In fact, I ll be telling you precious little else about the plot of this exceptional and profoundly disturbing - if somewhat flawed tale of human ugliness. The secrets that unfold in Under the Skin do so at the rate of about a paragraph a pop it would be impossible for me to rattle off a synopsis without spoiling at least some of the fun. So I ll skip the synopsis and tell you in only the vaguest terms what works about this book and why and what doesn t quite gel. The story s strongest characteristic is the way it is revealed. There is no standard stated premise in the first chapter or two - nor is there the usual resultant flow of plot development.
Questions arise and are answered in a more linear fashion, one at a time and in no particular order.
The more information we acquire from Faber s wicked little world, the broader the possibilities become. This unusual and somewhat uncomfortable approach gooses the reader s imagination into a real workout. The overall development of the novel is ultimately fresh and satisfying, but there are some areas where things don t quite hold together. A distinctly Orwellian grimness haunts these pages, but where Mr. Orwell always peppered his dark visions of oppression and abhorrent human behavior with the occasional thin, cold ray of hope, Faber slam dunks us into darkness with a merciless finality from the get-go, giving hope little room for existence. Granted, in Orwell s works hope is often defeated but offering it up as a possibility before snuffing it is what gave those stories their devastating impact.