Wonderfully introspective novel

Nov. 11, 2015 by J. Aislynn d’Merricksson for Readers’ Favorite | 5 stars out of 5

Wayne Clark’s he & She is a wonderfully introspective novel. Kit Cayman is a middle-aged man whose life has fallen into a soul numbing rut. He is a man going through andropause, the masculine equivalent of menopause. A translator by day and amateur musician in his free time, Kit has reached the point in his life where he questions the choices he has made that led him here. He feels unfulfilled. A chance glimpse of a beautiful young woman stirs Kit out of the staleness his life has fallen into. It awakens within him hunger and a need he hadn’t fully been aware of before now. We follow Kit as he ventures into a world considered taboo by most, the world of BDSM. If this is a world new to the reader, as it is to Kit, said reader will get a proper introduction to it, as well as an understanding of some of the factors that may draw one to explore (and enjoy) this hidden and variegated path.

Rather than being a trite or fluffy, feel-good ‘pass the time’ bit of reading, he & She is a rich psychological and philosophical exploration into human nature and human need. Clark’s writing is fluid and smooth, mostly being devoted to a narrative form, with sparse dialogue. He makes it work, and work well. Unlike stories with a superficial similarity, (think Fifty Shades of Grey) Kit is a character who is ‘real’, a character we can identify with. He is ordinary, average. This isn’t about romantic fantasy as played out in romance novels, but real life. You won’t find happy endings in Clark’s he & She, no pun intended. If that’s what you are most interested in, walk away now. If, however, human nature intrigues you, and you aren’t too afraid of being prompted to introspection, then this is most certainly the read for you!