The Pursuit of William Abbey

I'm in awe of Claire North. She seems to have a knack for thinking up a wonderfully simple, but original concept - and then thinking through a logical progression of that idea, taking it to places I'd never have dreamed of.

The idea in this case - William Abbey has been cursed, and his curse takes the form of a ghost - which will chase him down - at walking pace - wherever he goes. When it is close, he sees the truth in men's hearts. If it touches him, the person he loves the most will die - and the pursuit will begin again. So far so “It Follows” - but true to form, Claire North dwells moves quickly away from the horror of that pursuit, instead choosing a wider scope for the story.

Set in Victorian times, and taking us on a prolonged tour of the British Empire of the time, the book very deliberately shows us some of the worst and most heart-breaking aspects and consequences of British colonialism - while progressing that idea in a very cynical direction: when such a curse or gift comes to the attention of the powers that be (and William is far from the only person in the book with this affliction)... they'll work out how to weaponise it.

It's a great book - if not a very optimistic one - William is a deeply flawed protagonist, makes serious mistakes and is rarely brave or heroic - so he's hard to really care for (although, perhaps - if I'm honest - easy to identify with) - but I found the story captivating. If the picture it paints of the “golden age” of the British Empire is a tarnished one (to say the least) - that is no bad thing either.

In short - a thought provoking book, and a great read. Highly recommended.