The Odd Couple: A case study of gaslighting?

The Odd Couple: A case study of gaslighting? [script of Buzzsprout podcast]

This podcast summarises a case study of the working relation of a broadcasting team and in particular of its two lead broadcasters whose names I have described as Kenneth and Barbie.
Their story reminds me of examples of teams from real life and fiction, including the one made famous in the film The Odd Couple, brilliantly played by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

Another humorist and actor Steve Cooghan mocked the morning chat show displays of harmonious teamwork, in his TV series Mid-Morning Matters. He portrayed his fictional persona Alan Partridge as an insensitive male, unaware of the crushing impact he is having on all around him. This piece of comedy brilliance works partly because of its dark undertones.

I became increasingly reminded the Cooghan treatment in the behaviour of a pair of real-life broadcasters sharing a morning programme of news, entertainment, guests and phone-in calls. So much so, that I began to see their developing relationship as a performance concealing those darker elements revealed in Cooghan’s fictional relationships.

Only later did I realise the richness of ideas suggested in the case study also helps throw light on important questions about creativity, social psychology and sociology.

So, I began collecting the evidence, which is the first part of this post. In the second part I turn to those implications.

After some deliberation, I decided to reconstruct my notes from my daily records into an account based on real life, but with modifications to avoid identification of the particular case and individuals represented.

Here we go [notes from TR’s records]:

First, the two central figures, whom I have called Kenneth and Barbie. Barbie is the more senior figure with a reputation as having a warm style and an extensive knowledge of current affairs, sport, and domestic trials of her family life shared with her audience.
Kenneth is a few years younger than Barbie. He has a varied series of professional successes as a broadcaster, author, and actor.

Kenneth joined Barbie in the regular mid-morning show after the departure of Barbie’s previous co-host. Kenneth had arrived after his earlier programme was closed down, a decision he criticised very publicly as a mistake.

He quickly demonstrated technical skills and brought enthusiasm and depth of knowledge in a range of interests.

I noted a critical series of incidents as Christmas approached. Kenneth appeared hasty to correct Barbie in what seemed trivial matters. Barbie tended to avoid reacting, often moving on humorously. Other presenters introduced humorous examples of what became a kind of running joke about Kenneth’s intense competitiveness in office get togethers.

In terms of developing team roles, the gentle interpersonal exchanges continued although Barbie and Kenneth seemed to have moved into a reasonable accommodation.

Kenneth’s career seemed to be on the up. He added more roles to his portfolio. Increased items on these were included in the shared broadcasts. In this respect, the role Kenneth played had become close to that which was found from the contributions of his experienced predecessor. That is to say, the programme appeared to make Kenneth the more interesting member of the team in his career, and even in the revelations of his domestic life.

A few months later I noticed the start of a curious change in discussions between Kenneth and Barbie. I labelled it the hysterical phase, and tried to recapture it at the time.

Later [also from my notes]
The chuckle channel? New young presenter with Kenneth. They chat item on when does middle age start.
Kenneth unable to say anything without bursting into laughter. His laughter is infectious. Young Barbie substitute also laughing helplessly. Kenneth acts as if this is all OK. There’s a kind of theatrical name for breaking out of character. It’s called corpsing. It sometimes works with a live audience which shared hilarity.
Not sure what to make of it.

Barbie returns

A few days later, Barbie is back. As the show gets started, Kenneth starts on a let’s catch up routine involving their movements. But it quickly deteriorates into the same sort of hysteria until Barbie moves them on to their next scripted item.
Not sure what to make of that, either.
This week. Another two incidents I see as related. Kenneth and Barbie are back to work. The hysteria spell seems to have passed. They move to an item which surprises me. Kenneth heaps elaborate praise on Barbie for a special broadcast she hosted last night. She accepts the compliment. Obviously pleased. Then the punch line. ‘I still think you should have used my title. It’s much better than the one you used’. What was that all about?
The programme moved on. Kenneth sounded elated. Welcomed a young female colleague who said she had something to tell him about one of the subjects he likes to expound on.
On hearing her news, he responds dismissively that it’s an old story he’s already spoken about.
Why the reaction? What can we learn from the case study? Case studies are found in courses on topics such as leadership and team dynamics. They help students relate the specific case to personal experiences and which can be studied for more general implications drawing on relevant theoretical ideas.

