Embroiled in a midlife crisis, Linda happens to be a woman in need of help. Her seemingly perfect life — a rich, generous and faithful husband, two wonderful children, a cushy job at a magazine and head-turning looks — needs meaning as she reflects on what she has and what she desires.
In the meantime, a magazine assignment brings her close to Jacob Koneg, a politician on the rise and also her old flame. Henceforth, begins Linda’s tumultuous ride through guilt and thrill, love and lust, faithfulness and infidelity, right and wrong and what ‘was’ and what ‘is’ (husband and lover). “Sin is followed by a fear of being caught. It’s like being inside a trap. You know you’re caught but you can’t escape,” aptly describes her inner conflict.
The novel has all the usual Coelho ingredients: relationships gone wrong, introspection, inner conflicts, spirituality, Biblical references and of course the didactic rant. But it lacks cohesion. For those who imbibe Coelho’s spirituality, the Biblical references and spiritual connections are loose unlike the well-researched and well-assimilated references in his earlier works. The dialogues are weak and forgetful and fail to create a bond between the character and the reader. Event the rant — usually a rich Coelho monotone — is dronish.
The book lacks layers and the depth that Coelho has showcased in his previous works. The plot doesn’t score any major points on originality either and those who have read 40 Rules of Love or are familiar with the contents of the Fifty Shades trilogy, may find Adultery to be a vague reminder of bits and pieces from those books.
At best, Coelho can be appreciated for attempting to explore the heart, mind and soul of a woman going through a mid-life crisis, but his failure to connect Linda to the reader is evident as one can neither empathise or be enraged by her actions or give her the importance that her character commands. Overall, Adultery is a disappointing read. Coelho could have changed the fate of the book by adding more insights but instead chose to focus on the character’s sexual discovery making the reader feel like a voyeur. The narrative has a flat tone with a trite conclusion and Coelho’s half-hearted references to spirituality and religion are inadequate to weave a cohesive plot.
Khadija Raza is a teacher and published author at the Oxford University Press.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 19th, 2014.
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