Book Review: 2020: A Novel by Kenneth Steven
Published by Saraband
It took me a while of reflecting before I knew what I thought of this book, and I think that is precisely what the book is designed to do. The blurb on the back concludes it will, “…unexpectedly reveal modern Britain’s soul with 20/20 acuity.” It did cause me to reflect, to look into myself, to look at the world, to look at the UK, to look at the United States, to look at those around me and reflect. The truth of it is that it made me uncomfortable.
It was statements, peppered throughout, the novel which really forced me to look at the world:
“The sad truth is that what groups like White Rose wanted was war. They did not want good community relationships to happen. They wanted to break down the bridges that had been built and prove that this multi-cultural society was impossible.” p. 83
The book is compiled of several short sections, some a page, some maybe four pages. Each section is of a different voice, a witness, an aggravated or hurt community member, a politician, a police officer, a mother, a student, all with one thing in common: they live in England. It explores the reactions of people after a terrorist attack, and the anger and fear of people, showing each side of the story of how both Islamic extremists and Nationalist extremists develop. What’s more, the volume of the aggression of each side escalates, and the novel points out the mirroring logics of both sides.
“So having something to join was important. It made people, especially men, feel they had something at last. The fact that it was radical and ready to act mattered.” p. 16
The story follows the voices of the people after a group of four university students of Asian descent blew up a sleeper train, killing 168 people. People who were scared lashed out at the Muslim community, and some extremists went on to create what was called the White Rose party, which was aimed toward the empowerment of the white, working, British male. With this party included vast rhetoric against Muslim communities, with talk of outlawing burkas and deporting those who were born on British soil. In turn, this angers and frightens those in the Muslim communities across the UK, whose voices are also heard in various forms throughout the story. “…the anger comes from both sides – from all sides. And I am not surprised.” p. 17
It’s a short book, I read it twice during the weekend (with reference to 20/20 hindsight in the blurb, it seemed silly not to). I read the note from the editor in the back, which said that it was not based on anything happening after 2015, it was simply just stating a noted pattern. However, it is difficult not to see direct parallels between the events in the novel and the world around me. I think that is why it took me so long to understand just what it was that I wanted to write about this. It shook me.
I’ll say it again: It shook me.
Which is exactly what art is meant to do. It is meant to rattle the cage of the viewer/listener/reader and help them to question the world around them, the comfort they live in so that they can better understand it as well as themselves.
I do recommend this book, at the end of it. It points out some obvious responses that all societies participate in which, further down the line, cause catastrophic results.
“I do not believe that multi-culturalism has failed: I believe it has been made to fail. And I believe that is far more sad.” p. 84
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