I bought this novel at the bookstore in the American Airlines wing of LAX. Unlike most of the newsstands you find in major hubs, this place is the real deal, and what I came up with to tide me over on a long flight from CA to TT (my Kindle had died, and it was more than the battery not being charged) was this title that came out in 2011. It's set in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, and the Channel Islands, some of my favorite places in the world. Once again I'm reading about animal rights in relationship to science, a theme that has found me several times this year. There are no coincidences, right? T.C. Boyle is a master storyteller, and as a writer I hold him in awe. My first introduction was The Tortilla Curtain, the next adventure The Women, and the latest rollicking read When the Killing's Done. My rating of four stars reflects the fact none of the characters are particularly likable even though they are interesting and their conflicts forced me to examine my own beliefs and conscience many times. So check this book out if the setting intrigues you or the dilemma of returning a habitat to its natural state is something you're willing to wrestle with. I listened to the audio version of T.C. Boyle's When the Killing's Done, read by Anthony Heald. I'm glad I did, because I might not have finished reading it.Boyle's unusual subject of killing invasive animals in the Channel Islands off the coast of California brings to light the controversy that rocked California years ago. A park service biologist pits herself against members of PETA and a fictitious group of animal rights advocates who want to stop the slaughter of feral pigs and rats. Straightforward enough, except the narrative ranges across three generations, multiple downings and boat sinkings and too many characters whose names begin with the same letter. I found it hard to keep up with Alma, Anise, Anabelle and others whose names began with A.Not only does the narrative range back and forward in time, it is presented from the point of view of several characters. I'm sure seeing the character's name on the page would have helped. All the characters are brought together through the generations by the end of the book, which in this reader's mind was forced.Head-hopping, i.e., written from differing points of view, often within the same paragraph, and characters with similar sounding names make the reader work hard to stay with the book to the end.So, why the three stars? Because the reader was excellent. Alma, the biologist and protagonist, has fairly a straight-line thought process, although when she slips into confusion, and when Heald uses his pacing to portray that confusion, the book surges. Dave LaJoy, the antagonist, is full of anger, which might have become tedious on the printed page. Again, Heald saves the day with his rush of anger and near breathless delivery.Would I recommend reading it? Only if you like convoluted sentences and tortured thoughts. Would I recommend it as an audio book? Definitely. Heald made all the difference in whether I cared for the characters or not.
What do You think about When The Killing's Done (2011)?
The 'jazz' language was definitely West Coast and I am an East Coast girl.
—kristin
Haunting story! Great subject matter for book group discussion!
—ldog
I love this man's writing - the narrative just drags you in.
—Pete
Always compelling, but full of hateful people.
—honey23
