My Sister's Keeper
This novel by Jodie Picoult is an interesting addition to the field of sibling literature out there, both intentionally and non-intentionally. Anna was conceived in order to medically aid her older sister who had leukaemia. At thirteen, she decides enough is enough and gets a lawyer so she doesn't have to continue donating bits and pieces of her body to her sister against her will.
There's some very interesting issues within this story - the idea of the sister as patient and donor not having the same rights legally, not being thought of as having any rights legally - which are good to raise. There's some stereotypical stuff like the older brother acting out to get attention. There's a ridiculous twist at the end which was obviously shoved in just as a twist, which the editor should have put a big red pencil through. But there's another twist which actually is far more interesting. It turns out that the legal case was instigated not by Anna but by Anna's sister Kate, who couldn't stand going through it all, and wanted to die. This is quite interesting on a literary level - the main person the case involves isn't in the story so much but actually turns out to be the instigator of the story - but I can see siblings all over the world banging their heads against the wall. The writer has ensured that Anna is not selfish, that Anna is good. The case is never tried on its real merits - the right of one person to exist over the rights of another person to lead a normal life. It isn't a fair twist, and I wonder whether the author understands that at all.
The writing is the usual bland transparent American writing where you're told exactly where the important moments are going to be by using short sentences and pausing before the main thrust of a comment. ("Because," Anna says, "the butler did it!") The thirteen year old voice does not sound the least bit like a thirteen year old. There's so much of a similarity between voices, actually, that you're often not sure who is talking and you have to turn back to make sure. But it's clear and it's pacy and it gets the job done.
I suppose it's always the usual regret - if some of these interesting topics had been tackled by better writers, how good it would have been! But there's too much to say out there and not enough good writers to say it. This is pretty good, and that'll do.
There's some very interesting issues within this story - the idea of the sister as patient and donor not having the same rights legally, not being thought of as having any rights legally - which are good to raise. There's some stereotypical stuff like the older brother acting out to get attention. There's a ridiculous twist at the end which was obviously shoved in just as a twist, which the editor should have put a big red pencil through. But there's another twist which actually is far more interesting. It turns out that the legal case was instigated not by Anna but by Anna's sister Kate, who couldn't stand going through it all, and wanted to die. This is quite interesting on a literary level - the main person the case involves isn't in the story so much but actually turns out to be the instigator of the story - but I can see siblings all over the world banging their heads against the wall. The writer has ensured that Anna is not selfish, that Anna is good. The case is never tried on its real merits - the right of one person to exist over the rights of another person to lead a normal life. It isn't a fair twist, and I wonder whether the author understands that at all.
The writing is the usual bland transparent American writing where you're told exactly where the important moments are going to be by using short sentences and pausing before the main thrust of a comment. ("Because," Anna says, "the butler did it!") The thirteen year old voice does not sound the least bit like a thirteen year old. There's so much of a similarity between voices, actually, that you're often not sure who is talking and you have to turn back to make sure. But it's clear and it's pacy and it gets the job done.
I suppose it's always the usual regret - if some of these interesting topics had been tackled by better writers, how good it would have been! But there's too much to say out there and not enough good writers to say it. This is pretty good, and that'll do.
posted by Carly at 1:19 pm
1 Comments:
Ah, I remember talking about this book. I felt much the same way -- so many interesting issues, and such a perfunctory, silly, treatment of them! For example, you discover that giving a kidney would mean that Anna wouldn't be able to play hockey ever again... that's a pretty dismal prospect and deserved better than being dismissed that way. It's one of those stories where the author raises hot issues to lure in the audience, and then neatly side-steps them all to escape controversy.
I also found the voices blandly similar. The fact that they needed different fonts for every member of the family seems a pretty clear indication that the editors saw it too, but for some mysterious reason didn't think it was a problem.
That said, it's still a very readable book. It hooks you in and it does hold your attention. The pity is that it doesn't do much with it.
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