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The Forgiven
The Forgiven: A Novel | Lawrence Osborne
2 posts | 3 read | 2 to read
In this haunting novel, journalist and novelist Lawrence Osborne explores the reverberations of a random accident on the lives of Moroccan Muslims and Western visitors who converge on a luxurious desert villa for a decadent weekend-long party. David and Jo Henniger, a doctor and a children's book author, in search of an escape from their less than happy lives in London, accept an invitation to attend a bacchanal at their old friends' home, deep in the Moroccan desert. But as a groggy David navigates the dark desert roads, two young men spring from the roadside, the car swerves...and one boy is left dead. When David and Jo arrive at the party, the Moroccan staff, already disgusted by the rich, hedonistic foreigners in their midst, soon learn of David's unforgiveable act. Then the boy's irate Berber father appears, and events begin to spin beyond anyone's control. With spare, evocative prose, searing eroticism, and a gift for the unexpected, Osborne memorably portrays the privileged guests wrestling with their secrets amid the remoteness and beauty of the desert landscape. He gradually reveals the jolting backstory of the young man who was killed and leaves David’s fate in the balance as the novel builds to a shattering conclusion. Now with Extra Libris material, including a Q&A and bonus content
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review
hanseatic
The Forgiven: A Novel | Lawrence Osborne
post image
Mehso-so

The writing often felt a bit pretentious, because the author had a tendency to drop morrocan phrases and foreign words. Also I couldn't get a feeling for the time frame of the book, it had a 1950ies vibe to it, but was playing in a time of (foldable) mobile phones and CDs. Weird. Still, the story was clever, even if I had the feeling he was unconsciously reinforcing stereotypes (though I don't think that's what he intended).

blurb
hanseatic
The Forgiven: A Novel | Lawrence Osborne
post image

Got this from a friend last year for my birthday. Very excited to finally get to read it.