rmurray847's Full Review: Evan Hunter - The Moment She Was Gone: A Novel
THE MOMENT SHE WAS GONE is a book trying to tackle an unusual subject and bring it to a human, understandable level. It is about a very mentally ill young lady, and the devastating effects her illness has on her family. Annie and Andrew are twins, and as children, they were very close, as twins are. When Annie becomes a teenager, and meets a young man she becomes enamored with while on vacation in Sweden, she begins to display some psychotic tendencies. The young man jilts her, and as her family shows her understandable sympathy, the reader sees that much of what Annie has experienced could very well simply be imagined...a fantasy.
The thing the book does very well as it shows us Annie's various descents into madness throughout the decades, is to demonstrate the manner in which those nearest and dearest to Annie (mother, siblings) kid themselves that she is basically okay. To "outsiders", we always scratch our heads and wonder how those closest to someone can't see what is so obvious to those of us looking in. THE MOMENT SHE WAS GONE presents a scenario and reactions that credibly demonstrates how basically good people can be blind.
The book starts just shortly after Andrew has had to fly to Sicily to retrieve his sister from a mental institution there. She had been brutally assaulted (or so she claims) and caused a bit of trouble when she becomes unhinged. Annie comes back to NYC, and after a few weeks living with her mother, disappears again. But this time, her state is so disjointed that no one can credibly deny that she is very ill and very much a danger to herself and others. As the family members talk to each other, they begin to piece together a story that makes it quite clear they have been very blind to Annie's need.
The book is brief, and Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain) is sparse and convincing with his prose...particularly his dialogue, which has always been stellar in the extreme. He writes with such seeming ease.
It is a book suffused with sympathy for the plight of nearly all concerned. However, there were some weaknesses. First, Annie herself does not manage to garner much sympathy. Everyone in the family loves her, of course, but as "outsiders" we do not learn to care. Yes, she's very ill, and thus very frustrating. She can't be reasoned with. She doesn't really show much caring for the people around her. She's dangerous at times. She's greedy, foul-mouthed, stupid, belligerent (not all at once, but in turns). It may be a realistic portrayal, but it sure isn't pleasant. Second, the book has a weak structure. Much of it is told in flashback, but Hunter, who has done similar things before quite successfully, doesn't quite pull it all together. It feels a bit haphazard. It isn't that the plot can't be followed, but the structure isn't compelling.
Hunter (and McBain) is a fantastic writer. One of my all-time favorites...and his recent death is a huge blow, particularly for those of us who love the 87th Precinct. And this book has many of his trademark strengths. But I just didn't find it compelling enough to give a hearty recommendation. You won't feel your time was wasted, but it isn't Hunter's strongest by a long shot either.
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