The researcher, in this case me, tries to capture what has been observed avoiding personal judgement or explanations of what happened. This takes place at the stage of discussion of the case in the classroom, or in the conclusions of a published report.

After some thought, I have decided to leave the listeners with the opportunity to decide what sense they make of the case, and provide my own conclusions later.
Those of you familiar with my newsletters might see it as a TudoRama teaser, setting the questions
What sort of work relationship has developed between Kenneth and Barbie?
What more general ideas about team development can you relate to the case?
What unmentioned factors might be influencing the work performances of Kenneth and Barbie?
Who would you rather work with in your own life, Kenneth or Barbie?

And for the moment, I leave you to decide the answers. For serious study see

The Sociology of Gaslighting, by Professor Paige Sweet of the University of Harvard
American Sociological Review 84(5), 851-875.

Rickards, T and Moger S.T., (1994) Felix and Oscar Revisited: An Exploration of the Dynamics of a Real-Life Odd Couple Work Relationship, J Applied Behavioural Science, vol 30, No 1, 108-133

The Sociology of Gaslighting, by Professor Paige Sweet of the University of Harvard

American Sociological Review 84(5), 851-875.

Corresponding Author:
Paige L. Sweet, Harvard University, 1730 Cambridge Street, CGIS S410, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: paigesweet@fas.harvard.edu

Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(2), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.2.

Rickards, T and Moger S.T., (1994) Felix and Oscar Revisited: An Exploration of the Dynamics of a Real-Life Odd Couple Work Relationship, J Applied Behavioural Science.

I am possessed. How I became a slave to my new iPhone

A cry from the heart. A short while ago, I was a reasonably functioning human being, capable of independent thought and action.. then I acquired my new iPhone. It replaced my ancient model, which was showing all the functions of a deteriorating piece of hardware. After great hesitation, I plunged into buying the Apple 15 phone, allegedly the much improved version of my existing product.

Easy-peasy?

The transfer was easy-peasy, or so, my fellow members of the Apple cult assured me. Unassured, I took their advice …

I will spare you details of the purchase and transfer of vital information from my old phone.
I now realise I have fallen into a diabolical plot, which renders me helpless against the forces that have ruined my life.
At first, I marvelled at the beauty and enhanced facilities provided by my new phone. But very shortly I became disillusioned.

Too many options
The trap revealed itself after I discovered the world behind the multicoloured Fitness icon.
A touch, and ‘open sesame’ I was through into the dazzling world of health and fitness.
A dazzling array of possibilities opened up before my eyes.
Activity
Active energy
Resting energy
Steps walking and running distance
Double support time,
Walking asymmetry
Walking speed
Walking step length
Flights climbed …

Each possibility had an explanation. Active energy was explained as visualised through an activity ring. a bright red circle which demonstrated a gap between the movements I had made during the day and the movements recommended by the phone for the recommended number of active calories burned.
I will return to the ring activities later. I believe them now to be the most dangerous form of domination by the devilish Demon in the machine.
Resting energy, I am informed is an estimate of the energy used while minimally active,
additional physical activity requires more energy over and above my new enemy active energy.
Then comes some familiar measurements.
Steps. The digital activity tracker counts steps as you go about your daily chores.
Walking and running distance. Another familiar measure. This phone also provides evidence through comparisons of distance averages for the week months and even a year.

A dangerous path

All well and good, before I realised the dangerous path I was taking.

