I had never heard of this novel, or its author, Lawrence Osborne, until one whose opinion I revere insisted I read it, that I would find it fun. And he was right.
The fun is how it morphs--from a character study, to a cultural exploration, and finally to a suspense thriller whose ending did not exactly surprise me, but left something hanging, which I am still wondering about.
In fact, the entire novel is chock full of moral ambiguity. That title, "The Forgiven?' Who are they here? Are there more than one, or is it everyone? Does everyone deserve forgiveness? Does anyone not?
David Henninger, till about halfway through the novel, I had pegged as an obnoxious prick. Then something happens midway to shift my opinion of him in another direction. This happens with a lot of the characters in the novel. Nothing is what it seems.
Because of its refusal to peg things down, I found this novel intoxicating. If you need a Holiday boost, or something to take your mind off the season's mounting pressure, this is the book to fulfill that need.
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