My Policeman

One sentence synopsis... Set in Brighton, this is a heartbreaking story about the consequences of a queer love triangle in the 1950s.


Read it if you like... ‘Atonement', ‘Less', or Harry Styles. And let's be honest, who doesn't like Harry Styles.

Dream casting... As alluded to above, this is soon to be a movie with Harry Styles and Emma Corrin (‘The Crown').

We should live here.' After just two days of the possibilities of Venice, I said, ‘We should live here.' And Tom's answer was, ‘We should fly to the moon.' But he was smiling.

”Dunno much about art.” “You don't have to. That's the wonderful thing about it. It's about reacting to it. Feeling it, if you like. It's not really anything to do with knowledge” 

UPDATE SEP 24TH, 2022: Yeah, they fucked up.

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Accessible reading but deep and intricate character writing. After finishing, I distanced myself from the book and saw a beautiful patchwork. Quite re-readable, has a lot of passages that would benefit greatly of a second read. Loved how the writer was able to perfectly display a person filled with regret attempting to make ends meet with their past without villanizing the person while also not running away from the facts that led all of them into such condition. That's one hell of a feat, really. I've seen some opinions around here on how Marion is basically the main character but she's not a marginalized character and that's bad but I strongly disagree with this.

If this gets a good adaptation, I can already see a “3 Academy Awards Nominee” including Best Actress for Marion??. Not sure how the hell they would adapt this, though? Even if they do a literal adaptation, including character's voice overs and all of that, they'll probably have to remove a lot of stuff. It's a book that would benefit greatly of a miniseries format, with a slow and drawn out atmosphere - and with that I can already think of names like Luca Guadagnino, Claire Denis or Jean-Marc Vall??e (RIP) -, movie seems quite risky. Also the director is a big “who?”, just because he's a good theatre director doesn't mean he might be a good film director and his movie Genius (2016) is a proof of that.

So yeah, dangerous. Still curious for it though.

?? Actually, I think they'll probably tone down a lot of Marion's fantasies to avoid generalized hate from the public

Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 7h
Tags: literary fiction, lgbt (m/m), romance, forbidden love
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 7/10

This book was turned into a movie! What the trailer here.

My heart is kind of in pieces. I'll be back later for a proper review.

*Edit: ok, here we go :')

Summary:
Brighton, 1950s. Marion meets Tom while visiting his sister, Sylvie, and falls in love with him as first sight. Tall, blonde, and muscular, Tom is a veteran sea swimmer who sets off for the army just as Marion tries to get close to him. Fast forward a few years, Marion has become a (passable) schoolteacher, and Tom has become a policeman after coming back from the army. The two become friends, and Marion convinces Tom to teach her how to swim. Despite Sylvie's warning that “Tom isn't like that,” Marion presses on with her plan to marry Tom.

One day, Tom introduces her to a mysterious and charming man who works at the local museum. Tom declares that he has “met someone,” yet Marion ignores the signs and clings to her dream of becoming his wife. Tom, on the other hand, feels the social pressure of marrying at every turn, and decides to propose to Marion despite his heart.

When the truth about Tom and Patrick finally comes out, Marion is bent on saving her marriage by destroying her enemy. Little does she know, her actions not only destroy Patrick, but also the man she loves so much.

Review:
Told from a double POV, that of Marion's and Patrick's, the story shifts between the present time and the 1950s. Marion's letters tell the story from her point of view and focus a lot on herself and her feelings, while Patrick's focus is solely about Tom. Patrick rarely comments on other people, except Marion when he first meets her, and writes mostly “purple” observations about ‘his policeman.'

From the get go, Marion is unsympathetic and unlikeable. The section where she writes about her first day as a teacher is red flag city and really sets her into a firmly dislikeable character. Marion is said to have a wicked temper, which is shown a few times in the book. Though her fears about Patrick and Tom are founded, her reactions are often overdramatic and theatrical.

‘For a policeman, you're very romantic.' ‘For an artist, you're very afraid.'

Patrick, Marion, and Tom

“I hope that he will come and at least look at you–really look at you–and see what I see: that despite everything, you still love him. I hope this will break his silence.”