I learn next about double-support time. it is the percentage of time when both feet are on the ground during a typical walk. This measure will fall between 20 and 40% walking require strength and coordination. Changes in these can affect your balance and 2 foot contact time

Walking asymmetry.
This is accompanied by a graph. Walking asymmetry is the percentage of time on the floor measured for each foot. Are you spending more time with one for over the other?

For about a week, my walking asymmetry seem to be very low, far less than 10%

My first shock
Then my first shock. Today, my walking asymmetry has shot up to a massive 35%. Had I suddenly acquired a very serious limp?I didn’t think so…

A few hours later.
One small respite, the daily asymmetry has dropped to 20%. I am still worried.

Then,
delving deeper, I find the astonishing peak is all during my morning visit to the gym, and within it a mere three minutes on the stairs machine. The machine is no doubt accurate in its diabolic measures.

Incidentally this does not figure on my stairs -climbed record.

Other measures included, are

walking speed,

step length, and

flights climbed.
As I don’t expect to change my walking speed or step length without getting very high heels, I turn to flights climbed.

Nothing to do with airplane take offs. It’s how many flights of stairs the programme has deduced that I’ve gone up.
This has been under one a week, a deliberate health measure conducted on the approach to Cheadle railway station once a week, except for inclement conditions.
The programme does set me a target number of flights, but I accept I will struggle, partly because I have no flights of stairs at home.

A painful conclusion

I arrive at a painful conclusion. I have started checking my phone for the health details every time I use it. And I use it too often to count. I am in the grip of a compulsion. Yes, of my own making, but like gambling or drinking, awareness is step one along the painful road back to self control.

The unclosed ring

The most compulsive element is the unclosed ring, urging me to make more steps to achieve closure. I see but remain helpless. It is the need psychological urge for closure which lies at the heart of creativity and the drive to completion. The drive to find out who done it in detective stories, or the answer to a crossword clue. Add to that, finding the right move in a chess game or puzzle.

I am lost

So I am lost. Worse, the computer can set me even sterner challenges to close the daily ring of shame.
There is even a more deadly button I am resisting. It is to share my results with my friends. Now I see who among them has already been sucked into the next circle of hell. Why they tell each other on meeting how many steps they’ve made. Beyond my puny 6000 steps. Even beyond the mythical 10,000 steps, unaware of the wheels beyond wheels of the hell into which they have descended.

iPhone slaves unite

I can only cry into the abyss, iPhone slaves unite. Take one small step at a time towards normality. Ignore the inner urges to beat yesterday’s steps. You have nothing to lose but your addiction.

The God particle and beyond. A tribute to Peter Higgs

The death of Peter Higgs on Tuesday 9 April, 2024, gave rise to attempts to explain his contribution to our understanding of the nature of the fundamental forces of the Universe. The eulogies affirm his status of a giant in the field. The attempts to explain that contribution to the layman have faced considerable difficulties.

I have tried to explain the limits to current understanding, and the need to rethink our deeplyheld assumptions about reality.

I write as one such layman, albeit it one with a PhD in radiation chemistry. In some mitigation, the entire theory of the fundamental building blocks of the Universe has changed dramatically by the work of theoretical and experimental physicists over the last fifty years. I can do no more than to outline how commentators have grappled with communicating the work which earned Peter Higgs his Nobel Prize in 2013. His ideas transformed thinking about how particles acquire mass.

I remembered a popularisation of the subject by Leon Lederman, a contemporary Nobel laureate in the same area of research, Leon Lederman. In his book coauthored by science writer Dick Teresi, The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? he claims he gave the Higgs Boson the lighthearted label of The god particle because
QUOTE This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle partly because the publisher wouldn’t let us call it the Goddamn Particle, though that might be a more appropriate title, given its villainous nature and the expense it is causing. END QUOTE

Then the Guardian published an obituary for Peter Higgs, on Wednesday 10 April. It gave the expected life story for ann obituary. However, understandably, it offered little insight into that Goddamned particle.
It quoted his Nobel Prize commendation describing how QUOTE the standard model of physics rests on the existence of a special kind of particle the Higgs particle which originates from an invisible field that fills up all space without it we would not exist because it is from contact with the field that particles acquire mass. The theory proposed by by Englert and Higgs describes this process END QUOTE.

