The eye of the beholder: Perfect title for this dark, atmospheric tale

I had not heard of British author, Margie Orford, before I picked up her novel, The eye of the beholder, at my local library. Orford was born in London but raised in Namibia and South Africa. She is the author of the Clare Hart detective series set in Cape Town.

There is not a lot to go by in the book's blurb and I quite liked that I went into it without too many expectations. Three women are central to the story - Cora, her daughter, Freya, and Angel - and they are entwined by their experience of past traumatic events. That is about all the reader knows before jumping into the novel, but it was enough to draw me in.

The eye of the beholder | Published July 2022 | Read February 2024

It is hard to put a label on The eye of the beholder. There are multiple gender-based violent acts at the core of the story, but it is more than a crime novel. It is an intense and deeply emotional tale, thanks largely to Orford's unique writing style, lyrical in its exploration of the three women's experiences. The book is much less about crime solving (and the plot on that point is the weakest part of the novel) and more about Orford's creative and intelligent exploration of misogyny, with a strong feminist vibe.

Cora is a renowned artist, living in Scotland after fleeing a traumatic childhood in rural South Africa. Her art is edgy and controversial, drawing her daughter, Freya, into a media storm over the images and possible messaging in a series of paintings in a recent exhibition. Angel has her own childhood trauma to contend with while working in a wolf rescue sanctuary in a small, secluded town north of Montreal. The three women connect and collide through Yves Fournier, an art dealer who lives in a cabin near the town.

The eye of the beholder is not for the fainthearted. It is chilling, confronting and uncomfortable. I found the chapters documenting Cora and Angel's abuse hard to read. It is a gripping story, though, and one that needs to be told. Orford deftly deals with the lingering effects of trauma (causing frustration for me around some of Cora's choices, albeit ones I could understand). She also writes about the power of abusers to objectify and control women, and the lack of justice that often plagues gendered violence. Angel is my favourite character as her strength and relentless pursuit of justice (and her love for the wolves) made me connect with her the most. Orford's poetic writing and the the harsh and unforgiving landscapes in Canada, South Africa and Scotland create a haunting and vivid reading experience. The eye of the beholder will stay with me for a long time.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