The Quiet Part - A Review

Open Shelf recently read The Quiet Part by Eric N. Solomont. Here's our review.

The Quiet Part is available HERE (Paperback), and HERE (ebook).

The Quiet Part begins with a prologue set before the main story.  On the surface it is a simple scene, restrained and full of humanity but it is then embellished with some nice sensory details.  From the start we know the scene is bleak, “Morning light pressed through warped glass panes, catching the dust that hung in the air in soft, slanting rays. Another day, he might have seen it as angelic.”  The tone continues, reflective and subtle. 

The initial pace is deliberate and confident, and the reader is drawn in as an informed observer, clearly getting to understand the plight of the central character, Joseph Henry.  It lingers but just long enough, slowly walking towards the inevitable outcome of the opening.

The prologue ends, sharp and focused, jolting the reader from any initial sympathy with the soon to be prisoner.

As the novel pushes forward in time the lead character is compelling, and we learn his traits through actions and deeds.  It brings realism to him, and when he is caring towards an older prisoner, then reflective about the plight of a new inmate, I was reminded of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom, in terms of bringing to life the mundane prison existence where small things matter.

As the story continues, we see characters brought in and they are well presented.  The key ones are easy to visualise, their actions making their traits clear.  Throughout this Joseph Henry becomes richer still, the routine tasks of the prison aiding character development.  Through his reactions we understand him more and more.

To discuss too much more would be to reveal the story, and you deserve to discover it for yourself.  There is a consistent tone, even as we see different aspects of the prison world.  That helps us to focus on Joseph Henry and his thoughts.  There is a balance between tension and threat, and it’s a line that is walked carefully.

There are times when I am reminded of a piece like Shawshank Redemption, in so much as we see the real people behind the prisoners.  They are, of course, all there for a reason, but they are still people.  And The Quiet Part often feels like it was written some years ago when the time depicted was a living memory, such is the genuine feel we have for the setting.

Later in the story we find that Joseph Henry, who we have begun to rely upon as the steady beating heart of the narrative, is also able to break down.  This passage is handled sensitively and it’s impossible not to care about him.  It is filled with feelings and sensory moments, letting the reader see it all play out for themselves, feeling almost like a movie scene being depicted rather than being a written narrative.

By the end we really know Joseph Henry well.  He’s a hero in the nicest of ways, a character rich and endearing, despite his one mistake.  The story is rich and flowing, and a compelling read from the start.  And even with flashback scenes it manages to progress strongly, at times very strongly.

You can find The Quiet Part HERE.

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