Goodreads Review: Orphans of Chaos (or, how John C. Wright is a dirty old man)
Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright
rating: 2 of 5 stars
John C. Wright’s Orphans of Chaos has a terrific premise. The novel opens in an English boarding school, home to five incredibly bright students who have been raised there since birth. Mysteriously, they have been unable to reckon how much time has passed within the school’s walls, their own ages, or where the boundaries of their home lie.
The early chapters are told through a series of slightly surreal-feeling vignettes. In a non-linear fashion, we are introduced to Amelia and her “siblings”, and some of the school’s mysteries slowly unfold–cryptic references to the fourth dimension abound. There is a real sense of melancholy in the first fifty pages or so.
But something happens when the plot kicks in. The tone abruptly shifts and the novel stops taking itself seriously. In place of mystery, we’re given flat lectures on Greek mythology which stretch on for pages and pages. None of the revelations are particularly surprising or even interesting.
And then there’s the weird sex stuff.
While Wright clearly has some sexual issues, it’s not necessarily the presence of kink that turned me off to this novel about a hundred and fifty pages in. Rather, it’s the fact that his kinks are so clearly inappropriate for the main character. Wright defines Amelia as a strong (literally and figuratively–she has the ability to alter an object’s mass), determined female lead. At several points early in the novel she shows mild revulsion to her sister Vanity’s flirtatious ways. Yet Wright interjects a scene where Amelia prances around in a French maid’s outfit and has her complete the latter half of the novel in chains that are meant not just to confine her but to sexually titillate the older male characters. Even this, I could have mildly forgave Wright, but the internal narration does not stay true to character. Instead, Amelia starts swooning over just about any man that manhandles her. Like the crippled groundskeeper. The head master. And her brothers. For example:
“I’m stronger than you,” I said, feeling foolish. “I can move huge iron doors you can’t lift.”
“Show me,” he said.
Because he was standing behind me, he simply twisted both my arms up behind my back. My possible options at that point consisted of arching my shoulders back as far as possible and standing on tiptoe.
Somehow, somewhere, Colin had turned from a little annoying boy into a dangerous young animal. I could not even really struggle in his grip; he had grasped me too cunningly.
I noticed that he smelled nice. And tall. When did he get to be taller than me? I hadn’t noticed. Had that happened this year?
And strong. And ruthless and confident.
I suddenly began to feel silly and out of breath. I told myself it was because Colin was holding me in an awkward position that I could not catch my breath. I tell myself a lot of things. I lie to myself a lot.
It was because Colin was holding me.
Having been a fourteen (or sixteen, or twenty, depending on how kinky Wright’s feeling at that moment in the narrative) girl, all I have to say to that is: oh come on.
(By the time she gets spanked–no, I’m not kidding–and moons about how she deserves it–again, not kidding–I was about ready to throw the book at the wall, but I was less than fifty pages from the ending and had already squandered so much time on this tripe that it didn’t feel worth the expenditure of energy.)
Oh, and Amelia also has a penchant for describing her own anatomy, particularly her breasts and cleavage, over and over again.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt like a book was so wasted by the author’s proclivities. I was really ready to love Orphans of Chaos, despite the fact that the narrative became increasingly less pressing and engaging. But in place of even bland prose, Wright gives us fantasies grossly inappropriate for both the plot and characters. I felt increasingly skeeved out, even violated, the further I read. I won’t be completing the series.
Phoebe
Phoebe is a 20-something writer who lives in New York State with her husband and cat. She is a dork, not a geek or a nerd.
Her debut novel, Starglass, will be released from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers in Summer 2013.
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