Review of Stolid

[Izzy Kruger]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Stolid" by Aaron D Key.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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If I had to use one word to describe this book, it would be ‘beautiful’. The book Stolid tells the story of a young man (legally a child, to be precise) in England in the early 1980s. Life throws him a few curveballs, and he is forced to grow up rather quickly, and in doing so, he also discovers who he is and where he fits in, in a world that doesn’t accept him. Along the way, he falls in and out of love and meets some good and bad acquaintances who force him, directly and indirectly, to decide who he is and wants to become and what he values in life. Most importantly, he has to learn that he has to love himself first.

Aaron D Key is genuinely an artist. He uses words to paint landscapes in brilliantly vivid colours and uses imagery to lure the reader out of their armchairs and into a completely different world. His writing resembles poetry in its fluidity and flowing nature, and throughout, it tempted me to read it out loud for its sheer beauty. And it never feels excessive or exaggerated. I look forward to reading more of his books.

The characters in the book are slightly obnoxious, which, granted, I think was the point with some of them. They remind me somewhat of the characters in “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, where I felt I loathed them so much that I kept reading only to see them reach their inevitably dreadful ends. Given that the main character is still a child during the majority of this novel, his poor choices and silly mistakes could be excused, and he shows a lot of character growth by the novel's end.

It is a pleasure to give this book 4 out of 4 stars, as it is well edited, and I would recommend it to anyone as a splendid read (even the prejudiced readers out there, despite the blurb warning against it. After all, how else will they learn?)

People who enjoy good writing for its style and aesthetic, and not only the content, will enjoy this book. The book has no explicit sexual scenes or obscenities, so the faint-hearted can also enjoy it. It’s not a happy-go-lucky beach read, so anyone who reads it should be prepared to have a good soul search and perhaps a good glass of red wine at the ready.

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Stolid
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