The Other Hand
OCLC 227274979 | |
The Other Hand, also known as Little Bee, is a 2008 novel by British author
The novel was published by Sceptre, an
Background
Cleave spent his early childhood in West Africa, which he credits for having partially inspired The Other Hand. Further inspiration came from Cleaves's temporary employment while studying
In 2005, an incident inspired Cleave to write The Other Hand. Four years previously, in 2001, an Angolan asylum-seeker named Manuel Bravo had arrived in England with his 9-year-old son. After being detained in an immigration centre for four years, officials decided to forcibly deport Bravo and his son back to Angola the next morning. During the night, Bravo committed suicide, aware that his son, who was still a minor, could not be deported unaccompanied.[2][3] Cleave felt compelled to write about the "dirty secret" that is the British immigration system, and to do so in such a way as to showcase the "unexpected humour" of the refugees wherever possible, in order to make the book "an enjoyable and compelling read" for his audience.[2] Cleave explained:
I think the job is important because there's something you can do in fiction that you don't have the space to do in news media, which is to give back a measure of humanity to the subjects of an ongoing story. When I started to imagine the life of one asylum seeker in particular, rather than asylum seekers in general, the scales fell from my eyes in regard to any ideological position I might have held on the issue. It's all about exploring the mystery and the wonder of an individual human life. Life is precious, whatever its country of origin.[2]
Plot
Using alternating first-person perspectives, the novel tells the stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee, and Sarah O'Rourke (née Summers), a magazine editor from Surrey. After spending two years detained in a British immigration detention centre, Little Bee is illegally released after a fellow refugee performs sexual favours for a detention officer. She travels to the home of Sarah and her husband Andrew, whom she met two years previously on a beach in the Niger Delta. Sarah is initially unaware of Little Bee's presence, until Andrew, haunted by guilt of their shared past, commits suicide. Little Bee reveals herself to Sarah on the day of Andrew's funeral, and helps her to care for her four-year-old son Charlie.
Through a mutual reflection on their past, it is revealed that Sarah and Andrew were on holiday at the time of their meeting with Little Bee. The trip was an attempt to salvage their marriage after Andrew discovered Sarah had been unfaithful to him, embarking on an affair with Home Office employee Lawrence Osborn. While walking on the beach one morning, they were approached by a then 14-year-old Little Bee, and her older sister Nkiruka. The girls were being pursued by soldiers who had burned down their village and intended for there to be no witnesses left alive. The soldiers arrived and murdered a guard from the O'Rourkes' hotel, but offered to spare the lives of the girls if Andrew would amputate his own middle finger with a machete. Afraid, and believing the soldiers would murder the girls anyway, Andrew refused, but Sarah complied in his place. The soldiers took both girls away, leaving the couple in doubt as to whether the soldiers would leave one girl alive in response, as they promised.
I smiled back at Charlie and I knew that the hopes of this whole human world could fit inside one soul. This is a good trick. This is called, globalisation.
—Little Bee[4]
Little Bee explains that although Nkiruka was gang raped, murdered, and cannibalised by the soldiers, she was allowed to escape, and stowed away in the
Little Bee is detained and quickly deported back to Nigeria, where she believes she will be killed. Lawrence uses his Home Office connections to track Little Bee's deportation details, and Sarah and Charlie are able to accompany her back home. Sarah believes that Little Bee will be safe as long as she is present, and together they begin collecting stories for a book Andrew had begun, and which Sarah intends to finish on his behalf, about the atrocities committed in the Nigerian oil conflict. During a trip to the same beach where they first encountered one another, soldiers arrive to take Little Bee away. Despite being captured, Little Bee is not dispirited, and instead is ultimately hopeful at the sight of Charlie playing happily with a group of Nigerian children.
