Anne Hill – Brighton Argus
It’s my prediction The Devil’s Music, debut novel by Sussex author Jane Rusbridge, will upset a lot of people. Not because it has satanic content (it doesn’t – the music referred to is whistling), or because it describes sex and violence (it does – but inoffensively) but because – gasp – it is written entirely in the present tense. Yes, even the flashback scenes. How daring is that? Some readers may go into apoplectic overdrive at the very idea. So I’m not sure it’s safe to mention the other technical quirk Rusbridge employs, I wouldn’t want anyone to choke on their toast. But (swallow your tea safely first) there are substantial passages written in the second person. Not the protagonist’s “I” or the narrator’s “he” and “she” but, truly, as “you”. It is only fair to warn of these idiosyncrasies because, if you’re not man or woman enough to accept and embrace them, this book is not for you. Which is a terrible shame because it is one of the most interesting and beautiful novels I’ve read this year. What’s more, Rusbridge’s unique style really works, proving there is always an exception to any rule.
Forever haunted by an accident involving his disabled sister decades ago, drifter Andy is called home by his remaining sister Susie following their father’s death. She wants help preparing their childhood holiday home for sale and tracking down their long-disappeared mother who now inherits it. Andy’s memories of what happened at the beach and his struggle to come to terms with the possibility of finding his mother threaten to tip him over the edge as he takes refuge in his grandfather’s book of knots. The interventions of Sarah, a tango-dancing artist, gradually help Andy weave the unravelled strands of his life back into a whole. The book is full of vivid description and clever allusion yet remains an engaging, pleasantly easy, read. Switches between past and present, mother (she is the “you” of the novel) and son, are seamless and the cast of characters is beautifully realised. So please don’t be put off by the present, in this case it’s the ideal way to explore a family’s past.
