Exclusive interview with author Natalie Haynes and a review of her book modernizing the Greek classic Furies
Rating: Three Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“I started thinking about the worst thing that could happen, and what would happen to someone who refused to forgive the person who caused that,” says The Furies author Natalie Haynes. “I struggle with the idea of forgiving a truly terrible crime. So this book is sort of a study in whether forgiveness is ever possible, and whether revenge is ever appropriate. I hope it asks some questions about blame and guilt and responsibility.”
The Furies is a story told in present and past tense by Alex, a teacher and unwitting instigator of a tragic event. Alex is recovering from the shock of her fiance’s murder. That Alex picks a Greek tragedy with emotionally damaged children is a recipe for disaster. Haynes’ writing is engaging. It would have been more fun to see her main character make a positive impact on the children and in turn herself, to show the good instead of the bad.
When we meet Alex Morris she needs a fresh start. She moves to Edinburgh after her fiancee is killed. Through a former professor she gets a job to teach drama therapy to troubled children. These are the very difficult kids who probably should not be put in the same room together. Alex is a bit terrified. She feels close to them and reveals personal information that she should have kept to herself. The teens take what they’re reading in Greek tragedy and act out one of the tragedies in real life. Bad teacher.
Haynes edited The Furies while judging the Man Booker Prize in 2013. “Editing your own novel while reading 151 other novels is maybe not the most relaxing way to do it,” says Haynes. She started working on the book in 2011. She choose the Greek tragedy story angle because the book asks a lot of Greek tragedy questions. The Furies was nominated for Bloody Scotland’s Crime Novel of the Year.
Haynes says she had to do loads of research for the book. “One of my characters is deaf, so that took some research. I have a deaf cousin, who helped a lot. The Greek tragedies I knew already, but it still took time to work out what to include. No one in the book is a classicist, so I had to remember they knew and cared less about the Greeks than I do. The Pupil Referral Unit also took some research. What kind of teenagers end up there, and how, and why? And I pounded the streets of London and Edinburgh, the book’s two locations.”
Other books by Haynes are The Ancient Guide to Modern Life, a book about ancient history and the modern world, and a children’s book called The Great Escape that won a Proggy Award for being the most animal-friendly children’s book of that year. Haynes is a journalist for The Guardian, The Independent, The Times and other newspapers.
Haynes appeared at the House of Speakeasy in New York City recently as part of her U.S. promotional tour. “I used to be a comedian, so can rarely resist a cheap laugh, even if I’m talking about tragedy. I told a filthy joke in front of Salman Rushdie…who laughed, which was lucky. That’s a moment of immaturity I’m pleased with.”
Busy with two radio series and promoting her book, Haynes says she’s behind on her next book and looks forward to getting to work writing again. Haynes was born in Birmingham and is now based in London.
She has many upcoming book events in the UK. For details visit: www.nataliehaynes.com
The Furies: A Novel by Natalie Haynes. Hardcover, 304 pages, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; First Edition edition (August 26, 2014). Language: English, ISBN: 9781250048004 $25.99
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