Well-Written, But Lacks Nuance and Magic
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Nineteen Minutes is Jodi Picoult's most recent novel, and I predict it will become her best seller to date. It focuses on the events leading up to and following a high school shooting.
Peter Houghton, picked on by school mates from the first day of kindergarten, enters Sterling High, and in nineteen minutes kills ten and wounds another nineteen students.
In typical fashion, Picoult shapes her story by providing various perspectives. We are able to put the story together from Peter's perspective as well as that of his parents, Judge Alex Cormier, Cormier's daughter Josie — a student in the school on that day, Patrick — a detective on the case, Jordan — Peter's attorney. We are able to see all the characters as "human" — sympathetic but faulted.
While horrified by what he did I was able to sympathize with Peter, and to dislike some of his victims. I was able to feel the pain of many of the characters, while seeing their responsibility in the events that led up to the shooting.
Picoult has always been a great story-teller, and in this novel, she is able to take a ripped from the headlines topic, and create a fictional story that makes the reader think. Justice is served in the novel, but there is a surprise ending and some twists and turns to keep the reader turning pages.
With that said, my first reaction upon finishing the novel was, "that'll make a great movie". I then debated with myself whether the movie would hit the big screen or make its debut on the Lifetime cable channel. I then realized how sad that reaction was.
I've seen some other reviews of this book that are much more glowing than mine. Bottom line — it's a well written story. Readers will dislike the subject matter, but will like the story. They will say that is tells a story about the effect of bullying. They will say it explores the conflict between being a mother and judging actions of others when your child is involved. They will say it is a compelling crime story, and a love story, and a mystery... They'll be right.
What I am saying, however, is that it doesn't contain the artistic writing that Picoult's earlier novels did. A few years ago, when I discovered Jodi Picoult's books, I considered myself a big fan. I loved her novels and anxiously awaited the publishing of the next. I thought her writing was truly gifted! She had a way of telling a story by not telling a story. She wove together threads of personality and insight to create beautiful rich tapestries that were character studies, and by introducing me to a new character I learned something of value.
In Nineteen Minutes, Picoult told a story — a good one. But the nuance and magic of her earlier writing is gone. While I enjoyed the novel, there was nothing there that will stay with me. I was like watching a good made for TV movie — well done, but so what?
So, perhaps my review of this book isn't fair. I give it three stars, because it is a well-written story. It will be a huge commercial success, and it will be on the best-seller lists. While it may further establish Picoult as a best selling contemporary novelist, it also may mark the end of my Picoult fan-club membership.
I've met Ms. Picoult briefly, and I liked her. She seems like a lovely person: genuine, family oriented, smart and thoughtful. I am very happy for her commercial success. I'm just so sorry that it comes at the price of her real gift in writing. While I once viewed many of her books as art, I see this and a few of her other recent novels as just "her job".
Ms. Picoult, we all have to pay the mortgage, and I understand. You give the people what they want, and you get financial rewards. I hope that in between these best selling works, you will still exercise that wonderful craft that you have been blessed with. I hope that your new found audience (who WILL buy anything with you name on it) will read some of your earlier novels and see the beauty and intricacies of your writing. I hope that someday soon you will be able to have commercial success by returning to your real gift — the "art" of writing.
