Riya Anne Polcastro

Dentata opens with a harrowing account of the immediate aftermath of a rape. It is a vivid representation of a reaction to violation. From this beginning the book viscerally chronicles the impact of such an assault and highlights the psychological unravelling which occurs as a response. To say that the main character, Elizabeth, acts out of character as a result is somewhat of an understatement.

The predominant motivator is rage. The enforced powerlessness and victimhood inflicted causes Elizabeth to seek a path of retribution. In doing this she concocts a violent and horrific method designed to wreak revenge on not just the perpetrator of the act against her but anyone who she judges worthy. The cost of trauma is written large in her actions, a woman sent into a spiral of hurt and hate, justifying to herself the violence she craves to inflict, her psyche pushed to the edge by the depth of damage received.

Surrounding Elizabeth are a group of women the author categorises under the banner of The Circle, including characters from Polcastro’s previous, and very enjoyable, novel, Jane. In their own ways they come into play as either helping or hindering Elizabeth, both in coming to terms with what has happened to her, and in assisting her complete her unhinged quest. A further demonstration of the potential misjudgements she is making comes in the form of a much younger woman, dealing with her own problems, who becomes the focus of what could be perceived as an inappropriate relationship.

The novel does a supreme job of illustrating someone becoming ever more out of control, while at the same time seeking to gain a type of ultimate control back. The extremity of impact of a rape dictates that any repayment in kind needs to be as devastating and terrifying as the initial crime, and the book explores very graphically just what this implies. Whether retribution can ever be satisfyingly fulfilled for a violation of this nature is up for debate, as is the wisdom of chasing such a thing, and Polcastro delivers a provocative account which raises all the right questions.

Having said that, this is the story of one woman and her particular experience and shouldn’t be taken as a blanket commentary on the issues raised. Polcastro makes this clear upfront, stating as much at the start of the book, very aware that every work of art faces potential scrutiny for its representation of cultural and societal considerations. While it depresses me that such caveats are necessary, it is interesting to have the author’s thoughts on a work containing harsh and potentially controversial material, especially as she mentions the novel is somewhat a response to representation of rape throughout cinema.

A nasty, gripping story, taken to wild extremes, with a deep and psychologically believable account of the very real betrayal and trauma of rape. More emotionally impacting than I expected, Dentata is at times devastating, very blackly funny, repulsive, and heartbreaking.… (meer)

Involving chronicle of the author’s lengthy quest to wellness when faced with the debilitating symptoms of an undiagnosed auto-immune disease. Firstly, the frank tone is refreshing and Polcastro wastes no time in addressing the horrendous and exhausting aspects of dealing with a painful and uncomfortable condition. Driven to exasperation by the deafness of the medical professionals she attempts to gain assistance from, the author ends up abandoning guidance from this direction and sets out on a process of trying to make herself better. Treating herself for celiac disease, the main avenue she goes for is a strict elimination diet, designed to lessen, and perhaps control and even eliminate, the extremity of sensitivity of reaction her body has to some foods. The toll the disease takes is vividly described, not only the physical symptoms which first come to mind when thinking of celiac, such as the awfulness of the gut problems and some I wasn’t aware of like painful ulcers and extreme joint pain, but the psychological struggles too, brought on by mind fogging and fatigue. And also the potential to become a cantankerous misery. This is handled with a sly wit and will be immediately relatable to anyone who has an auto-immune condition as part of life, or knows someone who has, manageable or not.

Polcastro is reflective about her experience with the medical profession and how it colours her position regarding the seeking of advice. She hasn’t had a good time, and though it is of course quite possible that if you are one of the ones who has an overlap of the symptoms she describes, and then approach a doctor for appropriate investigations, you may be lucky and listened to. From what she suggests, not just evidenced from her own interaction with medical bodies but by the presence of the extensive community of the misdiagnosed online, you will be in the minority.

The information contained within regarding the steps taken to undergo an elimination diet are well researched, and the author has taken care to include links to various credible sources of help for those who are interested in going down this road. Obviously don’t take my advice, but there seems nothing within the diet she suggests that would be dangerous to health at all, merely restrictive and inconvenient. And the relief of feeling better is worth sacrificing the foods designed to be pure indulgences in a lot of cases.

Overall, informative for those needing a possible solution to managing their way through a debilitating condition, presented in an engaging way with a darkly humorous voice.… (meer)

Great collection of short pieces and extracts. Polcastro is skilful at excising the heart and humour from fringe lives, her subjects arriving vibrant and whole for their short stay. The characters populating these vignettes take in the range of the underground, and the reader is left impressed and curious after reading these snapshots.

A welcome dollop of knowing amusement unites the collection, but there is plenty of variety to be had also. Sometimes a reflective poeticism sneaks in, but more often ribald filth. Always tempered with a wink at the reader and an empathetic if weary appreciation of humanity and its quirks.

Perfect to nibble at, I’d recommend reading in tiny increments. I however raced through it in no time, each morsel an entertaining encouragement for more.… (meer)