Confused? I was. The following day, the Guardian published a second obituary. This was by Francis Close, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, and a hugely experienced scientist including time at CERN where the experiments confirming the Higgs’ Boson theory was carried out.

The Professor adds rather more to this reader’s understanding of Peter Higgs and his discovery.
QUOTE The so-called Higgs mechanism controls the rate of thermal nuclear fusion that powers the Sun … The voracity of the mechanism was proved with the experimental discovery of the Higgs boson.
Higgs had justifiable claims because he drew attention to the fact that in certain circumstances the so-called mathematical symmetries required for the standard scientific theory of physics appear to be broken. Furthermore he saw the implication of such proposed behaviours could imply the appearance of a massive particle who is affinity for interacting with all other particles would be in proportion to their masses..END QUOTE

For me, this description adds considerably to the earlier obituary. It suggests in a complicated way the clarification of the great discovery for which Peter Higgs received his Nobel prize.
I returned to other sources of information to help me further in my search for understanding. I began with another book by a distinguished physicist. The author is Carlo Rovelli, and his book is called ‘Reality is not what it seems’.

I have no doubt I need to study Rovelli more carefully even to understand Rovelli. His book takes us beyond even the obituaries in explaining the Higgs mechanism. In the concluding part of the book on quantum space and relational time he points to the difficulties faced in understanding such matters.
“To comprehend what quantum space and quantum time are, we need one more to revise in depth the way we conceive things. We need to rethink the grammar of our understanding of the world.”
And that is where my journey and our journey together have reached at present. To understand more about the Higgs mechanism and the Higgs Boson requires that rethinking of our understanding of the world. I have had a glimpse of the next steps needed to make progress in that understanding.
I hope it has been as useful an exercise to others as it has been to myself.

On dullness and the heritage of punk

My interest in punk in general, and punk chess in particular drew my attention via Dr Google to lines from the great English poet and satirist John Dryden. In his vicious poetic attack on his literary enemy, Shadwell, the poem begins in the tone of an epic masterpiece, presenting Shadwell’s defining characteristic as dullness, [just as every epic hero has a defining characteristic: Odysseus’s is cunning; Achilles’s is wrath; the hero of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene is of holiness; whilst Satan in Paradise Lost has the defining characteristic of pride. Thus, Dryden subverts the theme of the defining characteristic by giving Shadwell a negative characteristic as his only virtue].

There is very little ambiguity about it – Dryden uses classic tones is saying that Shadwell and his work are no better than excrement.

The reference to punk can be found in the couplet in the poem about a nursery in the land of NonSense ruled by, who else, Shadwell, crudely throughout disguised as Sh**. Readers would have no doubt about Dryden’s target:

Where infant Punks their tender Voices try,
And little Maximins the Gods defy.

I was well on the way to understanding the origins of the word Punk. But there were more twists to this tale…

First usages of punk

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the first recorded usage of the word is in a ballad called ‘Simon The Old Kinge’ composed some time before 1575. It warns men that drinking is a sin akin to keeping prostitutes: ‘Soe fellowes, if you be drunke, of ffrailtye itt is a sinne, as itt is to keepe a puncke’.

Not too long after that, Shakespeare used the word in Measure for Measure in one of his favoured mistaken-identity plots to propose that a character was ‘maybe a punke’

Punk and the Sex Pistols

Fast forward to the twentieth century, and a critical incident from a live performance by the Sex Pistols in London triggered headlines about punk, and the name stuck.

Cultural analysis

Culture critics have identified the adjective, as in punk rock, to characterise an anti-establishment style particularly in music.