Characters
The primary characters in The Other Hand are Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee, and Sarah, a middle-class Englishwoman. Critics have focused on the contrast between the two, with Caroline Elkins of The New York Times commenting that Sarah might initially appear "insipid" to readers, and that when juxtaposed with Little Bee, she seems "unsympathetic, even tiresome".[5] Tim Teeman of The Times deemed Sarah "batty, bizarre and inconsistent, and despite the tragedy she has suffered, unsympathetic", while writing that in contrast: "Goodness peppers every atom of [Little Bee's] being."[6] Other reviewers took an opposite stance. Margot Kaminski of the San Francisco Chronicle found Little Bee's characterisation problematic, writing: "Sometimes she's not convincing, and sometimes she tries too hard to convince. It's too often apparent that Little Bee is not real. This doesn't do justice to her story, and puts the burden back on the author to show that he's representing her, rather than exploiting her."[7] Ed Lake of The Daily Telegraph felt that "Bee's arch reasonableness and implausibly picturesque speech mean she often comes off as a too-cute cipher", and ultimately found Sarah the more convincing character.[8]
The Guardian's Lawrence Norfolk commented that Sarah is a "far from perfect heroine: a semi-neglectful mother and unfaithful wife", but noted that "Cleave does not mock Sarah (and life in Kingston upon Thames) any more than he does Little Bee and her experiences in Nigeria."[9] Norfolk felt that: "For all the characters' faults, none of them is presented as inauthentic or standing for something that we are intended to disbelieve.[9] On the disparity in sympathy for Sarah and Little Bee, Cleave assessed: "Sarah inevitably suffers by proximity to Little Bee, who is much easier to like. If Sarah is more twisted, I think it's because her path through life has necessarily been more convoluted. Little Bee's life is extremely harrowing but it is also very simple – she is swimming very hard against the current, struggling to survive and not to be swept away. Sarah doesn’t have the luxury of knowing in which direction she should swim."[2]
Steve Giergerich of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch felt that Sarah and Little Bee are both "so richly drawn that the supporting characters suffer by comparison."[10] These supporting characters are Andrew, Sarah's husband, Lawrence, her lover, Clarissa her colleague and Charlie, her four-year-old son, who for much of the novel answers only to "Batman" and dresses only in his Batman costume. Sarah Liss of CBC News deemed Andrew and Lawrence the two least-likeable characters in the novel, describing Andrew as "an ordinary guy with self-righteous beliefs who comes up slightly short when he's tested by real life" and Lawrence as a "cowardly yes-man".[11] Cleave agreed that for Lawrence, "career and propriety are more important than basic morality. He's gone so far down that road that he can't come back, and he's made more villainous for all the things he could do but doesn't."[11] Charlie is based on Cleave's oldest son, who similarly spent six months aged four answering only to "Batman". He forms the emotional centre of the novel, holding the adult characters together, and is a study in the early formation of identity. Cleave explained: "Little Bee is a novel about where our individuality lies – which layers of identity are us, and which are mere camouflage. So it's a deliberate choice to use the metaphor of a child who is engaging in his first experiments with identity – in Charlie's case by taking on the persona of a superhero."[2]
Themes
The Other Hand presents a critique of the British asylum system and attitude towards
We're often told that we live in a globalized world, and we talk about it all the time, but people don't stop to think about what it means.
The novel also deals with the issue of
Marital infidelity features throughout the sections of the novel narrated by Sarah. Cleave discussed: "When you are choosing a lover, you're choosing a philosophy; it's not about sex, it's not about marriage. With Sarah, her unfaithfulness is just one of the symptoms of the fact that she's torn and is going to have to make this strong moral choice."[1] Sarah's storyline also explores her moral culpability following Andrew's suicide.[13] Personal accountability is a central theme of the novel, with Elkins of The New York Times opining that by not focusing on "postcolonial guilt or African angst", Cleave is able to use the novel to challenge readers' conceptions of civility and ethical choice.[5] Margot Kaminski of the San Francisco Chronicle similarly feels that the book delivered a message of anti-complacency, however believes that it does so by "bemoaning the normality of the First World in the face of the horrors of the Third."[7] She deemed The Other Hand essentially a novel about "the borders we draw, and the real damage they inflict".[7]
Style
Having spent almost two years working on the novel, Cleave decided upon using the
A central stylistic feature of the novel is the lack of detail Cleave gives regarding elements of Little Bee's past. "Little Bee" is an assumed name, described as a "mechanism for survival" by Courteau, as the character is forced to discard her true name when pursued by soldiers, through fear it may reveal her tribe and religion.[13] Her real name, Udo, is not revealed until the end of the novel.[15] Courteau also highlights the fact that Little Bee's Nigerian enemies and their motivations are never explicitly described, as the novel is told through the first-person narrative, and Little Bee herself is limited in her understanding of them.[13] Cleave intended for the story as a whole never to be fully explicit, relying instead on readers' interpretation of the characters' dialogue.[2]
