by Daniel Hall
Rating: *****
Born in Dagenham, East London in 1958, Edward “Eddy” Turner is expected to follow his father, Lenny, into factory work and football hooliganism. But no matter how hard Eddy tries to gain his father’s approval, it becomes clear he isn’t cut out for the hard-drinking, violent working-class community that Lenny is a stalwart of.
Eddy is a thoughtful, compassionate, and clever young man who is also gay. It Was a Riot takes Eddy from the mean streets of Dagenham, through medical school, and onto the frontline working as a combat medic in the Falklands but once he returns home, his conflicts and struggles begin in earnest…
It Was a Riot is a beautifully considered novel that engages from the off. Written from Eddy’s perspective, the first chapter opens in 1990 with him in a courtroom dock. It appears he is facing a serious charge although the reader is unaware of exactly what.
From the second chapter onward, the novel is essentially retrospective as Eddy unfolds his life story for the jurors and the reader moves closer to discovering why he’s in the dock.
Upon finishing, I double-checked if It Was a Riot was fiction as it reads like the most compelling autobiography. Hall has produced an absorbingly realistic and deeply human portrait of a boy and then a man. Eddy’s voice draws the reader in with its raw vulnerability, honesty, and integrity.
Reading this in 2024 also affords the narrative a hefty measure of foreboding which adds profoundly poignant layers and a lurking sense of unease, and not just concerning attitudes toward homosexuality.
Hall paints a convincing picture of life in post-war Dagenham, although he is careful to ensure that none of the characters become stereotypical, depicting them with individuality and interest while maintaining gritty authenticity.
Eddy’s childhood and adolescence are fraught with bullying and growing confusion. The reader is given plenty of hints from Eddy’s behaviour and those around him that he is probably not going to be the son Lenny expects. Consequently, the atmosphere at home simmers with aggressive suspicion.
Hall writes at a well-judged pace. His prose is straightforward yet elegant with an intelligent quality. He has a sharp eye for socio-historical detail which lends the narrative an air of reassuring nostalgia without shading the immediacy of Eddy’s story.
And what a story it is. Hall has packed a lot into the novel yet events flow seamlessly. The plot is constantly alive, gently twisting and turning before unleashing a series of shockers as events accelerate. All are credible, the only tangent that jarred a little was Eddy’s foray into the InterCity Firm of football hooligans, nonetheless, it does provide a catalyst for several developments.
Eddy’s relationships with Debbie and Brian are warmly depicted, dimensional, and full of depth, and later in the story, also with Jesse. Similarly, Teddy, whose short time with Eddy is shot through with sexual charge, despite its platonic nature.
But, it’s the toxic, damaging dynamic with Lenny that drives the novel. Visceral and gut-wrenching, it’s a constant drumbeat through the narrative, colouring Eddy’s life and decisions. Eddy’s mother begins the novel strongly but becomes a disappointment. She redeems herself but leaves a lingering frustration.
When Eddy and Brian move to London from Brian’s native Sheffield, the reader senses things might go awry as the couple throw themselves into the rave scene. Hall doesn’t overdo the excess, he doesn’t need to; like the majority of the narrative, it’s palpably weighted with the unspoken.
Indeed, it’s only as the book enters its last part that Eddy surrounds himself with unavoidable openness in caring for men with the HIV virus and his subsequent arrest, the reason for which is finally revealed. The novel's conclusion, although unutterably sad, also carries a tinge of hope and a flicker of positivity.
It Was a Riot is a quietly powerful, emotive, and engrossing novel that proves difficult to put down. Highly recommended.
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