If He Lived is ‘a modern ghost story’. The narrative
focuses predominantly on a middle-aged American couple, Lillian
and Freddy Foy. On our first meeting with the couple they appear
settled and comfortable in the rut of their ‘ordinary’ everyday
lives. Yet as one becomes more intimate with them the tension
in their thirty-year-old marriage surfaces. Their trouble begins
when Lillian, the provider of stability and ‘normality’ in their
relationship sees what she believes to be a ghost in torment and
agony. Together with her job as a psychiatric nurse, a horrific
murder investigation and a confession by Freddy, the strain pushes
her and their relationship to the very edge.
This is a novel that convincingly portrays the complexities of
the human mind. Throughout, Fink explores individual perceptions
of the same world, inviting the reader to experience a multitude
of viewpoints. The narrative is somewhat disjointed and the narrator
often switches from third person to first, and from focusing on
one character and their reality to another. Nonetheless, it presents
a much fuller picture of the events within the novel and gives
a rare view into the psychological disposition of the novel’s
protagonists.
Moreover, the detailed descriptions within the novel are not limited
exclusively to the major events and occurrences. Fink tends to
home in of the menial, day-to-day activities of human life, making
the novel as much about the characters – their lives, minds and
relationships – as it is about the story itself. In doing so,
Fink succeeds in capturing his readers undivided attention.
The recurrent juxtaposed images and thoughts within the novel
do, on occasion, leave one in a state of confusion and uncertainty.
Many of the characters and their lives are left open-ended, inasmuch
as they disappear from the story without a trace. Similarly, many
threads to this invidious story are left unresolved. This is somewhat
disappointing, despite being a deliberate endeavour on Fink’s
part. After allowing one to become so intensely involved with
the characters, and after permitting one to observe their inner
thoughts, Fink cruelly points out that one is merely a spectator
to this story and the lives of the characters involved.
If He Lived is unquestionably a disturbing story
that explores the fear of both living and dying. It is nonetheless
both compelling and captivating, poignantly bringing human reason
and logic face to face with confused emotion and uncertainty:
a truly remarkable novel, beautifully written with terrifyingly
vivid images of human suffering and terror.
Reviewed by Michelle Clump