Throughout the novel, Little Bee considers how she would explain England to "the girls back home" in Nigeria. Cleave uses the girls as a Greek chorus, providing a foil to allow the cultural dissonance experienced by Little Bee to be made explicit. He feels the device is more natural than having Little Bee narrate her alarm first hand, allowing the reader to appreciate the cultural gulf, and Little Bee to seem knowing as opposed to tragic.[2] Through Little Bee's narration, Cleave examines human culture from the opposite perspective as science fiction does, having an extraordinary protagonist explore an ordinary world. This contemporary realism gives a significance to mundane events experienced by Little Bee, while bringing into focus "sad and ignoble" aspects of English culture such as the detention system. Cleave commented: "We have become accustomed to viewing our own actions in soft focus, but the alien narrator has not yet acquired this cultural immunity. She sees us as we can no longer see ourselves."[2]
Courteau compared The Other Hand to Ian McEwan's Enduring Love observing that both novels are formed around "a single horrific encounter", and praised Cleave for his "restrained, diamond-hard prose".[13] Philip drew a different comparison, opining that Cleave's writing style—using plain language to describe atrocities— was reminiscent of John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.[14]
Publication history
The novel was first published on 7 August 2008, released in hardback by
Blurb
Mirroring the deliberately vague detail within the novel, the blurb on the book is unusually written, in that it does not name the characters or reveal the plot.[24] It was written by a team at Sceptre led by marketing consultant Damian Horner,[19] and has the approval of Cleave, who described it as "genius".[24] Cleave explained: "I think readers are quite smart and don't really need the whole thing spelt out for them in a plot summary. It's nice to let them discover the book at their own speed. And the technique of the book is to release these dirty secrets gradually."[24] The content of the blurb varies between UK and American editions of the novel, but both begin: "We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it." and end: "Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds."[19][21] James Spackman, Sales and Marketing Director for Sceptre, was initially sceptical of the blurb, particularly disliking the use of "we" for the publisher to address the reader directly. Once the book became a best-seller, however, he revised his stance, and now believes that the reason the blurb works is because it makes a virtue of denying the reader information, with an unusual format and "arrestingly direct" tone.[19] The blurb won Sceptre the "Best Blurb" award at the 2010 Book Marketing Society Awards.[25]
Reception
The Other Hand reached number 13 on the 2009
The book has received mixed reviews. Some critics have praised the novel for its focus on underlying human decency. The New York Times's Caroline Elkins felt that the pretext of the novel "initially feels contrived", but assessed that "in a world full of turpitude and injustice, it is [Sarah and Little Bee's] bold, impulsive choices that challenge the inevitability of despair, transforming a political novel into an affecting story of human triumph."[5] James Urquhart of The Independent called the book "a powerful piece of art",[35] writing: "Besides sharp, witty dialogue, an emotionally charged plot and the vivid characters' ethical struggles, The Other Hand delivers a timely challenge to reinvigorate our notions of civilised decency".[35] Equally, Andrew Rosenheim of Publishers Weekly found the book noteworthy for Cleave's "ability to find a redemptive grace in the midst of almost inconceivable horror."[36] while Jeremy Jehu of The Daily Telegraph deemed it an "elegant parable" and a "challenge to every cosy, knee-jerk liberal inclined to spout off about our shared humanity and global obligations."[37]
A separate Daily Telegraph review, this by critic Ed Lake, took a dissimilar stance, opining that that book is "pervaded by a vaguely distasteful glossiness", and that "if Cleave is writing from great depths of feeling, he hides it well." Lake deemed the book "faultlessly relevant, but ultimately cloying."[8] Another Publishers Weekly review was also less positive, calling the book "beautifully staged" but "haphazardly plotted", and noting: "Cleave has a sharp cinematic eye, but the plot is undermined by weak motivations and coincidences."[38] Teeman of The Times felt that the book was overwritten, and wished "twistedly" that it had a less positive conclusion, commenting: "With every motive and action explicitly drawn, fleshed out and explained, there is no room for mystery, ambiguity or even tension."[6]
Film adaptation
Initial reports touted the possibility of a film adaptation; six offers were made from interested companies.[18] The film was to star Nicole Kidman, and was to be produced by Kidman, Gail Mutrux and Per Saari through Mutrux's production company Pretty Picture, and Kidman's, Blossom Films. Shawn Slovo was to write the script, and Christine Langan was to be the executive producer.[39] Kidman had already read the novel before Mutrux contacted her about producing the film, on a flight between Los Angeles and Australia. The Times reported that she was "so eager" to play Sarah that she personally competed with several film studios in order to secure the rights to the book.[12]
However, online references to this project went dead within a couple of years, and as of 2017 no film had been made.
