Never shying away from the stark reality of the AIDS crisis, the confusion and misery of a virus which spread like wildfire through the city, reducing Fiona and those who remain to custodians of a graveyard, Makkai has produced a vivid, thought-provoking narrative. Given the subject matter, this is never going to be an easy, light read however Makkai has managed to bring humour, love and grace to such a bleak distressing point in history. Makkai also references the 2015 Paris attacks, an apt metaphor for the chaos of Fiona’s life, left hollowed out by loss and self-destruction, desperate to reconnect with her daughter and herself. There is a lot of symbolism in her work, with the AIDS epidemic being linked to the horror of war, the bereavement of those left behind to mourn, shell shocked and bereft with no way to conceptualise the grief of losing peers on mass. Makkai manages to weave together distinct voices, timelines and stories with such dexterity that it is never difficult to follow the progression of the characters' lives. This is an important book, thought-provoking and beautifully executed. Makkai has illuminated the horrors of the AIDS crisis and its aftermath with grace and loving humour. Summary: The Great Believers is a poignant, bittersweet novel, filled with complex characters and the messy intricacies of relationships.
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