Title: Never Mind
Author: Edward St. Aubyn
First published December 1, 1992
181 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780434734528 (ISBN10: 0434734527)
Rating: 3.77
Overview
In the first book of the Patrick Melrose Cycle, Never Mind, Edward St. Aubyn takes us on a poignant journey through the eyes of a five-year-old Patrick Melrose. Patrick’s life is filled with vivid imagination and brightness, but is marred by the constant cruelty of his father and the exhaustion of his mother.
As the family anticipates the arrival of guests, Patrick is faced with a horror that shatters his world. St. Aubyn masterfully portrays this heart-wrenching tragedy with remarkable precision and grace, introducing us to the multi-dimensional character of Patrick Melrose that will stay with readers long after they finish the book.
About the Author
Born in London in 1960, Edward St Aubyn received his education from Westminster School and Keble College at Oxford University. He has written six novels, with his most recent work, ‘Mother’s Milk’, receiving a shortlist nomination for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, winning the 2007 Prix Femina Etranger, and winning the 2007 South Bank Show award for literature.
St Aubyn’s debut novel, ‘Never Mind’ (1992), won the Betty Trask award. This novel, along with ‘Bad News’ (1992) and ‘Some Hope’ (1994), form a trilogy that is now collectively published under the title ‘Some Hope’.
His other works of fiction include ‘On the Edge’ (1998), which was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize, and ‘A Clue to the Exit’ (2000).
Editoral Review
Edward St. Aubyn’s Never Mind is a poignant and harrowing exploration of trauma, privilege, and dysfunction. The first novel in his Patrick Melrose series, Never Mind sets the stage for a devastating portrait of a wealthy British family grappling with addiction, abuse, and emotional turmoil.
St. Aubyns prose is sharp and unsparing, a masterclass in precision and economy. His fully-realized characters pulse with life, even at their lowest moments.
The novel zeroes in on Melrose, a young boy caught in the crosshairs of his aristocratic parents vicious and selfish behavior. The narrative unfolds over the course of a single day on the familys sprawling French estate, as the characters navigate a series of increasingly fraught encounters.
The plot of Never Mind is spare in many ways, but St. Aubyn employs it to devastating effect. Through Melroses eyes, readers witness the grotesque underbelly of upper-class society, grappling with the stark realities of sexual violence, addiction, and emotional neglect.
The tension is palpable, with St. Aubyns prose managing to be both lyrical and stark in its portrayal of a family in the throes of crisis. Perhaps the novels greatest strength lies in its psychological acuity.
St. Aubyn has an uncanny ability to capture the murky depths of the human psyche, exploring themes of trauma and power dynamics with a nuanced and unflinching gaze. As the characters move through the estates various rooms and gardens, St. Aubyn reveals twisted and fraught dynamics at play, ultimately building to a devastating climax.
While Never Mind is undeniably a bleak and difficult read, its impossible to deny the authors skillful and insightful portrayal of a tragic moment in time. The books portrayal of addiction, mental health, and privilege remains strikingly relevant, and St. Aubyns work serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost of casual cruelty and unchecked ego.
While some readers may find the unrelenting bleakness of the novel difficult to bear, its hard to deny the craft that went into its construction. St. Aubyns searing and sharply-observed prose carries readers along even at its darkest moments.
Ultimately, Never Mind serves as a devastating and crucial exploration of power and trauma, one that lingers in the mind long after its final page. Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: lovers of psychological novels, readers interested in examinations of privilege, those seeking character-driven explorations of addiction and trauma.
