A GOOD WINTER BY GIGI FENSTER

Review by Samuel Bernard. Published in Good Reading Magazine

A deeply disturbing insight into a deeply disturbing mind, and you have front row tickets to the show. Gigi Fenster’s latest novel, A Good Winter, is a compelling venture into the depths of what humans are capable of.

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Olga’s neighbour and close friend, Lara, has just become a grandmother. The young mother, Sophie, lost her husband during the pregnancy and is still grieving from this tragic set of circumstances. Months pass and Sophie remains in a near catatonic state, unable to process her loss. Olga is only too happy to lend a hand to her friend Lara and her family. For the first time in a long time, Olga feels needed. She helps out at every opportunity. No task is too small for Olga, but her respect for Sophie vanishes as her troubled mind begins to take over. The comforting feeling of being needed slowly cascades into a compulsive obsession with Lara and baby Michael.

The voice of Olga is the champion of this novel. The first-person point-of-view gives readers a first-hand glimpse into the psyche of an obsessive, narcissistic mind. Her thoughts and actions are circular; the ranting and raving of someone completely delusional.

You laugh at times at the pure idiocy of her thoughts, before correcting yourself. Yes, people like this exist, and it’s horrifying. Fenster creates a chilling character in Olga. She will set up camp and loiter in your mind for days to come.

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The deserved winner of the 2020 Michael Gifkins Prize, A Good Winter has made me want to upgrade my health fund to include therapy after this wild ride.