Which brings us nicely to Punk Chess

So we have a clue to the rise of punk chess, which is gaining momentum through internet sites in the last few years.

Here’s my earlier podcast examination of Punk Chess

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1945222/14112031-what-is-punk-chess.mp3?download=true

The Politics of Chess.

It should not be a great surprise to learn that top level Chess, like other sports, has its share of politics. A case study is that of the gifted Iranian player Shohreh Bayat.

Shohreh, now domiciled in England fell foul of the chess authorities some years ago, but her case was brought into the headlines recently by an investigatory report by CNN on which I have based this note and accompanying podcast.

In 2020, during the women’s world chess championships Shohreh was criticised in Iran for not wearing the appropriate headscarf.

Enter the Chess Federation President, Arkady Dvorkovich. President Dvorkovich served as Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister between 2012-2018 following a stint as the Kremlin’s top economic adviser. He has always maintained that his political stance does not influence his work for FIDE, the chess organising body. He has also pointed out that he was one of the most senior establishment figures in Russia to question the war in Ukraine…

You can listen to what happened next to Shofreh in my 5 minute podcast

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1945222/14763107-the-politics-of-chess-the-case-of-shohreh-bayat.mp3?download=true

The Porridge Song

Apologies for long absence due to IT problems. I have tried to keep in contact via other sites. I will try to catch up on this site as well.

Here’s my recent attempt to creative a poem, in which the author provides a percussive element. It will also appear with some refinements in my podcast TudoRama Everyday Creativity.

The Porridge song

With acknowledgment to George Gershwin

You say salt

Clap clap

And I say honey

Clap clap

You say Moolah

Clap

And I say Money

Clap

Salt, honey, moolah, money

Clap

Let’s call the whole thing off.

Clap clap

… You say either, I say either

Clap

You say neither

Clap

And I say neither

Clap

Either, either, neither, neither

Let’s call the whole thing off, yes

Clap

Clap clap de Clap clap clap

Yes

Let’s call the whole thing off

Clap

Clap

Cla

Cl

C

c

…

How Luke Littler will improve even more as a darts superstar

Like Littler, teenage phenomenon, is already competing with the best darts players in the world. I can see his development as having similarities to that of any young chess phenomenon heading for super grandmaster status.

Darts, like chess, calls for high concentration levels. A drop in micro-concentration can lose a match in these and other sports where a momentary loss of concentration can bring the contest to an abrupt end.

In training and watching young chess players, I have seen evidence of that concentration lapse without which the player would be on a par with far more experienced players. In chess this seems often to occur well into a game, and the result of which is an obvious blunder which can lead to immediate resignation.

In darts, I have very poor physical coordination skills. I’m the same at golf. My guess is that these skills are largely innate, and the same applies to darts. My proportion of blunders remains depressingly high. In chess terms, my golf and my darts rating on the famous chess scale designed by Professor Elo would the rating of a weak club player, below that of my young trainees in chess.

Using the same rating, Littler’s darts Elo, now being confirmed week after week, is that of a super grandmaster, say 2700, competing in every tournament with other darts GMs winning more often than losing.

but one important difference. I have noticed that Littler retains his performance levels better than most of his darts opponents when under pressure.

But like my young chess players, he will sometimes in a match show a lapse of concentration over the three throws of a ‘turn’ at the Oche. Taken in isolation, such a lapse might be interpreted as a relatively inexperienced performance, be it in chess or darts.

Now, the good news. This lapse is not through pressure of the situation. Rather, it is a temporary loss of concentration. But the immediate outcome can be loss of the game.And this can be reduced in frequency with conscious effort.

I repeat. Performance can be improvement through conscious effort. Most talented players work this out for themselves over the chess or darts board. The principle applies in other high pressure situations. I heard a Formula One driver explain it as a matter of life or death in that particular sport.

