I started hearing rumblings about this book nearly a year before it came out. I had no real idea what the plot was about or what any of the main points were. All I knew is that everyone who read this book was very impressed and recommended it highly. I was super excited when I won an advance copy through an online giveaway (I believe it was on Goodreads). Like so many others, I was obsessed with Anatomy of a Scandal. And for good reason.
Anatomy of a Scandal centers around a high-profile court case. The trial at the heart of this book is a sexual assault perpetrated by a well known, trusted MP (Member of Parliament) that takes place in the Houses of Parliament. Vaughan paints the attack as a gray scenario that, at points, almost made me go wishy-washy on how I felt about the case. This is not a comfortable book. It makes you question your own beliefs and examine how you quantify rape and assault.
I think what I appreciated the most about the novel was that it wasn't gratuitous or sensationalist, despite the twist towards the end. The assaults, there are more than one, aren't sensationalist or particularly detailed or vulgar. Conversely, Vaughan's scene setting and character development are so in-depth and descriptive that you feel as if you've walked those roped off passages in Parliament.
Anatomy of a Scandal is so very timely, particularly as stories of Spacey, Weinstein and others have hit mainstream media and the #metoo movement has spanned worldwide. I highly recommend it.
Anatomy of a Scandal centers around a high-profile court case. The trial at the heart of this book is a sexual assault perpetrated by a well known, trusted MP (Member of Parliament) that takes place in the Houses of Parliament. Vaughan paints the attack as a gray scenario that, at points, almost made me go wishy-washy on how I felt about the case. This is not a comfortable book. It makes you question your own beliefs and examine how you quantify rape and assault.
I think what I appreciated the most about the novel was that it wasn't gratuitous or sensationalist, despite the twist towards the end. The assaults, there are more than one, aren't sensationalist or particularly detailed or vulgar. Conversely, Vaughan's scene setting and character development are so in-depth and descriptive that you feel as if you've walked those roped off passages in Parliament.
Anatomy of a Scandal is so very timely, particularly as stories of Spacey, Weinstein and others have hit mainstream media and the #metoo movement has spanned worldwide. I highly recommend it.