Is A Darkly Humorous Metaphysical Satire. Christopher Burton, narrator and troubled protagonist of Tim Parks' new novel, has a bushel of problems. In short, Burton is just barely coping. In Destiny 's opening scene, the crisis arrives in a telephone call, informing Burton in London that his adult son has committed suicide with a screwdriver in an Italian psychiatric treatment facility. This brief, bleak synopsis reveals only the bare bones of the chaos roiling inside a man outwardly composed and dignified.
Destiny is no melodrama, however, but rather a darkly humorous metaphysical satire.
In its mildly redemptive conclusion, it argues that such a life is better than none at all. Destiny is Park's tenth novel. In 1997, his novel Europa was short-listed for the Booker Prize. The tenor of his interests was made explicit in a more recent book of essays, Adultery and Other Diversions , in which he tackles subjects like Fidelity, Maturity, Charity, Rancour, and Conformity. These themes are at the heart of Christopher Burton's dilemma in Destiny .