Back to Luke Littler. In his first months as a full time professional, all his matches are televised. In chess terms he is already performing at super grand master level. But he still at times shows that juvenile lapse into a set of three throws. If it had been a challenging finish or out to a leg, he would retain his normal concentration levels.

I expect this wunderkind to reduce the frequency of these lapses, perhaps through a trainer or coach, or perhaps by working it out for himself.

Comments welcomed.

Normal Service ….

…will be resumed soon.

After a delay, longer than any since LWD began, I hope it will return in full vitality in the near future, to catch up on events of local and global significance.

Tudor Rickards

The Great Chess Battle of Cheadle’s Drift

The gallant forces of East Cheadle’s Special Forces brigade engage the fearsome Wilmslow Warriors in the first battle of the new year. A report from the front line of the now deserted battlefield.

Only an empty water bottle, and a crumpled score sheet abandoned at the field of battle, reveal the intense fighting that took place earlier here today. The battle was lost, but not in vain. The names of the warriors will be remembered in future editions of Chronicles of Leadership, Woodford Press, discounts for paid-up members of CIFW, the Chess Federation of warriors.

The battle lines were drawn up for the encounter at Cheadle’s Drift arranged for 7.30pm, January 3rd 2024. The special forces of East Cheadle were positioned backs to the wall of their headquarters, awaiting their opponents, separated by the array of chess boards, the sets loaded for action, with primed chess bombs ready to be triggered at each board.

A few supporters, including myself, watched from a safe distance. The hush was pregnant with anticipation. They the click of the gates swinging open at the only entry into the East Cheadle fortress.

A swaggering gang of Wilmslow Warriors entered. Their captain flung down the parchment bearing the challenge to the tourney, with the names of his force of crack fighters.

Big Steve, mighty captain of East Cheadle, glanced down at the list. No expression
crossed his noble features, but as he feared, the murderous record of each of the Wilmslow Warriors was well known to him and his own fighters.

As is the nature of these contests, the intense urge to win or die with honour is masked initially by the ceremonies of exchanging the lists of combatants by the respective leaders.

‘Our flank warrior is delayed’ their Captain sneered. ‘You may start his time bomb, he will be perfectly able to make up time before, er, the bomb goes up’. Snigger, snigger.
Big Steve, our captain was to play the missing Wimslovian. He ignored the jibe, and settled at the left flank, also known as the board five position, or sometimes jokingly the a8 square, to play with the black forces, his missing opponent to oppose him with the white pieces on the a1 position.

If you are not a chess player, what follows is for everyone, even non chess-players.

The remaining four opponents settle and accept the chivalrous handshakes proffered. Personal communication devices are set to silent, and the Wilmslow players commanding the white forces engage in battle with a first advance.

The battle had begun for all except Big Steve, awaiting the arrival of the player to compete at a1.

What happened next will live long in the memories of those who witnessed that glorious but tragic encounter.

Originally written for members of a semi-mythical chess club which appears in several of my detective stories. I hope non-chess players will enjoy it, too.

TR

How to kill your family, by Bella Mackie. Review

Almost spoiler alert

Although I tried to avoid the reviewing sin of revealing too much, I touch on aspects of the story which might spoil the enjoyment for some people.

Reading the ‘do I buy’ decision
The cover is pink as a if a rom com.
I turn to back cover, as, like many other potential readers do.

The marketing is intended to capture a punter’s interest in a few sentences or plugs. In this case both:

‘Deliciously dark’
‘Compulsive’
‘Chilling, but also laugh-out-loud funny’
‘Hilarious’.

Meet Grace Bernard.
Daughter, sister, serial killer ..,
Grace has lost everything.
And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.

The Prologue

I turn back to the first pages, the prologue, designed to clinch the sale. It promises enough. The narrator (Grace Bernard) who admits ‘I have killed several people (some brutally, others calmly) and yet I currently languish in jail for a murder I did not commit’.
We learn that she is writing a book while serving the prison sentence for a crime she hasn’t committed.

