Afternoon Of A Faun by James Lasdun

 

Two English writers, friends, are now both living in the United States.  One is Marco Rosedale, son of a prominent English barrister and famous in his own right as a journalist and television presenter.  He comes to his friend with a problem.  Marco received a call from an English newspaper telling him that he is featured in the recollections of a woman, Julia, from forty years ago.  She says that Marco forced her to have sex one afternoon.  

Marco remembers the affair but has a very different perspective.  He remembers it as totally consensual and that it lasted for several more encounters.  He knows that in the era of the 'me-too' scandals, if this memoir is printed it will ruin his life.  A quote from the book says it all: "The truth might be hard to bring to light, but that didn't mean it didn't exist, because it did exist: fixed in its moment, unalterable, and certainly not a matter of 'belief'"

Marco manages to quash the newspaper but then Julia finds a publisher.  Marco becomes obsessed with preventing this book from being published and his friend is drawn further and further into the event, both as a listener and then when he visits England, as a participant.  What is the truth?  Marco readily admits that in another generation he treated women horribly but he insists that it was nothing more than the attitude of many men and that he would never be coercive.  Can reality be unearthed after all this time?

James Lasdun is an English poet and author although he now lives and teaches in the United States.  He has written a memoir of being cyberstalked by one of his own students for years and has insight into fighting perceptions versus truth from that experience.  This novel was written as the 'me-too' movement became prominent and men from all walks of life were called to account for their behavior, often from years before.  The reader will get the slow reveal of this scandal and their sympathies may move from one character to another as they read.  This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.