The AC Of The Matter

I finished Book One of The Heart Of The Matter on Friday, so I'm a bit less than halfway done. It's really good; despite feeling like a Book I Read In High School,^[1] the plot is really interesting.^[2] Plus the main character is named Major Scobie, which reminds me of the ol' childhood mystery cartoon.

"I will never deny knowing a man from whom I've borrowed money," lol

Plot Summary Time!

Believe it or not my (shallow, ridiculous) Psychic Synopsis of this book was actually more accurate than not.^[3] It's set in a British colony in West Africa during World War II. Okay, that's actually the only thing I was sort of right about. This setting is important to me because HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS it was so hot this week. I'd sit in my stupid room upstairs,^[4] reading a book where the main characters are constantly sweating and waiting for "the rains," dying. I bought a window air conditioner yesterday^[5] but I cut my finger setting it up.^[6] Every day is a struggle.

So far, the book is mostly about Major Scobie living a pretty terrible life working as a police officer in the colony. He doesn't love his wife, Louise, but he's got this drastic sense of duty to her and wants to make her happy. I don't care for Louise.^[7] Louise bemoans her not having any friends^[8] fairly constantly, even after meeting Wilson, an overly-nice fat man who shares her love of poetry.

Wilson mistakes Louise's friendship for love; he kisses her in some sort of shelter in a rain storm (!!!) and she's oddly cavalier about rejecting him after he does it a second time. Louise has (not unreasonably) been asking Scobie to leave West Africa; when Scobie gets passed over for a promotion to Commissioner, she steps her begging up a notch. Scobie takes a loan from Yusef, a Syrian,^[9] so that she can go on a boat to South Africa. She leaves and Scobie's pretty okay with it.

I'll admit that this synopsis is kind of weak. Normally I would have waited to finish the book, but I hadn't written anything in a while and I hate to leave my fans waiting.^[10] Here's a fun video. Are we cool?

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[1] This isn't necessarily a slam / burn / zinger. It just means that the book has an air about it of Having Something To Say, which -- in an academic context -- is one of the least appealing things a work of literature can possibly have. If I read this novel and had to discuss its symbolism or themes in any concrete way, I'd hate it. Since it's summer time and I do what I want, though -- wheeeee.
[2] This is especially important for a book with a style that doesn't really suit my tastes. This is kind of an extension of FN[1]: the plot of this book is so cool and the characters are so interesting that it overcomes what I see as a dry, dated form.
[3] This is not true. There are, thus far, no elves.
[4] "Live on the third floor," they said. "It won't be too hot," they said.
[5] Shout out to J. for driving me around and generally being really great. Big fan.
[6] Did you know that the backs of window AC units are made of razors?
[7] Largely because she's a complainer -- this is ironic, as I frequently complain and moan about something as minor as a finger cut.^[*]
[8] Not even books.
[9] There's a ton of casual racism in this novel. I know it was just How The Times Were, but seriously, the "Greatest Generation" was (and is -- dammit, grandpa) ultra-bigoted.
[10] Someone please love me.




[*] No but seriously you guys someone needs to investigate why there's like a ton of barbed wire on the backs of AC cabinets this is not okay.