I read this book carefully, with a critical eye, since one of my novels deals with similar subject matter - the desegration of the public schools in the South. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered this novel. I had already written a first draft of my novel before a writing friend said, "You know, that sounds very similar to 'Prince Edward'". Of course, if I am going to continue to work on my novel, I must read this one.
It's an excellent novel, well written and researched. The important question, for me, is whether my novel is sufficiently different from this one, and whether I can write a novel as good as this one. The answer to both questions is yes, I hope.
Prince Edward is told from the viewpoint of a ten-year-old boy, but it is really the viewpoint of an adult relating what happened to him when he was ten. It can be very confusing. The boy is naieve and confused ny the actions of the adults around him, yet the man (who is really telling the story) knows more than the boy. At times it was confusing and irritating.
There are many loose threads not tied up, which drives me crazy. The author relies on an epilogue to finish up many things, but this is not very satisfactory. He also, it seems to me, sticks too much to actual history, instead of letting the story flow to a more natural conclusion. There are a lot of unanswered questions when the novel finishes.
There is a seperate plot about child abuse, a plot that seems more important than the main plot of desegregation. In fact, I had to ask myself, "what is this book about?" The child abuse? The desegregation? The boy's efforts to understand why grown-ups lie? His dysfunctional family?
I also disliked the "info-dumps" that were given by the adult narrator. For instance, before we meet the black preacher, the author gives us his entire history, something the boy could never have known.
So yes, the novel is worth a read, but can I do as well or better? With a lot of work I hope I can...
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