I'm not your - Critic

Reviewed By Bradley Watson
Attraction works in mysterious ways,
and we often find ourselves wanting
things we cannot have. But what happens
when we get what we want? What happens
when our lust for our husband’s attractive, married
friend shifts from fantasy to reality? What
about his family, our family, and our marriage?
At the heart of Anne Enright’s The Forgotten
Waltz lies the complex love affair between Gina
and Seán, both of whom are “happily” married,
and the impact of the affair on them and their
families. In The Forgotten Waltz, her first novel
published since winning the Man Booker Prize in
2007, Enright beautifully illustrates how Gina’s
and Seán’s relationship develops from an accidental
catching of eyes at a party to a full-blown
affair which culminates in them leaving their
respective partners for each other. In the end,
Gina finds herself in a situation that compels the
reader to either pity her or feel satisfied that she
may finally get her comeuppance.
The plotting leading to Gina’s ultimate situation
is rather slow. Near the end of the book, I found
myself feeling like nothing much had happened.
Yes, Gina had fallen for Seán, yes, they had both
left their spouses, and yes, Gina’s mother died,
but the usual pain and turmoil of marital separations
was lacking. However, I soon became
aware of the subtlety of Enright’s narrative.
Enright cleverly uses these events in the novel to
contribute to Gina’s growing uncertainty in love.
In the end, I think we can conclude that Gina,
tHe FoRgotten WAltZ
By anne enriGht
in her quick decision to leave Conor for Seán,
begins to question the certainty of the relationship
between her and Seán. Her relationship and
conversations with Evie, Seán’s daughter, in the
last chapters force Gina to consider Seán’s past
infidelities to Aileen, his ex-wife and mother of
Evie. Gina contemplates, “Did he love my sister
that day in Brittas? Or all of these women, all of
the time? I don’t care. He loves
me now. Or he loves me too. Or.
I love him. And that is as much
as any of us can know.” Gina’s
confusion as to whether what
her and Seán share is genuine,
or just another fling for him,
becomes all too apparent.
From the novel’s outset, Gina’s
retrospective first person narrative
emphasises her deepseated
uncertainty. However, the reader
is unaware why Gina’s narrative
is so vague and disjointed. Her
hazy narrative does not necessarily
paint a picture of love at
first sight. At times the retrospective
narrative was unclear,
and at points I found myself
frustrated with Gina’s fluctuating
stream of consciousness. However,
I must admit that it does
effectively communicate Gina’s
inner turmoil, which the reader
learns more about as the novel
progresses.
Books editor | Josef Alton | books@critic.co.nz
Enright’s novel offers the reader a less typical
perspective of an affair and the events which
follow it. Although the narrative may cause
some frustration, it is an accessible read which
I would recommend to anyone who is interested
in reading about what happens when we get
what we want, even though we were perhaps
better off without it.
www.unibooks.co.nz
BooKs
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