The Language of Others by Clare Morrall – Review

The Language of Others by Clare Morrall

Atonement meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in Clare Morrall’s follow up to Astonishing Splashes of Colour. After a lonely childhood in a manorial pile on the outskirts of Birmingham, music student Jessica Fontaine marries an egoistic violinist who abandons his instrument mid-concerto, lapses into depressed unemployment and abandons her to bring up their son on the wages of a part-time librarian. Jess’s struggles are accentuated by difficulties in communicating and a persistent sense of confinement in the company of others. The reappearance of her husband precipitates a satisfying self-diagnosis and an epiphanic acceptance that she has been living in ‘a strange land that runs parallel to everyone else’s’. The book’s occasional flashes of dolour are enlivened by an eccentric cast of characters.

Review: The Language of Others by Clare Morrall | Books | The Observer.