Bob Van Laerhoven’s The Shadow of the Mole is an intriguing and compelling historical thriller that has left readers both baffled and in awe. This beautifully written, thought-provoking story deals with the complex themes of loss, suffering, and the psychological traumas of war. The author also includes the challenges of a complicated, budding love affair in the difficult times of war. The novel employs symbolism heavily and also explores themes of the supernatural along with sexual themes. Set against the staggering backdrop of the First World War, the story is initially set in 1916, Bois de Bolante France but wanders into earlier times as the novel proceeds.

The novel is made up of different perspectives and shifting timelines. Still, the story primarily follows Michel Denis, a front-line physician, and psychiatrist-in-training, who is in his own mental and physical turmoil after losing an arm in battle. He takes a peculiar interest in ‘The Mole,’ a man who was found in a deserted mineshaft by the French troops. The Mole has amnesia and firmly believes that he is dead and an ‘Other’ has taken control of his body. Denis is compelled to open a psychiatric investigation to uncover the mystery of this man’s past and the events that led him to hold such a belief. What is even more fascinating is that this novel contains a story within a story: Denis’ story is interspersed with The Mole’s writings of Alain Mangin, a story he begins writing in écriture automatique. He insists that he is just writing down what is being recited to him by ‘another.’

Throughout the course of this extraordinary story, deception and reality go hand in hand, and people’s minds are tested to their limits right to the end. The most pressing question raised is, “when, how, and why does reality shift into delusion?” The story’s climax is equally dramatic: a truly cinematic experience that thoroughly engages the reader until the very last page, leaving them questioning what they believe to be true. I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and thrillers, for I can assure you that this novel will be unlike any other you have read!

Pages: 430 | ASIN : B09RTTK28K

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/29/the-shadow-of-the-mole/