Paula Xiberras
Author Hugh Mackay loves Tasmania and he has long standing links with the state. His Great, Great, Grandfather left England, first settling in Hobart before later moving to Melbourne and Sydney. I had the opportunity to speak to Hugh recently about his latest novel ‘infidelity’.
The name Hugh, in many languages means ‘intelligent’ and it is indeed an intelligent novel that Hugh delivers.
The cover image of ‘Infidelity’ features, in Hugh’s words, a ‘striking’ portrait of a woman, naked under the wrap around her shoulders and it’s those shoulders that she rests on for support, a telling body language. Hugh notes ‘the woman sits with her back to us and ironically her physical nakedness actually masks something ‘hidden’ about her.
This picture chosen by Hugh’s publisher sets the tone for the book because it puts into visuals the story of a woman somewhat alienated from both her emotions, and expressing them to others. Hugh says it is this cover and that of his other recent book ‘The Good Life’, with its hot air balloons which he considers the best covers of all his books.
This beautifully crafted novel addresses the many types of infidelity, both physical and emotional. While the most common definition of infidelity is ‘physical unfaithfulness’ it also encompasses emotional unfaithfulness and unfaithfulness to one’s self.
The protagonist Sarah, is an academic, a literature lecturer, whose speciality is interpreting fairy-tales and nursery rhymes, a position which Hugh selected for her in part to contradict Sarah’s ambivalence to having children.
The other main protagonist is male clinical psychologist Tom Harper (The character of Tom has appeared in other books by Hugh, however his appearance here can be read as a stand alone book. Perhaps,Ironically his surname ‘Harper ‘might inspire readers to insert some ‘harp music’ for Tom, who finds himself in the UK to escape the aftermath of an ‘indiscretion’. Like Sarah, Tom’s job is interpreting, not fairy-tales but reality,that Tom is grounded in reality more so than Sarah.
Tom says Hugh, ‘knows how to dish out advice to others’ but when it comes to his own situation all his clinical criteria can’t keep him seeing through the fairy-tale fantasy, fairy-tales that also have to deal with the darker side of relationship psychology and so our two protagonists are caught in their own fairy-tale of light and darkness.
The novel demonstrates how having two major characters with careers based on interpretation doesn’t make them immune to how easily misinterpretation can totally renovate or wreck the landscape of a relationship.
Hugh agrees that Morris Gleitzman’s comments about the ‘magic spaces’, where the reader and author meet rings true to him, and is thankful, even if he can’t meet all of his readers he can by virtue of email get feedback of how they are receiving his novels.
Hugh ultimately wants in ‘Infidelity’ and his other books to offer ‘illumination about ourselves’ to his readers.
Hopefully Hugh will visit Tasmania later this year or early next year promoting his next book.
‘Infidelity’ is available now.
