The Pact is the third book I've read by Picoult and I'm noticing a disturbing trend; her stories are real enough and written well enough to jar my mind. I find myself instantly sucked into the story, only to be smacked by an uneasiness stemming from the realness of her writing. I suppose that's a commendation for Picoult. For me, it's a good enough reason to put her aside from now on.
The Pact is a misleading title, but that's only appropriate, as Picoult so often turns her stories towards the end in an effort to confound her reader. Picoult lovingly calls this a Love Story, though the love that she writes about is implausible, if not impossible.
Chris and Emily are born to neighboring families. They are raised together, and live as much with each other as they do with their own parents. Picoult goes through great effort to illustrate the closeness of their relationship as children and how it develops during adolescence. As is probably predictable, their parents are cheerleaders for the blooming relationship between the children. When they are caught kissing for the first time, the parents are actually gleeful. While it's all a very sweet thought, I also know that growing up that closely with someone may lead to some physical experimentation, but ultimately the only relationship that blossoms is that of siblings. Picoult does make it clear that the sibling factor occurs to both Emily and Chris, but it is easy brushed away so as not to remind the reader of incest.
The pact is in fact a suicide pact, further stereotyping teenage melancholy, and simultaneously downplaying real depression. I can't say too much more about the story without giving it all away, though I will tell you that Chris spends the majority of the book in the county jail.
My biggest problem with this story, other than the close-to-home reality of it, is that this novel can't seem to decide who it's about. Emily? Chris? The parents? Whose parents--Emily's, or Chris'? There are a number of players in this story including a defense attorney with a teenage son of his own, and each character has a different perspective. In this way, there is no bottom line truth in the story. The reader spend almost 500 pages hoping to get to the answer and there is no single answer! What's more, the reader is told a crucial piece of information in the first hundred pages or so and waits through the rest of the book for someone else to learn this piece of information, but waits in vain. It was incredibly frustrating to me.
This book came highly recommended, as did the previous Picoult novels. I don't deny her readability as an author. She is, in fact, a terrific writer, and I can even appreciate the stories she tells. However, if you are a sensitive reader, who is easily effected by words, Picoult may be a dangerous trigger.
You really should be an editor. You have a shrewd and precise perspective. I have some of those same sort of observations about character development and storyline. My niece just launched her book published by Penguin, it is called, MISS HARPER CAN DO IT by Jane Berentson. I'd love to know what you think, and then I'll tell you what I think. I like your blog. Have you tried Goodreads? It's kinda fun! Have you read very many young adult novels? I'm an eighth grade English teacher and I'm always looking for quality titles.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It was my 6th grade Language Arts Teacher who really inspired me. I was writing as a kid but it was Mrs. Goldstein who saw my potential and told me that I could read and write for a living. I haven't accomplished that yet, though my BA is in English. I'm halfway there!
ReplyDeleteI will certainly have a look at your neice's book! Thanks for the suggestion! As far as young adult novels, yes I read them voraciously. Suggestions? Hmmm...Well, I am fond of the old classics myself; The Giver, Ender's Game, Summer of My German Soldier. I read a lot of the newer young adult fiction and find that it's so trite without any purpose. As an advanced reader in grade school, I was constantly going to higher level teachers for reading suggestions. I read The Great Gatsby in 8th grade, and Grapes of Wrath in 9th grade so that when those books were read in my 12th grade English class, I was offered the chance to read East of Eden and A Clockwork Orange instead. There are so many fantastic books out there, and kids are greatly underestimated. Give 'em a challenge and see how your students react! What have you given them to read thus far?
Like you, i enjoy reading Jodi, but somettimes have the same qualms about the content. Her earlier ones, centred around the Amish were fairly 'normal', but some of the later ones touch on places that I'm not happy about. I would still always read her books!
ReplyDeleteHey Elizabethd, thanks for your input! Can you tell me what some of the earlier titles are so I can look into them? I love her writing, but I'm feeling like I may have to give up on her books just because of where they lead my poor addled brain!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your comments about The Pact. I've gotten hooked on Picoult this summer, and I love the differing perspectives that she presents in her stories--the changing points of view, the layered storylines. I also really like the fact that she explores important issues with sensitivity and in- depth, and, at least in the novels that I've read so far, does not simply take the easy way out with a pat ending.
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a great review on the book The Pact. I really like the book, but after reading it, it left me with a lot to think about. Like If The Hearts and the Golds will stay in contact with each other, and will Chris ever be able to have a relationship with another girl without thinking about Emily. Awesome job on your review! Like Pom Pom said, you would make a fantastic editor
ReplyDeleteMelanie Gold read Emily's journal, and burned it, and stopped sleeping with her husband Michael, who incestuously changes his focus to a friend close enough to be his sister, Gus Harte. James Harte became stone, cold, aloof, and wanted to act like nothing happened after Emily's death. His gun was used to kill Emily. The abortion clinic worker could not convince Emily to tell the father, uncharacteristic of the type of relationship she had with Chris, and uncharacteristic of Chris' character not to be supportive of her. The art therapist thought she had signs of being sexually abused. Chris' love for Emily turns to hatred at the end of the book, as if he subconciously has linked the truth about her pregnancy. If Emily were carrying Chris' baby, she would not have been depressed or suicidal, and she would have told him. So, who was the father? Michael Gold, or James Harte? That is the real plot that Picoult developed, perhaps too thinly veiled. She is brilliant. If that was not her goal, then this book stinks. This subplot, that is never pieced together by Picoult, is the only redeeming quality of the book.
