ARA Review by mtnlvr71 of Justice

[mtnlvr71]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Justice.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Justice, A Novella by Scott Hughes. Review

If you are seeking a short read that is extremely thought-provoking, Justice by Scott Hughes will fit the bill.

The novella is short enough to read on one’s lunch hour. But, clearly Mr. Hughes did not dash this off during his lunch break. I’m guessing that he sweat over each page and paragraph for a lot longer. It is loaded with meaning, quotable quotes and questions to ponder. In fact I did not make it past the opening page without having to stop and think. What did he mean by the “dark impassable tunnels constructed between all of us?” Well, okay, I guess I get that but what is the "one dim light what can overcome" that darkness, and why does he make that statement? I will not spoil it for you as you will find out when you read it yourself.

The section on discussion questions at the end, intended for book clubs or groups gave me more to ponder. This section is even more detailed than the book—six pages long on my Kindle—and probably took almost as long to write.

The novella, or short story, is a very difficult literary form in which to write. Mr. Hughes has packed a big psychological thriller into a tiny package. Each paragraph, sentence and word is carefully chosen and constructed so beautifully that we grasp four distinct characters in depth, the essence of a complex plot plus a few supporting characters, more than some novels twice or three times as long. For these reasons, I gave the book five out of five stars.

The story is divided into four parts. Parts One and Two are about a childless marriage that is dead and should be falling apart, but somehow stays together. Mrs. Malley is very unhappy, feeling emotionally abused. Even though their courtship and early marriage was sexually explosive, the spark is now gone and the fire is out. She compensates by having a progression of lovers. She is an exciting expressive person and tends toward emotional outbursts at her husband.

Author Hughes writes, “The curse of life, not just love-life but all-life, reveals itself in the humdrum of the daily, the antithesis of the montage.” “The best always lasts for a mere fleeting moment, an infinitesimally small point in the strange dimension of time.”

The husband loves his wife and is satisfied with his humdrum existence of daily commuting to a boring job, eating, sleeping and repeating. He prides himself on his patience with her and all aspects of life. He treats her emotional needs with silence, preferring to give her adequate time to repent and apologize.

Part Three is about a lawyer, Joseph Bronson whose marriage can be compared and contrasted with that of the Malleys.

In addition, the author manages to give us a lot more to think about, as Joseph reflects on his jaded views of American justice. “Prison isn’t for violent people [who are] put away thanks to the hard work of bureaucrats; it’s for non-violent people who are unlucky.”

A favorite character of mine is Joseph’s friend “Juice,” a large black man, owner of the Juice Bar, where Joseph stops off for drinks after work. The two of them have entertaining repartee and Juice comes off as quite wise and clever. “Joey-Boy,” he asks, “you chose to be a prosecutor, but, with this much disdain for the system, why don’t you just quit?”

The two of them met in law school where Joseph finished and Juice had to drop out due to a family issue. The reader can decide which one of the two has the better, happier life.

Part Four is a dramatic and satisfying climax which gives us more to contemplate.

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