Unraveling Oliver

Children's book author Oliver Ryan is known for his elaborate fantasy novels, which have inspired a devoted following among children as well as academics. He met his wife, Alice, when the publisher suggested that Alice illustrate the first novel. For 20 years, despite Oliver's many mistresses, the couple have the semblance of a good marriage. Until the day that Oliver beats her so hard that she enters a comatose state from which she may never awaken. Readers slowly discover through the alternating viewpoints of Oliver and his various friends, family members, and enemies what precipitated his violent act. Oliver is a complex protagonist, and Nugent does a good job of eliciting sympathy for a reprehensible character. Unfortunately, the book lacks a chapter told from Alice's perceptive. Consequently, the real victim, Alice, is largely ignored and her motivations for her relationship with Oliver remain hazy. Still, readers will eagerly turn the pages all the way to the shocking conclusion.