ReplyDeleteYou totally did not understand the book at all!
DeleteGreat comment, Kevin! I agree that all of those elements are present, and I myself felt sure that there was some sexual abuse going on. I assume it mut be Michael because there's no indication that James has much intimate contact with Emily. I agree that if it was Chris' baby, she would not have been upset--perhaps upset about the loss of her unknown future--but not suicidal upset. And she would have told him, as she had told him everything.
ReplyDeletePicoult is a great writer, I can't deny that. She slips in intricacies and plot subtleties that take real talent.
As an avid reader of Jodi Piccoult's books, I just finished THE PACT, and all I have to say is
ReplyDeleteWhat the F***?? Why build up a great story like that and end it with no answers, no conclusion, no explanation? The love story between Emily and
Chris, the family bond, the great legal and moral insight, makes you want to read to find out more, and then she leaves you with absolutely nothing. Dissapointing, at best.!
I think the point is much more simple than everyone is making of it. The insest part is the fact that Emily loved Chris, but like a brother and felt uncomfortable while making love to him. Her mom know that from her diary. I was disapointed that never came out at the end of the book. I think Piccoult never planned on the insest thing to be so complicated. I admit that for a moment I thought of Michael, but in the end I think Emily loved Chris so much that she could never tell him how she really felt about making love with him. It was just a tragic relationship - a love that just couldn't be.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if I missed something. I never thought of Michael having a relationship with Emily. I thought it was being molested in the Mc Donald's bathroom and never having shared that with anyone. Then she became sexually active with Chris and had incestuous feelings because they were so close when they grew up. For Emily sex is something "icky" and she can't imagine feeling this way for a lifetime so she commits suicide.
ReplyDeleteYou may be absolutely right, Amy Louise. This is the beauty of Picoult's writing. She leaves things open-ended in a way that allows for reader interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThis book has been bothering me since I finished it. I too wondered who had absused Emily. I thought it was James. I thought he might have been present at her death. There were way too many unanswered questions. But isn't that how it is with suicide? No one ever really knows. It's not so black and white. And this is what I've taken away. Emily's pain is an enigma. No one really knows, not even Chris. And this is what it is like to be someone left behind by suicide. There are no answers, just questions.
ReplyDeleteThat is very astute. Suicide is like a giant black hole, where only more questions arise, rather than answers. Great point.
ReplyDeleteHer other books have surprising twists at the end, so I expected The Pact to follow suit. I thought we readers would learn something that would explain everyone's behavior. In Perfect Match, the dad has a secret no one knows. Then his wife discovers it but doesn't tell him she knows. But the reader gets to be omnicient. In The Pact all the reader knows is that Melanie read her daughter's diary. We never get to know what was in that diary. Not fair.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see this forum. It never entered my mind AT ALL that Michael molested Emily. I also thought it was all about the creepy McDonald molester. But the Michael theory really makes a lot of sense, and it would have gone right by me. Thanks.
It had never even occured to me that Michael or James would have abused Emily, but I suppose they could have. The McDonald's creep clearly plays a huge part in the novel though and Michael and james are both described as good men with good wives, why would they do such a thing?
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's possible that neither of the fathers ever harmed Emily at all. It may be our jaded social perspectives that allow us to draw such conclusions.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that Picoult leaves so many questions unanswered. The McDonald's incident is never really said, just inferred. And the thing with Emily's diary is just a question mark for me. What's in it? Why does her mother destroy it?
I think it's a real testament to Picoult's writing that we're all here, discussing her novel at length.
Kevin, you are spot on about this book. When I find the time to read, I want something that is going to have some substantive conclusion. As a reader frustration is about all I can say about it. My daughter brought me the book only to say it was excellent and I wouldn't be able to put it down. I wish I had never read it now. Can there be a part II and give the readers some peace?
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE a part II, for the sake of explanation. Let's start a petition to Jodi Picoult and her publishers.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else think it might be james molesting her? You know that scene where james comes down when chris is drinking in the kicthen in the ski resort, Emily seems petrified and also Picolt leaves the whole reason she ratted out Chris very ominous- it was like she was scared of being punished by james or something.....
ReplyDeleteby the way i totally agree that the novel can't seem to decide who its about..
ReplyDeleteI think you are all overcomplicating something very simple: She did not tell Chris about the pregnancy because if she did, he and all four parents would want them to get married and she would be trapped forever. She wouldn't be able to stand up to them. Michael or James molesting her? Where in the world would you get that?
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. She got molested in the bathroom when she was a kid. She was traumatized by that. The dads weren't molesting her. I worry about some of these readers' levels of intelligence. What don't you understand?????
DeleteThe book was very good despite the fact that the ending still was unclear as to who pulled the trigger in the end.
ReplyDelete