Why? Why not? To pass the time, is the explanation she gives. That already requires a certain willingness to go with the flow. But isn’t that what we do with a page-turner?

Good, eh? I thought so. I read on. The story of revenge on a grand scale. It unfolds, pretty much In line with that back page promise. There are inevitable flashbacks, but the writing has an intelligence to it which adds momentum (in the sense of being a page-turner). I turn the pages.
I find myself describing my experience to friends. I am hooked

Humour claims
Is it turning out to be ‘chilling but LOL funny’? Not quite, for me. The sustained tone is that of an intelligent unsentimental narrator, offering a view of a world of far less aware others, mostly men, for whom there is hardly a constructive insight to tone down the cool to icy appraisals. There is throwaway humour. She (the narrator, i.e. Grace Barnard, compares her imprisonment with that of Oscar Wilde. How his writing ‘ this wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do’. is ‘undeniably good, but he was also an educated white man so the bar for genius isn’t set. Impossibly high here‘.

Much of her distain is aimed directly at Guardian reading stereotypes, and the extremely privileged.

Clinical explanations

According to the Birmingham University researchers
Turns out there are four types of Family Annihilator
According to one textbook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Serial-Killers-Phenomenon-Murder-Textbook/dp/1909976210 these are

The ‘self-righteous’ family annihilator.
The ‘disappointed’ family annihilator. This killer “sees family as simply an extension of his own needs, desires, hopes, and aspirations. … “
The ‘Anomic’ family annihilator. …
The ‘Paranoid’ family annihilator.

With my limited knowledge of the literature, I would place Bella Mackie’s creation Grace Barnard into the anomic category. The term comes from the important sociological theory of Anomie, by Emil Durkheim, in which society is beset with a deep depressing mood of existential futility

Anyway …

Grace Barnard is presented as an intelligent, attractive, mostly engaging companion. (Unless of course she is what is known as an unreliable narrator but I leave that as a possibility)
Her childhood traumas result in her obsessive intention to avenge her misfortunes. These she attributes to her heartless philandering father Simon with indirect reinforcement from other secondary members of the family, tarred with the same brush. Regardless, she decides their deaths would add to the pain her actions would inflict on Simon. So that’s the way it’s going to be.

I find myself wrestling with issues of the justification of revenge. It’s the sort of feeling I had watching the enormously successful drama of another psychopathic murderer, Villenelle, in the TV series Killing Eve.

Other Reviews

Other reviews have grumbled about the similarity in plot to that of Kind Hearts and Coronets, a much loved English black comedy film. If so, KH&C did a similar borrowing from a novel The Autobiography of a Criminal (1907) by Roy Horniman, about Louis D’Ascoyne Mazzini, the son of a woman disowned by her aristocratic family for marrying out of her social class. After her death, Louis decides to take revenge on the family and take the dukedom by murdering the eight people ahead of him in the line of succession to the title.

Even Shakespeare is often dismissed as a plot bandit, even assuming he wrote the plays himself.
I leave such debates to those with more than long-deteriorated O-level English course to help them.

Whatever, the plot is executed more efficiently than Grace did with her victims. The gruesomeness escalates, with particular lack of squeamishness dispatching one victim in a sauna and another in a sleazy sex salon. The book is clearly heading for its climax.

The Twist in the Tale

So far, so dark. As I read, I flip to guess the ending mode. Readers complain if there is no twist to the ending. But what if there is no twist? Either Grace kills Simon or he gets away. Might he escape her retribution, maybe kill her?

I kept open that second possibility, maybe based on her frequent mentions of her tiresome and nosy cell-mate Kelly, someone who likes to chat too much.

If you have stayed with me this long, you are likely to enjoy the book. You will have no reader’s regret. And the twist is there at the end. Not a completely satisfying one for me.

But overall, I’m planning to pass on my copy and discuss the book with friends, a kind of
damning with faint praise evaluation.

Maybe I will report back on reactions I receive.