Product reviewsThe Abomination (hb) (Hardcover, 2000)

Excellent story! You'll want to read it in one go.

The Abomination by Paul Golding is a story about how the relationships laid down in a child's early years can have a far reaching effect on the developing adult. The central character in the novel is Santiago Zamora, known as a young child by the pet name Iago. His mother is an emotionally unstable Spanish woman who leaves him in the care of a series of nurses and nannies whilst she enjoys Spanish society. His father is a bully. At the age of eight he is sent to an English boarding school, with a new 'English' name, where he is totally miserable. He does not understand the English ways and is rejected by the other boys who do not comprehend his way of life. The school completely fails to understand the reason for his unhappiness and only adds to his misery. He is referred to by the other boys as 'queer' and a homosexual. He eventually enters into sexual relationships with two masters, one at his prep school and one at his public school. The die is now cast and for the rest of the novel we learn how the consequences of these very early experiences effect the emerging man - 'give me the child until he is eight and I will give you the man'!

The book is well written with excellent descriptive passages. I found myself becoming involved the characters and wanted to find out what happened next. This is not, however, a story for the faint hearted. The descriptions of the sexual encounters are graphic, but honest and central to the narrative. I chose the book because I am interested in the hothouse effect of boarding education, having both attended one as a child and taught in one as an adult.

There is nothing that I particularly disliked about this book. It compares favourably with Mark Behr's 'Embrace' and at over five hundred pages it satisfied my desire for a 'good read'. I am, therefor, pleased to recommend it.Read full review...