Mercy  Jodi Picoult. G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1997. Thorndike, Maine.

Book Review by Jane
I could not imagine that this story would play out as it did. This book is a product of the 1990's, and it actually reminded me of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's sickening sweetness regarding the subject of assisted suicide. The wife of one character was ill with cancer, and supposedly asked her husband to end her life. At one point, the book goes on and on about the time before the actual murder, and how they spent quality time (for lack of a better term) together, going places in public to such an extent that you would believe the wife was in remission and really should have gone ahead and lived a little longer while things were still good (if you believe there is a premise for mercy killing). Any person who has witnessed a close friend or family member go through a terminal illness would know this part of the story does not ring true. It just couldn't seem to help but talk over itself in order to make strained points on mercy killing throughout the book. I didn't see any true remorse in the husband character, except for the appointed times a person would mourn, at the funeral. Another point, throughout the trial, the husband seemed to be concerned about whether he would go to prison; whereas if he were really grieved, it would seem he would not care what happened to him because of his wife being gone.

I guess, I was not able to get into the story. The officer who arrested the husband was married and his poor relationship with his wife is also at issue in the story. On issue with some of the writing, there were descriptive sentences that just made me take a double take for lack of finding clarity or even purpose in their usage. However, the prologue was well-written and I enjoyed beginning of the chapters for the most part. Perhaps this book could be enjoyed, but I kept finding myself in a place where what was being said was unbelievable, both for the relationship of the officer and his wife and the mercy killer.

Jane.

 

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