Kate Elizabeth Russell’s 2020 novel – My Dark Vanessa – may just be one of the most controversial novels of the past several years. The novel is uncomfortable, painful and packed with trauma and its effects. Here, we review the debut novel.
My Dark Vanessa is available to order here.
Kate Elizabeth Russell’s debut novel – My Dark Vanessa – may be one of the most uncomfortable reads to pass through our hands from the last several years. Taking the motif of Nabokov’s infamous work, Lolita, as the central thread of the novel, Russell narrates the story of Vanessa Wyes who at the age of 15 becomes involved with her 42 year old teacher, Jacob Strane. Russell’s uncomfortable and powerful writing invites us into the Wyes’ youthful mind as she becomes captivated by the idea of Strane and the ‘romance’ of their relationship, the beginning of which starts with Strane becoming interested in her poetry and importantly lending her a copy of Lolita, before progressing to physical touch when he touches her knee under the desk in class, before spiralling into kisses and ultimately sex. Russell masterfully catapults us back and forth between the story of Vanessa at 32, dealing with the news that Strane has been accused of the sexual abuse of another former pupil and is hounded by a journalist who wants to spotlight her story too. At 32, Vanessa is still unable to come to terms with the idea that her ‘relationship’ with Strane was actually abuse, remaining in contact with him – occasionally having phone sex. Switching back and forth between these two time periods allows the reader to fully come to grips with the ramifications of this kind of sexual abuse on a young, teenage mind. Russell does not shy away from the excruciating detail – the sex scenes are uncomfortable, traumatic and, at times, sickening (for instance when Strane has sex with her when she is so drunk that she vomits straight after).
The novel is pacy and fearless – unafraid to really delve into the traumatic implications of this kind of repeated rape of a young and impressionable teenage girl – giving a real, unadulterated perspective on just how long-lasting these effects can be. Where Russell has really triumphed is in the twisting of the story back and forth, where initially the reader is permitted to feel ambiguous and confused on their view of the relationship, before being led to feel increasingly uncomfortable and sickened. My Dark Vanessa is dark, painful and a startlingly important read and establishes Kate Elizabeth Russell as a vital voice in this dialogue.
My Dark Vanessa is available to order here.
