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A review by rmardel
The Exception by Christian Jungersen
4.0
An excellent, fascinating, probably somewhat controversial, and certainly unnerving novel. Some of the clunkiness of the prose may be due to the translation. It is a gripping story of good and evil, of interpersonal politics, and how even being " a good person" and "doing the right thing" does not necessarily protect you from the evil within. Little evils often add up to something bigger, and the convoluted story line and petty office politics have enough realism to ring true. The real horror of this story is not the situation itself, but how each of the characters reacts until the entire situation is out of control and an even greater horror is perpetrated.
Even though the situation may seem far fetched, Jungersen captures how peoples own beliefs and psyches shape their responses and how even the "best" people are human and fallible and capable of cruelty -- something we best not forget. We have all seen situations that seem to blow up out of proportion to their beginnings. Jungersen builds on that theme and shows how easily principles can fall in a crisis situation.
It has been over a year since I read this book and I still find the memory unsettling. Perhaps it is time to look at it again.
Even though the situation may seem far fetched, Jungersen captures how peoples own beliefs and psyches shape their responses and how even the "best" people are human and fallible and capable of cruelty -- something we best not forget. We have all seen situations that seem to blow up out of proportion to their beginnings. Jungersen builds on that theme and shows how easily principles can fall in a crisis situation.
It has been over a year since I read this book and I still find the memory unsettling. Perhaps it is time to look at it again.