The Patrick Melrose Novels: Bad News
It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, continuing with “Bad News”.
The second volume is set in New York City, USA, of the 1980s and introduces twenty-two-year-old Patrick Melrose who flew stateside to collect his father’s remains following the news of his recent passing. Half-orphaned and enormously wealthy as ever, he is now gripped by a serious addiction to heroin and cocaine. Caught between withdrawal, relapses and dependant on drug-dealing fellow addicts, suicidal Patrick faces great difficulty to come to terms with the death of his abusive father. A dangerous cocktail of alcohol and drugs mixed with the prospect of intercourse is worsened by internal voices, which accompany this life-threatening trip to America.
“Patrick growled, his teeth bared and clenched.
He punched the side of the coffin with his knuckles to bring him round.
How should he play this scene from the movie of his life?
He straightened himself and smiled contemptuously. ‘Dad,’ he said in his most cloying American accent,
‘you were so fucking sad, man, and now you’re trying to make me sad too.’ He choked insincerely.
‘Well,’ he added in his own voice,’bad luck.’”(p.31)
Trigger warning [addiction, death, suicide, severe substance abuse] – In “Bad News” (Picador) St Aubyn uses fiction to deal with a period of own his life he now regrets: being addicted from a very young age with a self-inflicted limited life expectancy. It is vital to state the difference between the fictitious reality within this second novel and the general destructive real-life nature of addiction. The author’s descriptions could have been worse or less harmful – the latter less likely – at the time in real life. This book review does not intend to glorify substance abuse or else, but this might be the most extreme and therefore most memorable Melrose read.
Written once more in a third person narrative on roughly 240 pages, the book series opener “Never Mind” comes along relatively lightly compared to “Bad News”. Even though he doesn’t intend to torture his readership, St Aubyn doesn’t hold back in this one: injecting, snorting, swallowing, vomiting, fainting, nearly dying, and hallucinating and then some. It isn’t an easy read. Nevertheless, this part of Patrick’s young life, oftentimes uncomfortable and appalling, teaches a great deal about addiction and its consequences without the reader having to live through such an ordeal himself. New characters who accompany the protagonist’s ashes collecting trip are both poor and rich – many occasional users or addicts themselves. Partly strong language, in English and French, is used accordingly with local dialects and swear words. Internal monologues more than dialogue help mental and physical states to surface, especially Patrick’s. Driven on by his main character’s irresponsible actions, St Aubyn unfortunately doesn’t offer any insight into how Eleanor Melrose copes with her husband’s death. Her son’s battle with his own substance-induced psychotic disorder – that’s to say hearing a noisy variety of voices to mention just one symptom – is as fascinating, entertaining and comic as it is without doubt utterly terrifying. It’s no spoiler the 22-year-old, who sort of lives up to the press’ “playboy” status quo in this novel, miraculously survives. But whether that’s good or bad news is a completely different story. Readers of this particular book should be adults only.
“Bad News” is the first 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Allison Williams, Indira Varma, Gary Beadle, Hugo Weaving and Benedict Cumberbatch. It has been given a TVMA (Mature Audience Only) rating due to “Adult Content, Adult Language, Brief Nudity” (ShowTime). There will be strong images some might find upsetting to view. Audience members of any age do good to take care of themselves before, during and after this episode’s broadcast. Not recommended for children under 18.
Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last
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