The Dark Underbelly Of Life

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Selfishgenie Publishing. Neither Selfishgenie Publishing nor the reviewer received any remuneration or financial inducement to provide this review.

“Scars Of The Heart” by Bob Van Laerhoven is an unusual collection of short stories.
 
Why do I consider them so unusual?

Because they are so dark, with so few redeeming features, that the stories make for uncomfortable reading.
 
I’m not saying the stories are bad. In fact, overall, they are very good. It’s just that if you are looking for something uplifting and cheerful to read, you won’t find it here.
 
But if you like dark stories with heavy psychological undertones, then this may be just the book for you.
 
First, though, a few words about the author. He is Flemish-Belgian and has a lot of books under his belt published in his native tongue, He is a new author to me, but as I don’t speak Flemish or Dutch, that comes as no surprise. Some of his other books have been translated into English, so if you are a reader of psychological literary fiction you may have come across him elsewhere.
 
As a freelance travel writer and, later, a charity worker Bob Van Laerhoven found himself in some of the worst trouble spots of the late 20th century. He witnessed horrific sights, and I believe these have influenced his stories more than a little.
 
Because this is a translation I was unsure about some of the usage of vocabulary. In a number of cases I wondered whether the author used a word deliberately and I was unable to work out its context, or whether it was just a mistranslation. If you read the book, you’ll have to try to work that out for yourself.
 
The author’s nationality gives some of the stories in this collection a connection to Belgium, but just as many have no connection. Some of the stories deal with characters who are either journalists or novelists but, again, some of them don’t.
 
But all of the stories have darkness at their heart.
 
Death and sexual assault are never far away, though the main thrust of the stories is the psychological impact of violence on the characters.
 
Did I enjoy the book? Well, enjoyment may not be the right word, but I read it from cover to cover and never considered putting it to one side. This is why I have given it 4 stars.
 
So why not 5 stars?

I think it is the lack of any redeeming features amongst the characters and the lack of redemption for them. I feel that they don’t learn anything from their brushes with violence and death. It risks leaving the reader feeling as depressed as I think the author may be.
 
I would have liked to have felt that there was more hope in the world and this collection does the opposite. It suggests that death is never far away from anyone, and we are wasting our time trying to avoid it.
 
But, bleak as it may sound, this collection does absorb the reader into the author’s dark view of the world. I would hesitate to use the word “entertaining” about such dark subject matter, but it was certainly engaging at a very emotional level.
 
If you would like to find out more about “Scars Of The Heart” by Bob Van Laerhoven, click here.
 
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