Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve
Architecture provides an interesting and informative backdrop to this gripping novel of obsession and paranoia. Together they add a suspense which at times is twisted and can be frustrating to the reader.
Design is the most obvious element of architecture but is, Woods states, about ‘constraints: budget, boundaries, building envelopes.’ The fraught relationship of the two main characters echoes this, a clever addition to the plot.
LIT is a firm of young, mainly female architects, the name formed by three women’s initials. Gin, (Virginia Isiah) is one, but her life is dominated by her troubled relationship with Clary (Clarissa Taylor) who is wealthy, indulged, and floats through life with a selfish grace. There is also Billy Lovelace, son of a brilliant architect, who hovers as a menacing force and lends a mysterious unease. He has vanished some years earlier from the firm but returns spectre-like, presenting new threats to the now struggling group.
They have been successful in the past but now face a bleak future. Malpractice leading to serious charges looms close, and a friend, Tama, has been sacked because of his involvement.
Anxiety increases when a determined journalist, April, unearths the illegal actions and LIT’s future is virtually doomed.
Gin is shocked by Clary’s revelations of abuse as a girl and her world is further rocked by the knowledge of Billy’s version of events leading to his disappearance and later return. Her sense of reality becomes like ‘spun sugar’…although if she attempted to lick it, ‘it was hard enough to break her teeth.’
It is writing such as this that makes LIT outstanding, particularly as it’s Anna Wood’s first novel. She creates characters of depth, deftly exposes the dilemma of love choking on control, and, in Clary, has a woman who is irresistible to Gin but is cruelly self-absorbed to an astonishing degree. Not surprising when her mother wafts by in their lives. She has made superficiality an art form.
Mo, a homeless man, is a sad contrast to the luxurious existence of Clary and her family, however he becomes a significant figure as Gin is embroiled in the saga of Billy and Clary.
The novel is set in Auckland and the descriptions of that city and weather add to the reality and often the atmosphere of the drama.
Gin believes that winning is about patience and timing and this aspect of the novel enhances the suspense. Events spin out, often slowly, as Gin agonises over the uncertainty of her relationship, her flimsy self-confidence shaken. Then blackmail and the threat of exposure accelerate the pace and culminate in the denouement in the final chapters.
Several features of LIT combine to make this novel highly recommended. The writing is taut, the imagery striking. To Gin, Billy is like the ‘wave that grinds a body into the sand.’ The characters, especially Clary and Gin, are layered and convincing. Their flaws are stark, and Gin’s desperate attraction to Clary is at times annoying to the reader but it must be conceded that this is the nature of the controlling relationship.
Nonetheless, Anna Woods’ handling of a complex psychological character like Gin is remarkable.
The plot is masterfully twisted and compulsive, with a powerful undercurrent in the form of Billy.
LIT is a fine debut. Anna Woods is an exceptional author and hopefully this will not be her only success. Such an example of writing of this calibre is indeed welcome from this talented New Zealand writer.
LIT
[2026]
by Anna Woods
Echo Publishing
ISBN: 978 1 7865 8826 5
$34.99; 330pp