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A review by vyv
The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill
1.0
I refuse to believe that a book released in 2018 could be this transphobic by accident.
*spoilers*
It really isn't a good book for all of the reasons other reviewers have mentioned but the entire Sandy storyline is a step by step guide of how not to write a trans character. The fact that no-one challenges Simon on his perpetual misgendering, poor understanding of transition and general contempt for Sandy once is really disappointing. I initially thought Hill was going to use the conversation with Sam to explore generational differences but no. The cause of the crime is classic 'trans panic' defence and it works so well that Top Cop Simon Serrailer decides not to do anything about a murder confession because it seems reasonable to him.
Having reread or read all of the books up to this one over the past couple of months I have found Hill's preoccupation with difference quite confronting. For instance the only gay man in nine books is a paedophile, the first lesbian is a murderer, the child killer has some kind of speech impediment (which is then forgotten?), fat people are evil, every working class home is chaotic and awful, robber with birthmark, trans panic etc etc etc. Middle class people are occasionally the baddies but it's middle class lives where you see her real prejudice - laid alongside the squalid and horrible surroundings and bodies of Everyone Else, the expensive Serrailer homes are all calmness and light, they are havens (even the one with three small children in it). The family are all slim and obsessed with sports. They have Good Jobs and Nice Hobbies. Really the only problem is Richard who goes from being a bad dad to a much improved man and grandfather to a rapist and abuser in the space of about two or three books, a different review altogether.
*spoilers*
It really isn't a good book for all of the reasons other reviewers have mentioned but the entire Sandy storyline is a step by step guide of how not to write a trans character. The fact that no-one challenges Simon on his perpetual misgendering, poor understanding of transition and general contempt for Sandy once is really disappointing. I initially thought Hill was going to use the conversation with Sam to explore generational differences but no. The cause of the crime is classic 'trans panic' defence and it works so well that Top Cop Simon Serrailer decides not to do anything about a murder confession because it seems reasonable to him.
Having reread or read all of the books up to this one over the past couple of months I have found Hill's preoccupation with difference quite confronting. For instance the only gay man in nine books is a paedophile, the first lesbian is a murderer, the child killer has some kind of speech impediment (which is then forgotten?), fat people are evil, every working class home is chaotic and awful, robber with birthmark, trans panic etc etc etc. Middle class people are occasionally the baddies but it's middle class lives where you see her real prejudice - laid alongside the squalid and horrible surroundings and bodies of Everyone Else, the expensive Serrailer homes are all calmness and light, they are havens (even the one with three small children in it). The family are all slim and obsessed with sports. They have Good Jobs and Nice Hobbies. Really the only problem is Richard who goes from being a bad dad to a much improved man and grandfather to a rapist and abuser in the space of about two or three books, a different review altogether.