Pages: 322
Published: 15th July 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Content warnings: Animal death, sexual content, homophobia
Long ago Andrew made a childhood wish. One he has always kept in a silver box with a too-big lid that falls off. When it finally comes true, he wishes it hadn’t…
Long ago Ben dreamed of going to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally goes there, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…
Ben and Andrew keep meeting where they least expect. Some collisions are by design, but are they for a reason? Ben’s father would disown him for his relationship with Andrew, so they must hide their love. Andrew is determined to make it work, but secrets from his past threaten to ruin everything.
Ben escapes to Zimbabwe to finally fulfil his lifelong ambition. But will he ever return to England? To Andrew? To the truth?
This is a book that has the ability to whisk you away on an utterly captivating journey, from both a literary and an emotional perspective. Beautifully written throughout and with a profoundly bittersweet plot that contains numerous layers, it explores sensitive themes with style along the way and leaves you in no doubt that Louise Beech is one of the most versatile authors around.
The depth of the story is such that it can fit into one of several genres. The romance element is right at the very heart of it, although it can equally be seen as a family drama or a work of contemporary fiction. Each of these aspects fall expertly into place and combine to create a compelling narrative that is just as uplifting as it is heartbreaking.
The story begins in Zimbabwe, where Ben is volunteering at a lion sanctuary. He helps to rear an injured lioness and release her back into the wild, fulfilling a long-held promise to his late mother. At the same time, he is involved in a relationship with fellow volunteer Esther, but it is clear that he is conflicted and has a lot on his mind.
It turns out that Ben happens to be severely troubled by the events that took place in his life before he left for Zimbabwe. We are taken back to the moment six months earlier when he meets Andrew, an author of children’s books. They instantly feel a connection to one another and a series of ironically happy coincidences bring them together.
A passionate romance ensues, but then a major revelation changes everything and both men fail to come to terms with what happens next. To make matters worse, Andrew is unwell and Ben has to cope with the fallout from the indiscretions of his bigoted father, Will.
However, this outline of the plot does not do justice to the quality of the storytelling, the amount of imagination that the book contains, or the level of poignancy it manages to evoke. It is written in such a way that it is almost impossible not to feel an emotional connection towards the two main characters.
From almost the moment Ben is introduced, you could sense his complexity. It took a bit of time for me to warm to him, but I was intrigued to find out what had taken him to Zimbabwe and what he had left behind. Andrew was also a very well developed character. Both were fairly likeable, but I appreciated the fact that they also had their flaws.
There were other things that made Ben and Andrew unique. First we have Andrew’s wish box, which illustrates one of the main recurring themes within the book and acts as an important symbolic plot point. Then there are Ben’s ‘mis-words, which are a fascinating concept and made the story memorable in a different way.
As for the supporting characters, Will has a lot of inherent flaws, but he is also given a lot of dimensions and his story is very well developed as a result. Everything that happened with Mike and Kimberley felt a bit too much like a soap opera for me, but I did love the way it was resolved. In fact, the conclusion of the book, though sad, is immensely powerful and could hardly be any better.
The Lion Tamer Who Lost is actually the title of Andrew’s new book, so it is in fact a book within a book. Each chapter begins with a short extract, which all have a fable-like quality. I absolutely loved the way that all of these extracts seemed to mirror the events of the actual book in a metaphorical way.
It was clear that a lot of research had gone into this book in regards to the lions, too. The lions, their behaviour, and their relationship with Ben and the rest of the volunteers played an integral part in the plot, not to mention the fact that it was extremely interesting to read. They also added a uniqueness and an extra perspective to the book as a whole.
There was some nice continuity with the inclusion of Bob Fracklehurst, the very same taxi driver who appeared in Louise Beech’s previous novel The Mountain In My Shoe.
The writing is extremely good from start to finish. To say that the story is told using dual timelines and tenses and travels back and forth between two different settings, makes it sound complicated, but in reality it is easy to follow throughout. It moves along at a consistently good pace and there are many lines that carry a lot of meaning, as well as some quirky similes. The only thing about the plot that made me sceptical was the number of coincidences.
Overall, this was a fabulous read that has certainly left a lasting impact on me. The writing is powerful and emotive, while the story travels to so many different places and confronts a number of interesting themes. But it is the characters who truly drive this affecting story.
Having read this, I can clearly see why this book has received an overwhelmingly high amount of positive reviews. It is wonderfully written and impactful, and takes you to a number of different places.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Stephen Reads Books 