'Carry Me Down' by M.J. Hyland

Afterthoughts

Speaking from the first person's point of view, i.e. the adolescent protagonist - John, the novel serves as mirror into the protagonist's mind, a mind so sensitive, observant and meticulous. The language is plain and the text is like a report, which allows us to piece things up to read a child's mind and see the truthfulness or lies of adults. Does this world seek to live on the grey n sweep things under the carpet for the 'peace' and 'happiness' of the others?

Questions flood my mind:

- Can we take the truth?
- Would we rather be deluded?
- Is ignorance really a bliss?
- Do we live a double life?
- Do lies exist to reduce the hurt of the truth?
- Does one lie lead to another, creating a vicious cycle?
- Are we cowards?
- Are we trained to be good liars cos our parents are?
- Do white and black lies bear the same consequences?
- Is telling half-truths as good as lying?

My rating: ****
Award Mention: The Man Booker Prize for Fiction Shortlist 2006.

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My Favourite Quotes
MJ Hyland, Carry Me Down, Canongate, Edinburgh, 2006.

'...It's the kind of lie many people would call a white lie. But it's still a lie and it's told to benefit one and deceive another. Perhaps white lie don't work in the same way because the person telling them doesn't feel as anxious or troubled. And yet a white lie could have consequences just as awful as a black lie.' - p.55

'...This is not a soap opera where people blurt things out whenever they feel the urge.' - p.276

'Look at you. An eleven-year-old in the body of a grown man who insists on the ridiculous truth and who has got into a bad habit of lying.' - p.281

'Well, John, many people who claim to have this ability to detect lies have exremely irritable mothers, or alcoholic fathers, or some other force or presence in their early life that is, or was, unhealthy, unnatural, unpleasant, or extremely upsetting in some way...' - p.297

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Resources

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/2006prize/shortlist

Available in NLB libraries, SP library, and major bookstores