Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Joanna Briscoe
Jason Alden
Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Joanna Briscoe
Joanna Briscoe interviews Beth Penn, the protagonist of her new novel, The Seduction
The Seduction is a dark, tense story of a woman who goes to see a therapist. The therapist is there to help, but turns out to be the most dangerous person of all.
Beth, an artist, is happy with her family in their house near Camden Lock. But her daughter Fern keeps disappearing for longer and longer, and Beth feels increasingly uneasy. It doesn’t help that her own mother left her when she was the age that Fern is now. So Beth goes to therapy with a therapist, Dr Tamara Bywater, who seems kind, boundaried and really helps her.
But slowly, Beth becomes fascinated by the therapist – and she, in turn, starts to reveal sides of herself that have been very well hidden. The consulting room becomes the centre of a slow, strange seduction. Soon, Beth is hooked, taking risks with her family life, and immersing herself in a situation that is far more dangerous than she could ever predict.
Hello, Beth. How would you describe yourself, if you had to?
Hello. That’s a very difficult one. How I was at the beginning of my – let’s face it – ill-advised story, or now?
Let’s start at the beginning
Well, I think I was happy. Never straightforwardly happy, as I admit I’m too neurotic to be purely contented, and I had all sorts of anxieties, but I should have appreciated my life far more. It was pretty stable when all this started. I think I’m a born worrier, and very intense and passionate about things, but I go into dark, gloomy, self-despairing mode. I love, if anything, too strongly, and then I can become clingy while pretending not to, though I suppose it’s no surprise, given that my mother walked out when I was thirteen. I have a tendency to worry even when I don’t need to, and I’d say to everyone else – don’t do this! Make yourself put it all into perspective. Enjoy the moment.
So, what kind of person would you say you are now?
Older, wiser, blasted by experience and loss, but with a new ability to put things into perspective. Because bad things have happened – and a lot of them were of my own making – I worry less about the smaller stuff. So though I’m scarred by everything that happened, I can see the possibility of a clearer, possibly happier life ahead of me, with less mental baggage. I definitely feel a lot more battle-scarred, but wisdom can be hard-won, and certainly I’ve been given a clearer vision. I’m no longer in the thrall of my mother. And I know I will no longer go running after those who are bad for me.
What do you think of Dr Tamara Bywater now?
The less said, the better. She was extraordinary in some ways; she added a richness to my life. She also dragged me to somewhere hellish, and damaged both me and others along the way. No therapist should be allowed to act like this. And indeed, their governing bodies forbid it. Anyone behaving like her would be struck off. She is, at heart, a narcissist, with all the attendant problems.
Who is the love of your life?
My daughter Fern. Your children are always the greatest loves in your life. Well, I wasn’t my mother’s, but that’s another story.
How did you become pulled into such an unwise situation?
(Puts her head into her hands) How can I answer that? I feel like an idiot. And yet Tamara was so subtle at first, so persuasive, and ultimately so charismatic, I feel I didn’t notice that I was being tugged in small increments. Although I have to say I was complicit: I can’t blame it all on her. I’d never even been attracted to other women! I think I was feeling very vulnerable, and she gave me, though this is a cliché, the love my mother never had. Or an appearance of it. And then she was fabulously charming and warm and engaging. She flattered me. But at the end of the day, it was all about her.
Do you think women can have it all?
(Bristling) Why only women? You mean mothers? This should be a question that applies to men too. But by and large it’s not. I’ve had a pretty successful career, but I only have one child, with a supportive husband. But something has to go, and a lot of my social life disappeared in the early years, and my career was affected then, with long gaps. So I think, realistically, no-one can have everything. Something has to give, or someone has to suffer. Because of my childhood, I was always determined to be the ideal mother. But of course no-one is. I like the idea that you should try to be a ‘good enough’ mother and not beat yourself up if you make mistakes. Which you will.
How would you like to live your life now?
I want to see if I can be on my own for a while. No crazy relationships! No hankering after a mother who never treated me as she should. I just want to focus on my dear daughter and step son and get my mind back together. I need to stay away from the temptations of dark, disturbing people like Tamara Bywater. I always have to remember, ‘Danger wore a sweet face.’
—
Joanna Briscoe
Joanna Briscoe is the author of five previous novels, including the bestselling Sleep With Me, which was adapted for ITV by Andrew Davies. She has written for all the major newspapers and magazines in the UK, has been a columnist for the Independent and the Guardian, is a literary critic for the Guardian, and broadcasts regularly on Radio 4. She teaches on Faber Academy’s flagship Writing a Novel course. She lives in London and has two children. Her new novel, The Seduction(Bloomsbury) is out 11th June.
Praise for The Seduction:
‘through this addictive, macabre fairground ride of a novel, Briscoe reminds us to value the quieter forms of love.’ The Guardian
‘febrile, urgent …a contemporary gothic fever dream.’ The Times
‘The Seduction by Joanna Briscoe (Bloomsbury) is a gripping thriller about a woman who becomes entangled in an obsessive, toxic relationship with her female therapist.’ The Independent: Books of the Month
‘A clever, nuanced, elegantly written exploration of obsession.’ Saga Magazine
‘Joanna Briscoe is one of those writers who manages to pull off that combination of pin-sharp prose with the pull of a plot that keeps you turning the pages. Richly observed, The Seduction is a rewardingly moreish read.’ Living Magazine
Twitter @JoannaBriscoe
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THE SEDUCTION
A haunting story of motherhood and obsession for fans of Sharp Objects and Give Me Your Hand.
Beth Penn lives a peaceful life with her partner Sol and their daughter Fern. But Beth is troubled by increasing unease. She cannot shake her uncertainty over her mother, who disappeared when Beth was a child, and she has a sense that her daughter is keeping secrets from her.
So she goes to therapy. Dr. Tamara Bywater is there to help her patients. But what if the very person who is meant to be the solution becomes the most dangerous problem of all? And why is what’s bad for us so enticing?
Taut and atmospheric, The Seduction is a disturbing journey into the darkness of the human mind.
Buying links: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-seduction-9781408873496/
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-seduction/joanna-briscoe/9781408873496
Category: On Writing
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