The Rehearsal

by Eleanor Catton

This is a strange, strange novel about a sex scandal at a girls’ high school. Actually, there are two stories being told at once:

• First is the story of Victoria’s fall from grace, when her relationship with her music teacher is discovered. Told by her sister, Isolde, this is really Isolde’s story, but so much of it depends upon her sister’s scandal.

• Second is the story of a first-year drama student, Stanley, and how his class dramatizes the school’s sex scandal.

Catton does not clearly delineate between the two stories. Are we reading the true proceedings or the drama class’s interpretation of the happenings? Very foggy, strange, and unsatisfying.

10/11/10