I still have 50 pages to go on Gail's book, but so far I've been amazed about how engaged I feel on such a dark topic. From page 1 we're aware that the ultimate outcome is going to be a murder-suicide for the two "protagonists", but through how it's written I still myself rooting for characters and trying to envision a different outcome.
There is not character construction in the traditional sense because they are all real people and we're just reading real quotes and information. However, the selection of quotes and placement in the piece are guiding my view of the characters for the optimum dramatic effect. Especially how the story of Neenef and Maggie are told separately at first and we're able to empathize or sympathize with both of them as individuals. I don't think I'm alone in saying that I appreciated Neenef and how he worked to try to get out from under the thumb of his father and establish himself at a progressive liberal college. That is what makes it so tragic when he slowly transitions into the antagonist. This also helps move the novel from a story about 2 people into one about a campus and its reactions. At a certain point we're getting information primarily from friends and faculty. While we care about how their relationship is going, we ultimately are left with the friends and faculty and because they received sufficient attention before the event occurred it remains an engaging read.
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