Anatomy of a Scandal is a very timely courtroom drama. Just a warning, there is going to be a minor spoiler here. I don’t think I can help it.
Handsome, charming James, a Junior Home Office Minister, is accused of rape by an ex-lover. Sophie is his wife who believes, at least at first, that he could never have done such a heinous thing. Kate is the lawyer determined to prove him guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt- and she doesn’t have any doubt.
The story flowed well. It’s not a nail-biting thriller, but it’s tense and emotion-filled. We see James and Sophie in their college days, along with their friends. We know what they were like then and who they became. We learn that some things change, and others don’t.
It’s a story that sucks you in, but I’m not sure I really enjoyed it. First, there’s never any doubt for the reader about James guilt, just whether the jury will believe him or not. He’s a loving father, a loyal friend, but not a “good guy”. So, while in theory the book circles around the idea of consent, of he says/she says, of no one knows what happens behind closed doors, really we do know. None of the main characters was likeable to me. James, obviously, is manipulative and egotistical. Sophie was self-absorbed as a young adult and even though she knows James’ secrets, and there’s at least one biggie, she still deludes herself into believing him and then, when she knows the truth, she stays. Kate has her own back story, which does lend an interesting twist to her prosecution, but she is at the very least acting unethically. I’ll grant you, I understand her reasons, but I still can’t quite sympathize with her.
Sex, power, and scandal are always attention-grabbing, in fiction and real-life. It’s a good book for discussion, I think. It mirrors events that happen every day, on college campuses, in offices, in everyday life, but shouldn’t.
Handsome, charming James, a Junior Home Office Minister, is accused of rape by an ex-lover. Sophie is his wife who believes, at least at first, that he could never have done such a heinous thing. Kate is the lawyer determined to prove him guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt- and she doesn’t have any doubt.
The story flowed well. It’s not a nail-biting thriller, but it’s tense and emotion-filled. We see James and Sophie in their college days, along with their friends. We know what they were like then and who they became. We learn that some things change, and others don’t.
It’s a story that sucks you in, but I’m not sure I really enjoyed it. First, there’s never any doubt for the reader about James guilt, just whether the jury will believe him or not. He’s a loving father, a loyal friend, but not a “good guy”. So, while in theory the book circles around the idea of consent, of he says/she says, of no one knows what happens behind closed doors, really we do know. None of the main characters was likeable to me. James, obviously, is manipulative and egotistical. Sophie was self-absorbed as a young adult and even though she knows James’ secrets, and there’s at least one biggie, she still deludes herself into believing him and then, when she knows the truth, she stays. Kate has her own back story, which does lend an interesting twist to her prosecution, but she is at the very least acting unethically. I’ll grant you, I understand her reasons, but I still can’t quite sympathize with her.
Sex, power, and scandal are always attention-grabbing, in fiction and real-life. It’s a good book for discussion, I think. It mirrors events that happen every day, on college campuses, in offices, in everyday life, but shouldn’t.