ð Share this article John Boyne's Latest Analysis: Interconnected Narratives of Trauma Young Freya spends time with her distracted mother in Cornwall when she encounters 14-year-old twins. "The only thing better than being aware of a secret," they inform her, "comes from possessing one of your own." In the time that ensue, they will rape her, then entomb her breathing, a mix of nervousness and annoyance darting across their faces as they eventually liberate her from her makeshift coffin. This might have stood as the shocking centrepiece of a novel, but it's just one of many terrible events in The Elements, which assembles four novellas â released separately between 2023 and 2025 â in which characters confront previous suffering and try to find peace in the contemporary moment. Debated Context and Thematic Exploration The book's release has been overshadowed by the inclusion of Earth, the second novella, on the preliminary list for a prominent LGBTQ+ writing prize. In August, the majority other nominees dropped out in objection at the author's gender-critical views â and this year's prize has now been cancelled. Conversation of LGBTQ+ matters is absent from The Elements, although the author explores plenty of big issues. Homophobia, the impact of conventional and digital platforms, family disregard and assault are all examined. Four Accounts of Trauma In Water, a sorrowful woman named Willow transfers to a secluded Irish island after her husband is imprisoned for terrible crimes. In Earth, Evan is a footballer on trial as an participant to rape. In Fire, the grown-up Freya juggles revenge with her work as a surgeon. In Air, a parent journeys to a funeral with his teenage son, and considers how much to reveal about his family's background. Pain is accumulated upon trauma as wounded survivors seem doomed to encounter each other repeatedly for eternity Related Narratives Links multiply. We initially encounter Evan as a boy trying to flee the island of Water. His trial's jury contains the Freya who returns in Fire. Aaron, the father from Air, works with Freya and has a child with Willow's daughter. Secondary characters from one story reappear in cottages, taverns or courtrooms in another. These storylines may sound complex, but the author is skilled at how to power a narrative â his earlier successful Holocaust drama has sold many copies, and he has been translated into numerous languages. His businesslike prose shines with gripping hooks: "in the end, a doctor in the burns unit should be wiser than to experiment with fire"; "the primary step I do when I arrive on the island is change my name". Character Portrayal and Narrative Power Characters are drawn in succinct, effective lines: the compassionate Nigerian priest, the troubled pub landlord, the daughter at conflict with her mother. Some scenes echo with melancholy power or insightful humour: a boy is hit by his father after having an accident at a football match; a prejudiced island mother and her Dublin-raised neighbour swap insults over cups of diluted tea. The author's ability of bringing you completely into each narrative gives the reappearance of a character or plot strand from an previous story a genuine frisson, for the initial several times at least. Yet the aggregate effect of it all is numbing, and at times almost comic: trauma is accumulated upon trauma, chance on coincidence in a grim farce in which damaged survivors seem doomed to meet each other again and again for eternity. Thematic Depth and Concluding Evaluation If this sounds different from life and more like limbo, that is aspect of the author's thesis. These damaged people are burdened by the crimes they have suffered, trapped in routines of thought and behavior that churn and spiral and may in turn damage others. The author has talked about the effect of his own experiences of abuse and he depicts with sympathy the way his characters negotiate this risky landscape, extending for treatments â isolation, cold ocean swims, reconciliation or refreshing honesty â that might provide clarity. The book's "elemental" concept isn't extremely educational, while the quick pace means the exploration of social issues or digital platforms is mostly superficial. But while The Elements is a flawed work, it's also a entirely readable, victim-focused saga: a valued response to the usual preoccupation on detectives and perpetrators. The author illustrates how trauma can run through lives and generations, and how time and care can soften its reverberations.