independent bookshops which is the highest % of any other online book sellers bar their own websites.)