Bookish Thoughts: These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung

"What is the point of a high school reunion when you can already see who got fat and bald on Facebook?" ~ Opening of These Violent Delights

These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung 
Griffith Moon, 2017
Fiction; 243 pgs
Source: I purchased a copy of this book for my own reading pleasure.

Goodreads Summary: 

At Windemere School for Girls, one of America’s elite private schools, Dr. Gregory Copeland is the beloved chair of the English Department. A married father with a penchant for romantic poetry—and impressionable teenage girls—he operates in plain sight for years, until one of his former students goes public with allegations of inappropriate conduct. With the help of an investigative journalist, and two additional Windemere alumnae who had relationships with Copeland as students, the unlikely quartet unites to take him down. 

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, These Violent Delights is a literary exploration of the unyielding pressures and vulnerabilities that so many women and girls experience, and analyzes the ways in which our institutions and families fail to protect or defend us. A suspenseful and nuanced story told from multiple points of view, the novel examines themes of sexuality, trauma, revenge, and the American myth of liberty and justice for all.

 I was excited when I received Victoria Namkung’s These Violent Delights in the most recent My Lit Box. I hadn’t heard of the author or book before, but I was immediately curious about this book described as being straight from the headlines. Just about every time I tune into the news, there is another story about sexual assault or sexual harassment. I had high expectations going into Namkung’s book, especially given how much I have loved and enjoyed my other My Lit Box selections.

An intern with a Los Angeles newspaper comes forward with a story of her own, opening a can of worms at a prestigious girls’ school, Windemere. Her disclosure leads to other disclosures, revealing just how deep the cover up and how long a well-respected teacher and chair of the English Department had been targeting teen girls, luring them into sexual relationships. Told from multiple viewpoints, Namkung’s novel gives voice to three of his victims as well as the news journalist covering the story.

I think books like this are important for many reasons, including bringing to light the trauma and impact sexual harassment or assault can have on a person. This isn’t something that just happens and you can get over it. It affects a person’s self-view and their relationships. Everyone has different coping mechanisms—some turn to drugs and alcohol, promiscuity, or even religion. Some are better able to deal with the guilt and shame that often follows being victimized. If the victims are lucky, the perpetrator is punished for his or her crime, but unfortunately the victim also suffers, often for a lifetime. Namkung doesn’t hold back in describing the backlash the women face for coming forward. The hate, threats and shaming, the blaming of the victims and the overall support for the perpetrator. I liked the example reporter Jane offers her coworker who questions why the victims waited so long to speak up. If someone has her cell phone stolen, we all feel bad for her. Our first instinct isn’t the blame her, but to blame the thief. Too often in sexual harassment and assault cases, the victims are the first to be blamed. Whether it be what they were wearing, something they said—or didn’t say—what they’d had to drink, and so on. They must have asked for it.  Or they are lying to get money, fame or revenge. The question should not be why victims do not come forward or take so long, given our societal treatment and reaction to victims of sexual crimes, but why they do at all? It takes great courage to speak out, especially given social and news media today.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I think the women’s stories are all realistic and relateable. From Sasha to Eva, Caryn and even Jane. I liked that Namkung takes the reader through the “process”—from disclosure to the fallout and the investigation and through to the trial. The anger and sadness, the pain and doubt . . . All of it is very present in this novel and for good reason. She also touches on cultural issues through the voices of her characters. Eva, a Latina, and Caryn, a Korean American, as well as economic ones. Sexual assault does not have a set demographic. It crosses over every line. How families and communities deal with it, however, can differ depending on culture and economics.

My issues with the novel has more to do with the writing. It is clear the novel is well–researched. However, it felt like the author had a list of talking points she wanted to include, and so some of the conversations between the characters seemed forced, especially in the beginning. I also never quite felt the emotional connection to any of the characters I would have hoped to feel, especially given the type of novel it was. I would liked have had a little more depth--more showing instead of telling, if you will. Even with this though, I had a hard time putting These Violent Delights down when I had to.

I think These Violent Delights covers important ground, and I appreciated the insight and research the author put into it. It was  compelling read, and I am glad I read it. While this book did not live up to my expectations, I know that several others have loved it. Maybe you will too.

To learn more about Victoria Namkung and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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