The Sunday Mail
OVER the years while searching for books at the book store or library, the name Jodi Picoult has popped up on many occasions but I rarely paid attention to any of her work. I was recently introduced to the author by a colleague who encouraged me to check out one of her books and after a brief resistance, I finally decided to read her work, just out of curiosity.
The genius displayed in the book “House Rules” made me realise how much I have been missing out. This is one of the books that made me feel inadequate as a writer, with genuine brilliance coming to play in this piece of fiction that seems so real for the greater part.
In this drama, Picoult expertly combines crime, law and mental disorder, creating an explosive story that displays how society reacts to things that are out of the ordinary or that they do not understand. The story revolves around the Hunt family comprising of Jacob, an 18-year-old suffering from the Asperger’s syndrome, his mother Emma and younger brother Theo.
Jacob finds difficulty fitting in, with his condition making social interaction next to impossible, which in turn affects the whole family but Emma has laid out several “house rules” in order to contain the situation. As difficult as things are in this family, things take a turn for the worst when Jacob is accused of murder, plunging the Hunts into the realms of the unpredictable judicial system.
While the book has a slow start, the writer uses several devices to raise the audience’s curiosity and keep them glued to the story. Another thing that makes the book interesting is the fact that the story is told from the point of view of several characters in the book including Jacob, Theo, Emma, Rich, who is a detective and Oliver, the attorney representing Jacob.
The characterisation does not disappoint, bringing various societal situations that affect different personalities at any given time. While Jacob might have societal disorders, he is obsessed with forensic analysis and is constantly creating scenarios where he attempts to solve murder crimes, sometimes even showing up at real crime scenes and furnishing the police with his theories.
It is ironic that someone who has an obsession for solving murder crimes ends up being accused of murder. Theo is one of the characters in the book whose narration I really enjoyed, being an adventurous sort whose hobby is breaking into other people’s houses while they are not around and helping himself to goodies that he finds there.
“This is the last time I am breaking in somewhere, I tell myself, even though there’s another part of me that knows this won’t be true. I am an addict, but instead of the rush some people get from shooting up or snorting, I need a fix that feels like home,” Theo describes his love for breaking into people’s houses.
While the greater part of the book is supercharged with emotion, where the reader might feel pity or sympathise with the Hunt family, Theo brings in a bit of comical relief with his antics. As far as twisting stories is concerned, this book will get your mind wondering.
While this story might not normally be my cup of tea considering the theme, the way it is written made me appreciate the writer’s prowess with the pen. This would be a brilliant read, especially for mothers who might be raising children suffering from disability.
