Book Review: HOLE: A Novel Based on a True Story, by Rim Tveras

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes, and was also compensated for the review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own and have not been influenced.

After four weeks of lock down, written outpatient instructions were included with Celia's release papers. They were lengthy and ended with a specific stipulation:

INSTRUCTION TO PATIENT
*You must never allow yourself to develop romantic feelings for a man, or in layman's terms, fall in love.
*You must avoid places and activities that lead to dating and intimacy with men.
*Your mental health is of utmost importance. Maintaining it should be your top priority. Ignoring this warning will be detrimental to your well-being with unpredictable negative consequences anticipated.

This was a different type of book than I normally pick up, but I ended up enjoying it. It's kind of a mix of sci-fi, even though it takes place from the 1960s through 2013, as well as some religion and art thrown in. We learn early on in the book what the HOLE is all about, and that sets the tone for the rest of the novel.

Official synopsis:

Luke and Celia were young, talented, and passionate about art. From their first meeting, he was obsessed with her. She was pretty, smart, and funny. And a little odd. Her abusive mother had filled her with bizarre thoughts and rage, behavior he had never experienced firsthand. Her brain was twisted, and she was unable to love. Her suicide left Luke devastated, guilt-ridden, and lost. Woven within the doomed romance, HOLE explores an inspired philosophical structure in which artistic expression merges with permissible freedom to choose our final resting time and place in the universe. HOLE is a work of modern fiction based on a true love story. From paragraph one, the author sends his readers into deeply troubled territory where madness mimics love and logic. Beyond the worst grief, HOLE commands controversial contemplation and advocates hope. Follow Luke on his restless journey to the bittersweet end.

At the beginning of the novel, we meet Celia, who is a sweet girl but definitely has some mental problems. We later flash back to Luke's childhood, and how he comes to meet Celia, and falls in love with her; Celia, however, while able to love, has some issues that make it almost "dangerous" for her to do so. 

This book was very philosophical, and those types of books sometimes take me a while to get through. I was intrigued by the overall premise, which I don't think has been done before, and that compelled me to finish reading the novel. 

The ending of this novel was especially interesting - it helps to explain some of the events that take place right before the ending, and I usually like books that end similarly.

3 stars out of 5.

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