Reviews

Ticket to Ride
Dennis Potter
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Ticket to Ride by Dennis Potter is the kind of book you probably need to re-read to fully appreciate, and I definitely plan on rereading this. Potter’s writing is seductively lyrical. I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs just so I could savour the imagery or mood he created. I’m usually a fairly quick reader, but I found myself purposefully taking my time with this book.

To explain the storyline is a little difficult and part of what made this such an intriguing read for me. A man, John, finds himself on a train heading towards London when he suddenly “loses” his mind. He does not know who he is, why he is on this train and where he is going. He has nothing on him to identify himself, a wad of cash in his wallet and a mysterious “voice” (a secret friend also named John) as his only link to anything from his past. As the story unravels, the reader is taken on a ride through memories, fantasies and sequences all the while not entirely knowing which are which. What is a memory, what is a fantasy and what is part of the action of the current events? You feel, partly, like John - not sure what to accept as real and what an illusion.

Alternating chapters follow Helen, his young wife.  She is anxiously awaiting John’s return from London. The concern is not just for his safe travels, but also underlying problems within their marriage which she is unsure of how to resolve. Helen has her own mysteries to unfold, and her own secrets to either lock away or finally allow herself to reveal. In turn, she has her own psychological turmoil which interlace with her memories of events and fantasies.

The bizarre and surprising twists and turns of the story keep you enthralled, but I believe the characters themselves are the real meat of this book. Potter takes you into a world of supreme alienation and “separateness” from the rest of the world, but also from the self. Social norms, sexual frustrations and desires, the monotony that we often find ourselves in and the uncertainty of real freedom from the self - all these themes are at the forefront. Given utter freedom to be whoever you want, with no idea of who you were, who would you be?

Simply put, this is a psycho-study suspense both beautifully written and bleakly told. As expected, based on the rest of the book, the ending is ambiguous and perhaps frustrating to some, although I personally like the vague, obscure non-conclusion.

Lorissa Shepstone: A South African web designer specialising in the publishing arena and photographer, Lorissa currently lives in England with her husband and their feline-brat. Her work has been featured in various publications, including PC Magazine, Digital Camera Shopper, Small Spiral Notebook, 28mm, U&I Magazine, unbound press, Kudos Magazine, The Crest Magazine and the book, Create Your Own Photoblog. She is the founder and Creative Director of All Things Girl.

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