The Outing - Fabian Foley - ★★.½

AUTHOR: Fabian Foley

GENRE: Legal Drama, LGBTQIA+

RATING: 2.5 stars

In a Nutshell: An indie drama based on actual incidents in 1980s Australia, where gay men were persecuted, often by the corrupt in power. Loved the intent behind the story. Unfortunately, the writing style, with plot progress heavily dependent on conversations, wasn’t my cup of tea. If this type of writing doesn’t bother you, then do try this work because it tells a story that deserves a bigger audience.

Story Synopsis:

1986, Brisbane. Robert has long lived a “normal’ life. Happily married with two twins, he has settled into his role as a husband and provider, working as a lawyer. However, when an old friend re-enters his life, Robert finds himself in love. He is caught between his feelings and his family, until something happens that throws normalcy for a toss and pushes Robert on the quest for justice, even if it means sacrificing everything dear to him.

The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of Robert.

When author Fabian Foley approached me to read this work, I was touched by her emotional introduction. Her son is gay, and her love for him accompanied by her fears for his safety prompted her to pen this story down. This novel is inspired by two murders in Australia – that of Scott Johnson, an American Ph.D. student whose suicide verdict was overturned after more than 30 years, and Dr. George Duncan, a professor who drowned after being thrown into the river by four policemen. No one was charged in both these murders. The common point was that both men were gay.

Learning the above facts made me realise that I ought to be prepared for an intense experience. My fears were proven true. The brutality shown by the policemen and the apathy (or maybe it should be called antipathy, it was so harsh!) shown by the ruling government are tough to read. What’s worse is the extent to which the cover-up of such events was planned. No one bothered to think about the families of the men who died, the ones who were seeking answers about why their loved ones were dying by suicide. I have read a few books about corrupt policemen, but none shocked me as much as this one did.

I wish I could use just this backstory to goad you into reading this powerful book. However, it is still a book and it needs to be reviewed as such. And therein lies the problem: I didn’t like the writing.

Each of us has a preference as a reader. Some like purple prose while others prefer straightforward content. Some enjoy open endings while others (most) seek closure. Some prefer character-oriented writing while others find comfort in plot-driven storytelling. I tried very hard to be the kind of reader who likes the writing style employed in this book. But while the novel shone in its intent, it also had many content elements that didn’t click with my reading preferences.

⚠ Most of the story pushes ahead through conversations. So the book is like a collection of scenes where characters interact and take the story ahead through their words. Very few chapters move ahead through other detailing such as inner monologues and scenic descriptions. After a while, this became tiring to follow.

⚠ Because of the above approach, we don’t get to know the characters well beyond what they speak. There is minimal character detailing. Robert should have been torn over his feelings as a closeted gay man who finds love again but also wants his family. But his emotions don’t come out that strongly. Even basic points such as the characters’ ages or their physical description can make a big difference to how we visualise a scene. But the writing style didn’t help me picture anyone.

(It’s not like the author didn’t know how to handle detailing. A few chapters were impeccable in their writing. For instance, chapter 17 has the right balance across descriptions, conversations, and action. Unfortunately, this balance isn’t consistent throughout the book.)

⚠ I feel like I still don't know Brisbane. No place descriptions, no scene settings, no cultural tidbits. There are a few facts related to the location sprinkled here and there, but nothing that could make the place come alive in my mind. Moreover, the time setting is supposed to be 1986, but except for some factual names of actual people, the historical elements such as pop culture references from that era were far and few between.

⚠ The smoothness of the continuity gets affected because of abrupt jumps across characters and/or scenes in between chapters, sudden time jumps, and flashbacks in between an ongoing scene.

⚠ The ending left me with a strange sense of duality: I was satiated with the conclusion and yet left yearning for more. There's enough closure and yet not enough closure. It’s almost an abrupt end.

⚠ This is a really trivial point, but it created enough confusion in my head while reading, so I am mentioning it. One of the main characters was a ‘Johnny” and another main character had the last name “Carson.” It took me a long time to delink “Johnny Carson” as being two individuals in the story because it is such an epic name that automatically links together.

To sum up, I truly appreciate the thought behind this debut indie work. But my head couldn't overcome the gaps between my reading choice and the writing style. If you are the kind of reader who enjoys storytelling in the conversation-driven writing pattern and aren’t much bothered by writing technicalities, then do try this novel to know more about one of the shameful incidents of Australian history. Be warned that it gets quite dark and gloomy; pick it up well prepared for triggers, especially homophobia.

My thanks to author Fabian Foley for providing me with a complimentary copy of “The Outing”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.