Rocks in the Belly is about a precocious eight-year-old boy and the volatile adult he becomes. During childhood his mother fosters boys, despite the jealous turmoil it arouses in her son. Jealousy that reaches unmanageable proportions when she fosters Robert, an amiable child she can't help bonding with. Until the bond triggers an event that profoundly changes everyone. Especially Robert. At 28 the son returns to face his mother. He hasn't forgiven her for what happened to Robert. But now she's the dependent one and he the dominant force - a power he can't help but abuse.
Written in two startlingly original voices, Rocks in the Belly is about the destruction we wreak on one another in the pursuit of our own happiness; how we never escape our upbringing; and a stark reminder that the most dangerous place for a child is within the family. A compelling, powerful, and yet beautiful and funny novel.
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"Zeer goed geschreven! Eenvoudig maar krachtig taalgebruik. Komt aardig in de buurt van We need to talk about Kevin. Het onderschrift zegt eigenlijk alles: carried, but never held." — Evelien (4 out of 5 stars)
"Zeer goed geschreven! Eenvoudig maar krachtig taalgebruik. Komt aardig in de buurt van We need to talk about Kevin. Het onderschrift zegt eigenlijk alles: carried, but never held."
" An easy to read & quite well written book but a bit too dark for me. I found it difficult to identify with the main character who is not at all likeable. I spent a lot of the book wondering what mental illness he was suffering from! Turns out he was just selfish & masochistic. "
" Disturbing. Poignant. Funny. Sad. Moving. Read it. "
" I'm not sure what to make of this book. Whilst I found the style very easy to read the subject and characters were awful. Surprisingly I wasn't moved by either the son or the mother and was left thinking both of them were not particularly likeable people. The mother clearly was suffering from the loss of a child and was in someway endeavouring to replace when from my view all she had to do was embrace what she had rather than more. The son - born bad or became bad? couldn't decide but thought if you meet him at a bar you'd know instantly he was rotten. Don't think I can recommend it as a read although will pass to my father who likes to read all our bookclub books and make up his own mind. "
" Did not enjoy reading this book at all. The only scene I enjoyed was when he was in the restaurant waiting for his date to arrive. "
" Moving and very original. Engaging characters, great pace and beautiful prose. "
" incredible, a must read human story-yes, has angst and anguish, but worth it nonetheless. "
" A great read, I highly recommend this another book that is hard to put down "
" I admire his writing but I disliked the main character so much that I couldn't really enjoy the read. "
" Fantastic debut novel.Could not put it down. A dark tale and very unlikeable main character but compulsive reading. Can't wait for his next book . "
" A well written book, but I struggled greatly with the nasty man that the nasty boy grew into. "
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