Access Road

ACCESS ROAD

by Maurice Gee

 

Nomination: Dublin Longlist 2011

 

Date Read: June 6, 2022

 

After many years and the sibling scattering to the wind, they all flock back to their childhood home on Access Road. Rory, Lionel and Rowan. Although it’s dilapidated and in need of love, Rory and Lionel both move in, with Rowan visiting several times a week. Rory and Lionel have never partnered up; Rory being a little slow and entirely absorbed by gardening and things that grow (spectrum disorder?). Lionel was a successful dentist by is either asexual or gay but never explored that side of himself.

 

Ultimately, Access Road is about how, sometimes, the things that haunted you as a child can come back and haunt you as an adult. Clyde Buckley is a nightmare that just won’t go away. Sadistic and a loner as a child, Clyde enjoyed maliciously cutting the heads off birds. As a typical child, he was interested in the sexual changes happening in his own and others’ bodies. But something is definitely wrong with Clyde.

 

As an adult, he became notorious for an unsolved crime – the death of a young, female hitchhiker. Everyone knew he had done it, but they didn’t have enough evidence to convict him. A witness identified his unique car and Clyde was definitely in the vicinity when it happened. Now that Lionel has returned to Access Road, Clyde appears as an old man, haunting what little time Lionel has left. Rowan is horrified.

 

Rowan has always suspected there was something hinky between Lionel and Clyde and at the very end of the novel, we learn what it is. Lionel is basically on his death bed and has told Clyde it’s time to go to the police. Lionel has also fessed up to Rowan, putting both her and Lionel’s lives in jeopardy. Sure enough, Clyde comes after them both. For Lionel, who was already at death’s door, it’s not a huge loss. 

 

About the first half of this novel, I was unsure where it was heading. Gee seemed to meander about with lovely images of childhood and New Zealand, but only towards the last half did it seem to take on a plot and orient in a direction. A fun read nevertheless. 

 

One image that will stick with me: When Dicky is making love with Rowan, he says he is Rowan his boat. I think that is sweet and sort of hot.

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