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Sarawak State Library

Read.Innovate.Excel

Blue/Orange

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Call no.
: 822.914/PEN
Author
: Joe Penhall
Contributor
: Zuwahir Binti Ilias
Summary
Found this on a recommended reading list for drama on the /lit/ wiki page and boy howdy am I glad I gave it a go. A budding psychiatric doctor determines at the end of a court mandated twenty-eight days that his patient is clearly schizophrenic and requires further evaluation. Claiming to be the illegitimate son of a Nigerian dictator, the patient`s only goal is to return home. However it is opinion of the doctor`s more seasoned supervisor that the patient is mentally fit and can return home without impunity. What follows is an examination of mental illness, the healthcare industry and race in contemporary England. Penhall is a masterclass in dialogue, his characters are at once funny and poignant. When characters interact their words carry a sparring quality and it is a joy to follow the verbal ripostes, parries and jabs as they each vie for what they want. The plot develops organically and deceptively, coming to a mostly satisfying conclusion. I appreciate that the story boils down to an interpersonal conflict that is open to as much or as little nuance as the reader wants to take away from it. Highly suggested.