491 -- The Sin That Can't be Forgiven

I bought Lars Görling's 491 from eBay after reading a review of the film somewhere. It seemed like the book, about young criminal boys who are part of an experiment, would interest me. It does ... to an extent, but seeing as it was originally published in 1962, what seemed harsh then seems less so today. Still, there are moments in it which have an impact, often these moments are ones dealing with sex and young girls.

The idea of a group of young boys grouped together by circumstances beyond their control is not a new one. Many of you probably read The Lord of the Flies, which is probably the most well-known example. The concept is fertile ground because young men of varying backgrounds grouped together, often against their will, is like setting a bomb to go off at a random time. Nothing good will ever come of it, and that is also the case here. What starts out as a mere nuisance (also, for the reader, I must add) quickly becomes a minefield of violence, sexual assault, crime, and devious blackmail plans that go awry. When the film adaptation was released, a scene showing the homosexual rape of one of the boys by a man in a position of authority caused outrage. The book handles it as if it were just another event, which is shocking in a very different way.

As of this writing, I have not yet finished the book. It reads fast, but interest in it wanes depending on the scene at hand. That's not a critique of the writing or condemnation of the cultural differences (this being a Swedish book). It's more about the time period at hand. These boys don't seem all that bad, smart, or even interesting. I'm finding it hard to care about what happens to them, and I think that may be the point. While I haven't finished it yet, it is obvious that this is, like A Clockwork Orange, more of an attack against a reform culture and the real criminals it produces. These boys are throwaways, a point made time and time again. The institution which has authority over them is harsh, uncaring, self-serving, and makes it own criminals. These days we call that "job security." Back then it was "doing the right thing." My how the times have changed.

I'll finish the book ... probably fairly soon. And when I do I'll put a review on Goodreads and Amazon, which is my usual thing to do after finishing a book. I may hold onto it, too. I have thought about selling it once I'm done, but it may be a good one to keep in the library. It will have to really redeem itself for me to do that, however. At the rate it's going, its conclusion looks like will be much like the end of a young criminal's life: basic and easily forgotten.

Post script: Finished it. Selling it. The blackmail was oddly horrific and disturbing for reasons I cannot understand, but not even the girl having sex with a dog saved this one.