A Real Page Turner

 Now we have got past the hurdle of so many names and acronyms, the Saturday Readers are now completely engrossed in the two stories of Restless and seem to have spent sleepless nights trying to work out how the two might be linked. Some of us are biting our tongues in order not to spoil the surprise(s) whilst others are enthralled by various theories involving, among other things, the identity of Ruth's father. The only solution is to carry on reading. Perhaps we should also heed Romer's first rule: trust no one. Especially the author.

On both occasions that we have met to discuss Restless, we've commented on the sang froid of Eva, and also of Ruth. We agreed that mother and daughter are undeniably similar in the way that they deal with their emotions and personal relationships. There is one obvious contrast however. Eva / Sally is able to effortlessly manipulate those around her, even her own daughter whilst Ruth seems incapable of such machinations. Obviously Eva had her training both theoretical and practical to hone these skills whilst Ruth has simply had her life experiences. One wonders how good a spy Ruth would have become, given the appropriate training. Towards the end of the novel we see this possibility played out,  a certain paranoia seems to have taken over her.Her suspicions of Hamid's friends, her  misjudgement  of Hamid himself, her drunken declaration of Frobisher's invitation with the police to collaborate.

'Because you can tell me, Hamid,' I said, softly, leaning closer. 'I'm going to be working with the police, you see, they want me to help them. You can tell me.'


Does Ruth also want a piece of the action, or are her suspicions simply an extension of her mother's, and a result of her manipulation? We discussed the reasons why Sal  insists on giving Ruth her story in episodes. As a literary device used by the author, it serves the double purpose of creating cliffhanger situations for both Ruth as a character and us the reader. For Ruth this is complicated. Is she reading the truth of the mother she thought she knew, or is it the delusions of an elderly woman? As readers, free of Ruth's responsibilities, we can sit back and enjoy, for Ruth it is  bewildering, frightening. She tells  her friend Veronica about her mother's revelations.

'The act of telling it would make the new facts in my life more real for me - easier to confront ... I needed one extra-familial buttress to hold me steady.' 

Veronica, a nurse, questions Ruth on her mother's bizarre behaviour,but can draw no conclusions.

'But otherwise she seems perfectly normal?'

'Define "normal",' I said.'

Once again we commented on the earth-shattering nature of Sal's bombshell.  Various book group discussion lists contain the same question in relation to Restless:

How well do we truly know someone? 

Here's William Boyd talking about being a traitor, not knowing your parents, the setting of Middle Ashton and plenty more.