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The Critical Path
A dark, disturbing story of a man's life torn apart, and what he must do to rebuild it.
Travelling home on the Underground, Matt, a twenty-nine-year-old Londoner, is beaten up and raped. As he struggles to come to terms with his ordeal, he is forced to examine the changing relationships with his partner Laura, his friends, family and Oliver, the benevolent stranger who took him to hospital.
Chased by nightmarish memories and beset by doubts regarding identity, masculinity and how to live when long-cherished planning has failed and certainty vanished, he withdraws into paranoia, deceit and the need to ensure he is never a victim again. He questions the beliefs and politics that shaped him, their origins and whether they are still valid.
Increasingly distant from the people around him and the compassionate individual he was, Matt realises that if he is to retain his humanity, he must forge a fresh outlook and a new way of living.
Travelling home on the Underground, Matt, a twenty-nine-year-old Londoner, is beaten up and raped. As he struggles to come to terms with his ordeal, he is forced to examine the changing relationships with his partner Laura, his friends, family and Oliver, the benevolent stranger who took him to hospital.
Chased by nightmarish memories and beset by doubts regarding identity, masculinity and how to live when long-cherished planning has failed and certainty vanished, he withdraws into paranoia, deceit and the need to ensure he is never a victim again. He questions the beliefs and politics that shaped him, their origins and whether they are still valid.
Increasingly distant from the people around him and the compassionate individual he was, Matt realises that if he is to retain his humanity, he must forge a fresh outlook and a new way of living.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2012
About the author
D.J. Johnson
1 bookDaryl Johnson was born in Arbroath, Scotland in 1965 and brought up in the south of England. He is married and lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 17, 2013
Late one night, on his way home after spending the evening with friends, Matt is savagely attacked on the tube. This accomplished first novel from D J Johnson chronicles Matt’s struggle to recover from the incident, to come to terms with it, and to deal with the many repercussions that stem from the violence.
I found this an absorbing and convincing read. Slow-paced and measured in its approach, it describes in great detail the thoughts going through Matt’s head and his initial breakdown is sympathetically and realistically portrayed. The author seems to have researched in some depth the effects of violent assault, and without applying any sort of trite cod psychology to his characters, offers the reader a believable and well-considered – and moving – portrayal of what actually happens when someone is turned into a victim through no fault of their own. I felt by the end that I had a greater understanding of the psychological impact of violent crime and a better understanding of why some people find it so hard to move on and put the incident behind them.
Structurally the book is very well composed, with Matt’s realisation that his future is in fact in his own hands coming almost exactly half way through, and thereafter it progresses steadily to the climax. The title seems both apt and intriguing – and needed a quick trip to Wikipedia to discover its relevance – and seemed to me to confirm that this is a well-thought out and considered novel and one that I wholeheartedly recommend.
At the time of writing this review it is a mere £1.02 for the e-book – less than a cup of coffee and much more nourishing! I only hope that a publisher will discover its merits and offer a publishing deal – D J Johnson deserves it, and the book merits a wider audience than it might get if only available as an e-book. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.
I found this an absorbing and convincing read. Slow-paced and measured in its approach, it describes in great detail the thoughts going through Matt’s head and his initial breakdown is sympathetically and realistically portrayed. The author seems to have researched in some depth the effects of violent assault, and without applying any sort of trite cod psychology to his characters, offers the reader a believable and well-considered – and moving – portrayal of what actually happens when someone is turned into a victim through no fault of their own. I felt by the end that I had a greater understanding of the psychological impact of violent crime and a better understanding of why some people find it so hard to move on and put the incident behind them.
Structurally the book is very well composed, with Matt’s realisation that his future is in fact in his own hands coming almost exactly half way through, and thereafter it progresses steadily to the climax. The title seems both apt and intriguing – and needed a quick trip to Wikipedia to discover its relevance – and seemed to me to confirm that this is a well-thought out and considered novel and one that I wholeheartedly recommend.
At the time of writing this review it is a mere £1.02 for the e-book – less than a cup of coffee and much more nourishing! I only hope that a publisher will discover its merits and offer a publishing deal – D J Johnson deserves it, and the book merits a wider audience than it might get if only available as an e-book. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.
