When Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
The Deck By Fiona Farrell, reviewed by Sally Battson
"The things of this world have no stability,
but are ever undergoing change.."
This is as much a truism today as it was when written in the fourteenth century by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio in his work The Decameron. It was certainly resonating with acclaimed Dunedin author Fiona Farrell when conceiving her latest book - The Deck. Her work mirrors the scenario of The Decameron: a group of friends and family, thrown together by the necessity of avoiding exposure to a catastrophic viral contagion. In both books, the group whiles away the time in isolation by sharing music, food, and personal stories.
The structure of Farrell's book immediately engages the reader, striking in the way its fictional core is bookended by observational non-fiction:
‘The novelist sits in her room, planning her novel...... She has managed to sketch a frame and colour in the background. It's a start.
'Well, here we go,' she says.
From my fingers to your hand, from my eye to your eye, from the crevices of my crumpled brain to the crevices of yours.....’
Within the fictional core of the book (set not in the Covid past, but in some future time) the cast of characters retreat hurriedly from a deadly and rapidly spreading virus and take refuge in a seaside holiday home. There, rendered expansive by their confrontation with their own mortality, they look back on their younger selves with the wisdom of both age and hindsight and share a medley of previously untold life histories and profound personal secrets.
While the virus creates the setting and the impetus for the gathering of characters, this is in no way a plague story. It is largely character-driven, by a cast of diverse, complex individuals. Their tales are engaging and compelling. The writing is textured and evocative. The work provides a lens through which the reader can, if they choose, reflect on how life choices are made and how our life experiences shape us.
Farrell approaches her characters with compassion, rather than judgment, which draws the reader in.
The counterpoint provided by the use of non-fiction for the 'Frame' and the 'Conclusion' around the central story serves to emphasise the unique power of both the writing genres. What, we are challenged to consider, is the point of inventing stories when reality eclipses imagination?
What is the place of non-fiction in a world where facts are now given so little credence?
The Deck is a rich and rewarding read, from a NZ writer of great talent, that stays with you long after you have closed the book. Highly recommended.
