In the Woods
Tana French
Reviewed by Araminta Matthews
The art of suspense is a dubious one at best. Drawing out a scene
to titillate the senses while simultaneously creating intrigue and
mystery within both plot and character is no easy feat. To truly
pull of suspense, in my opinion, a writer must have three basic
skills: first, s/he must know the dark recesses of the human
mind. In order to create true terror and tension, we must believe
that what is happening is plausible, even if it is not probable.
To believe this, it must come from us, our collective unconscious, or
else we will never reach that moment of tensed shoulders and white
knuckles so coveted when we delve into a suspenseful book.
Second, s/he must be skilled at weaving words without fluffing
them. The writer must know how to paint a scene in a book without
showing off, and without adding sequins to make it "look
prettier". Readers are smarter than credited, and insulted when
patronized. Words should be sparse and brave. And third,
s/he must tie up the ending in a believable, whole, unrelenting
fashion. The story ends where it is expected to end and, at the
same time, it ends unexpectedly. At the end of true suspense, we
must slap a palm to our foreheads and say "oh, that makes sense
now. I can't believe I didn't see it before." Without this,
without closure, the other two skills are moot. No one ever wants
to finish a good book -- we want it to go on and on; so, if a book ends
without closure, we feel royally ripped off.
While Tana French's novel, In the Woods shows deft writing skills and a
mostly plausible plot, her talent splats on the pavement of one of the
world's most disappointing conclusions for a story ever. The end
is at once predictable (within the first forty pages, and that is
generous) and banal. When I picked this book up, I was riveted by
the story, but by the end, I was obliterated by defeat. I will
never read another Tana French book again. A writer as skilled as
her should hire a plot-designer to end her books for her. Perhaps
then I'd pick up another French tale.
In spite of my complete disgust with the ending, I am pleased with much
of this story. The writing is pleasant and not (often)
overdone. The setting is Ireland and, though I've never been
there, I believed the setting from step one. French's use of
sensory detail is unparalleled. There were moments I could smell
the air of this book as if entrenched in a real memory.
Still, I would not recommend this book to anyone who enjoys
suspense. To those who appreciate skilled scenes and clever
images, and to those who enjoy a good drama, this story is great.
But if you like mystery, don't bother.