Review: Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson

Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson

Buy It Now: At Powells | At Amazon

Description: A young boy is taken by government decree from his parents during the initial stages of the Rearrangement, which occurs in a totalitarian, near-future England. In this brave new world, the country’s entire population is forcibly reorganized and relocated into autonomous zones according to psychology, or the four humors: choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic and sanguine. Placed in an orphanage, renamed Thomas Parry and transferred to a new family in the Red Quarter (for sanguine types), he settles in with a father overwhelmed by the loss of his relocated wife and a promiscuous sister desperate for human connection. As an adult, Thomas takes a clandestine job with the government, but soon risks being charged with “undermining the state” when he begins a spur-of-the-moment voyage across borders in search, at first, of his real parents and his true self.

This review is based on a book I checked out from my local library.

WereGeek’s Review:

This book started off with a very promising idea: a dystopian future Britain where social order has so broken down, drastic changes must be made, even at the expense of her citizens. To that end, the population is split up according to the four humors of ancient medicine and the island of Britain is divided into four new homelands for each personality type. London is also split in four, with each quarter being renamed to reflect the spirit of the humor it represents. All other towns and cities are renamed something appropriate to their humor, representing a psychological break with the time before Rearrangement.

I was really attracted to the book’s high concept, but the part of the book right after Rearrangement and throughout the protagonist’s childhood moved slowly and seemed to be there only to pass the time until he was old enough to go exploring as was the author’s main aim for the book. Once Thomas began crossing borders, it was obvious that he wouldn’t stop until he had been to every zone and dealt with every major group of people.

The appendix to the book listed numerous texts Thomson used in his research of the four temperaments. There’s no doubt that Thomson was very thorough in his research, but a lot of the book seems to be there only to show just how much research he did and how well he understood the different aspects of each humor. Every character except Thomas Perry seems defined – and content to be defined – by the humor that placed them in their new homeland. Every Choleric is angry and violent and every Melancholic is weepy and depressed. Only Thomas Perry is more fleshed out, but he seems to take on the qualities of whatever quarter he’s in or whatever group he’s with. Maybe it’s self-preservation and fear of being found out, or maybe he’s read all the same books the author has.

I felt there was so much more that could have been done with this concept but wasn’t. And looking at all the glowing reviews this book has received on Amazon, I feel as if I’ve missed something vital that would have enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Like maybe my reading habits (I usually only get time to read books in bed, a chapter or two a night) weren’t conducive to the necessary understanding to “get” what Thomson was trying to achieve with this book. Whatever the reason, I felt disappointed in the book and myself; that somehow we had let each other down.

More information and study guides on “Divided Kingdom” can be found at the book’s website: http://www.dividedkingdom.co.uk