Mr. Chartwell

I originally picked up this book because the cover was interesting and the author was British. The fact that I'm a fan of British literature coupled with the mysteriousness of the characters made it a must read.

Heed my warning...if you're looking for a fun, whimsical piece of British literature...this is not the book for you.

I was immediately drawn into the story because of the shroud surrounding Mr.Chartwell and his intentions. While at first he seems like a friendly enough visitor, you soon discover that his intentions are not as they seem, and he's exactly the type of company you don't want in your house.

I thought Winston Churchill was an admirable character in terms of how he confronted and dealt with Mr. Chartwell. I don't know that I could stand being constantly nagged by someone or something like Mr. Chartwell and remain sane, although I guess one could argue the point of Sir Churchill's sanity.

Esther, who I regard as the main character since much of the action in the story revolves around her, was a little disappointing to me. When I realized who Mr. Chartwell was and what he really wanted from Esther, I was screaming for her to say "NO!" It was maddening watching her consent to the whims of Mr. Chartwell. However, she began to redeem herself once she crossed paths with Sir Churchill who gave her some of the soundest advice I've ever stumbled across..."Do not consent to the descent."

My three favorite characters were Corkbowl, Big Oliver, and Beth. They were necessary to the story's survival, because if I didn't believe that they would make me laugh during a point where the story was beginning to get immensely sad, I probably would have stopped reading the book half way through.

In essence, this book wasn't really what I expected it to be, and I'm not faulting it for that. I'm only giving it three stars, because if I had known the true subject matter of the book, I probably wouldn't have bought it. Also, the language was a bit choppy. I'm all for creative license and writing however you want, but there were way too many fragments throughout the book, and it was increasingly difficult to read so many short, incomplete thoughts. I suppose if these fragments had been in the form of speech I might be more willing to accept them. I should also note that I'm giving this three stars because I think the story was supposed to have some profound effect on me, but it didn't. Good first try, though, Rebecca Hunt. Moral of the story...if a Mr. Chartwell comes knocking at your door...don't let him in! ( )

Read from February 07 to 12, 2011

To turn something tragic like depression into something entertaining seems impossible, but Rebecca Hunt manages to do just that. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Even the horrible Mr. Chartwell, aka Black Pat, was a pleasure. (I feel the need to learn more about Winston Churchill after reading the book though!) ( )

This book offers a really interesting perspective on depression through two sufferers. Winston Churchill's suffering is a burden programmed into his psychology; Esther is experiencing more situational depression, it may pass, or it may take her over. Imaginatively told with depression represented via a very large, mostly unpleasant black dog, this book is informing as well as a page turner. ( )

Originally published on Read Handed.

Winston Churchill is a widely admired and respected figure. A renaissance man, he excelled at writing, painting, politics, oration, history, military service, leadership, and more. And, apparently, he did it all while suffering from depression.

Rebecca Hunt's novel Mr. Chartwell gives insight into Churchill's depression, which he called his "bête noire", literally "black beast", but often interpreted as "black dog." The book follows Churchill through his final days in parliament as he prepares to retire. It also follows the struggles of a library clerk named Esther Hammerhans as she commemorates a dark anniversary. Throughout these days, the two characters are hampered by Black Pat Chartwell, a giant black dog who insists on making their lives even more difficult.

Esther decides to rent out her spare room for some extra money and receives only one response to her advertisement: someone called Mr. Chartwell. When Esther opens her front door when he arrives for their meeting, she is shocked to see "a mammoth muscular dog about six foot seven high" (pg. 10). Oh, and he can talk. For some reason, this is much easier for Esther to swallow than for the reader. The strange character took some getting used to, but by the end of the book proved to be an effective and accurate personification.

Black Pat is depression. With Esther, he creeps in innocently enough. She does, after all, invite him into her house and rents her spare room to him. For Churchill, he is a lifelong, uninvited companion. He has dealt with Black Pat for years and has seen him take over the lives of dear family members. Once Black Pat has his victim's attention, he hangs around, annoying and distracting them with his foul odor, disgusting habits, and tendency to destroy everything. Esther doesn't know how to deal with Black Pat, and doesn't really understand his purpose in her life, but Churchill knows him too well.

Structure-wise, the book follows a chronological pattern, separating the action into days and times and alternating between Churchill's and Esther's stories. The writing is light, funny, and descriptive. The side characters, such as Esther's friends Beth, Big Oliver, and Corkbowl, are quirky and fun. Hunt's descriptions are unusual, striking, and apt. For example:

"Corkbowl watched Esther's cheeks light with a nunnish smile. He looked at her hair, hair that had never been lavished with attention. A plaster wrapper around the end of her index finger was found to be mystically stylish. Corkbowl's heart rang like a tuning fork" (pg. 88).

Or

"Black Pat burst through like a bowling ball smashing into fresh pins" (pg.169).

And, as an example of Hunt's understated wit:

"He made a welcoming sound over a mouthful of flapjack and shut his newspaper. He did the universally understood spin of his hand to show he couldn't understand why it was taking so long to swallow. It was the spin that said, I'm bored of chewing; I can't believe I'm still chewing" (pg. 131).

And, finally, an example of how disgusting Black Pat is:

"Black Pat's head rolled to manoueuvre her hand to the base of his ecstatic ear. She scratched it, swearing never to eat with this hand again. Fur worked loose in clouds" (pg. 143).

Hunt depicts Winston Churchill as a highly intelligent, determined, and tender old man who loves his wife.

Overall, Mr. Chartwell was good: imaginative if a little strange, witty and delving. ( )