Throughout our daily lives, whether we want it or not, politics touches us all. Even those of us that say we have no interest in politics still talk about it. And with politics and politicians comes power, and where there is power, unfortunately you will also find corruption. Throughout history, political corruption has been the catalyst for revolutions that reshape societies. When that power is abused, the voices of the majority of people are quashed and silenced, which in turn can sow the seeds of rebellion. Power, corruption, resistance and revolution are complex subject matters and through literature we can explore the dynamics and the efforts they have. Amanita Virosa – The Destroying Angel: A Novel by Barry Harden is one such tale – a story that delves into the dark underbelly of corruption and the fiery resolve of revolutionaries.
Barry Harden’s Amanita Virosa: The Destroying Angel is a novel loosely based on actual social-political events in 1980s London. It is a tale centred around unchecked power and corruption of the ruling classes and rebellion. It is set in a dystopian society where corruption has seeped into every corner of government, which leaves the population suffocating under the weight of greed and oppression.
The story starts in north London with the protagonist character of Everard, a 24 year old disillusioned homeless man who is tired of the loan sharks that are making the lives of people, especially the elderly, a misery. With his fightback he meets Doris, a feisty pensioner, and the seeds of revolution and sown, a revolution that will change the course of government and weed out corruption, greed and the violent gangs in society.
Overall, while loosely based on events in the 1980s of political corruption and scandals, violent gangs and extortion, it is a work of fiction that examines these themes. I enjoyed reading this novel but while it was a gripping, intriguing and overall enjoyable read I felt that it was a story that was missing something.
The story starts extremely well in north London with the character of down on his luck Everard seeking to readdress the financial woes of the pensioners being robbed weekly by extortionate money lenders. This is where his activities introduce him to Doris, a pensioner who grows in statue and confidence, and the beginnings of a group of rebels. The characters and landscape are very descriptive and engaging.
Soon we are introduced to Amanita Virosa, a Roma fighter who fled the horrors of war-town Bosnia, who is also fed up with the injustices. She is a skilled fighter, an assassin and forms an alliance with Doris and her group, joining the fight to bring about change in her new adopted homeland.
But as the story progresses with brutal violence, deceit, betrayal, and danger the story starts to feel a bit rushed, leaving me feeling that parts of the story were missing. As more themes are introduced, going from political corruption, violent gangs, and various criminal acts that keep people at the top while crushing the everyday person, to themes that include incest, war that include Mossad getting involved in murders and even references to Brexit, it at times got confusing as there was no real context as to why some of the themes were there (it was here that I started to feel like bits of the story had been cut out). The story travels along at a fast pace, always with something happening to keep you turning the page, but at times it just seemed too fast of a pace.
The story takes a good look at how unchecked corruption of those in power can have devasting effects for all involved and for society in general. Overall it is an interesting read with sharp evocative writing that does paint a vivid picture of a society on the brink of collapse.
While the story is on the dark side, it shines a light on how the human spirit is capable of extraordinary resilience and courage as well as how people coming together can change outcomes.
Amanita Virosa – The Destroying Angel is a thought-provoking read about politics, rebellion and power without checks and balances. It has a good storyline with some very interesting characters, but for me it just felt rushed and missing some of the story in some places. It started off with great promise, and I personally would have liked it to have been a little bit longer with more detail in places to take away the rushed feeling and missing pieces of the story.
Rating: 3.5/5
RRP: £12.99 (Paperback) / £6.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit www.barryhardenauthor.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
