The Panopticon
Jenni Fagan
Having read it
★★★★☆
Its delivery is direct, heartfelt, unique, colourful, intriguing and it has threads that keeps you reading to find out about the ins and outs of the narrator, Anais, her life, her hopes, the society she has and is falling through and the characters that swim around her: a pretty darn good debut novel with plenty of broader societal messages viewed and made with its story.
A good passage
I dinnae trust social workers or their stupid stories. I’m a bit unconvinced by reality, full stop. It’s fundamentally lacking in something, and nobody seems bothered. Like – if we’re in the middle of the universe, one of the universes, and there’s nae proof heaven exists, and religion is just used mostly to control people, then the real fact is: nobody knows why we’re here.
That means really, we all come from nothing. A great big fuck-all that will never have an answer, and it bothers me. I want tae ask the woman in Tesco about it, when she says – That’ll be £4.97, I want to say to her . . . We’re in the middle of the universe, right now, right at this exact minute! Does that not bother you?
It bothers me. It really fucking does. Nobody talks about it, though, that’s the thing. We live, we die, we do shit in between, the world is fucked up with murder, and hate, and stupidity; and all the time this infinite universe surrounds us, and everyone pretends it’s not there.
A second good passage
‘You should buy some new socks.’
‘Funny you should say that, Anais. My wife gave me money last week and ordered me tae go and buy new socks, new combat trousers and a jumper.’
‘So why are you still wearing that crap?’
‘I didnae make it as far as the clothes shops.’
‘Too stoned?’
‘I spent it on CDs instead, Anais. I canna bring myself tae buy into capitalist society, just good music, books, and my motorbike. ‘S all I need!’
It’s funny, he’s the only member of staff I’ve met in years who I really get on with.