References
- ^ a b c d House, Christian (10 August 2008). "Chris Cleave: The author explores the tragicomic way Britain deals with asylum-seekers". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cleave, Chris (12 June 2009). "Behind the scenes of Little Bee / The Other Hand". chriscleave.com. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Herbert, Ian (17 September 2005). "Asylum seeker kills himself so child can stay in Britain". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-340-96340-1.
- ^ a b c d e Elkins, Caroline (15 May 2009). "Exit Wounds". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b Teeman, Tim (1 August 2008). "The Other Hand by Chris Cleave". The Times. London, England. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Kaminski, Margot (15 March 2009). "'Little Bee,' by Chris Cleave". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ a b Lake, Ed (3 October 2008). "Review: The Other Hand by Chris Cleave". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ a b Norfolk, Lawrence (9 August 2008). "Africa on the doorstep". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Giegerich, Steve (15 March 2009). "Little Bee". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Liss, Sarah (8 April 2009). "Thinking globally". CBC News. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Brooks, Richard (19 April 2009). "Nicole Kidman in race to claim asylum novel". The Times. London, England. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Corteau, Sarah L. (25 February 2009). "A Beach Vacation Goes Horribly Awry". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ a b Philip, Emma (13 October 2008). "Chris Cleave weaves tale of shock and humour". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-340-96340-1.
- ^ "The Other Hand". Hodder & Stoughton. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "The Other Hand". Hodder & Stoughton. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ a b Roberts, Alison (30 April 2009). "Chris Cleave, the London novelist taking the world by storm". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d Spackman, James (11 November 2009). "The Back of the Book". Hodder & Stoughton. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Jacobs, Rodger (3 March 2010). "Borders Books: Corporate Media Heroin in Las Vegas, Part Two". PopMatters.
- ^ ISBN 9781416589648. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ISBN 9781416593836. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ISBN 9781416589648. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Sutherland, Claire (11 October 2008). "On the other hand ..." The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "Hodder Wins Two Awards from the Book Marketing Society". Hodder & Stoughton. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Clee, Nicholas (16 January 2010). "Nicholas Clee reads between the lines". The Times. London. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ "Paperback Trade Fiction". The New York Times. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Brown, Jonathan (18 November 2008). "Sex, sore feet, and a 90-year-old up for the Costa". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ "Category Award Winners". Costa Book Awards. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Commonwealth Foundation. Archived from the originalon 1 March 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Commonwealth Foundation. Archived from the originalon 22 March 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ "The 2010 Award longlist". International Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Flood, Alison (2 November 2009). "Aravind Adiga heads Impac Dublin prize longlist". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "The 2010 Award". International Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ a b Urquhart, James (22 August 2008). "The Other Hand, by Chris Cleave". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Rosenheim, Andrew (24 November 2008). "The Fiction of Prophecy". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Jehu, Jeremy (13 March 2009). "Pick of the Paperbacks". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ "Fiction Reviews". Publishers Weekly. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (10 July 2009). "BBC, Kidman buzz around 'Bee' book". Variety. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
External links
- The Other Hand at Chris Cleave's official website
- Little Bee at Chris Cleave's official website
- "What Cleave takes you through?" an article by journalist, Naieme Molaie