November 29, 2014
I have to say that this is a tough read. It is challenging, unsettling, thought provoking, moving, unpleasant at times. However I found myself totally engrossed in the story and I guess I found it "enjoyable" though maybe not in the usual sense of the word at times. Bear in mind this is about male rape and while that aspect is not graphically violent other passages are more so. It is the consequences that are so difficult in some senses to read about. Certainly I found virtually the whole story believable and some of the discomfort came from wondering just how the hell I'd handle this. If you look at what this book is about and it appeals to you you may like me find it a damn good read.
January 27, 2013
Matt is on his way home after having a night out with some friends when his life changes forever.
Matt gets attacked and raped and struggles to come to terms with it. He reaches new lows and takes it out on the people around him whilst drinking alcohol and turning to drugs to block out this experience.
The Critical Path is about the journey a victim goes through after such a traumatic experience and how they come to terms with it.
It is an extremely well written book, one of which is plausible and very realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would rate it
4.5 out of 5.
Matt gets attacked and raped and struggles to come to terms with it. He reaches new lows and takes it out on the people around him whilst drinking alcohol and turning to drugs to block out this experience.
The Critical Path is about the journey a victim goes through after such a traumatic experience and how they come to terms with it.
It is an extremely well written book, one of which is plausible and very realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would rate it
4.5 out of 5.
January 27, 2013
A well written book on a sensitive and taboo subject.
December 6, 2020
The story of what happens after a self-absorbed straight man is raped on his way home from a night out, including the "revenge" he then inflicts on those around him. Uncomfortable reading, although the violence is muffled to some extent by a wordy writing style.
October 8, 2021
The author describes a man dealing with post traumatic stress and how it affects his interaction with others. I couldn't really sympathise with the character as he didn't have a very nice personality to start with.
April 2, 2013
If I could have given this 4.5 stars that is what it would have had.
This is not an easy read due to the subject matter but it's a compelling read. Matt's life is turned upside down following a very brutal attack one night on the Underground.
A good samaritan called Oliver takes him to the Hospital. As the story progresses Matt strikes up a friendship with Oliver which takes over in some ways the relationship that he had with his girlfriend Laura. He has feelings of guilt and anger that he can't control.
As Matt begins to doubt his masculinity and feelings, he hurts the people he loves most. As he spirals deeper and deeper downwards, he acts completely out of character. He eventually decides that he has to turn his life around and take control. He makes some decisions and does things that he feels propel him forward to this goal, that make him feel that he is the victim no longer.
If we'd been in his position what would we have done. This debut novel is written well and has been well researched, it's dark very thought provoking and is guaranteed to stay with you for some time. I'm looking forward to the next novel by this Author with baited breath.
If there is one novel that I recommend people to read so far this year, it's this one sadly it's only available as an e-book.
This is not an easy read due to the subject matter but it's a compelling read. Matt's life is turned upside down following a very brutal attack one night on the Underground.
A good samaritan called Oliver takes him to the Hospital. As the story progresses Matt strikes up a friendship with Oliver which takes over in some ways the relationship that he had with his girlfriend Laura. He has feelings of guilt and anger that he can't control.
As Matt begins to doubt his masculinity and feelings, he hurts the people he loves most. As he spirals deeper and deeper downwards, he acts completely out of character. He eventually decides that he has to turn his life around and take control. He makes some decisions and does things that he feels propel him forward to this goal, that make him feel that he is the victim no longer.
If we'd been in his position what would we have done. This debut novel is written well and has been well researched, it's dark very thought provoking and is guaranteed to stay with you for some time. I'm looking forward to the next novel by this Author with baited breath.
If there is one novel that I recommend people to read so far this year, it's this one sadly it's only available as an e-book.
January 25, 2013
Engaged from the first chapter, didn't want it to end.
I really enjoyed this first book by author Daryl Johnson.
An incredibly detailed account of the journey to recovery for Matt, a 29 year old Londoner who is raped on his way home from a birthday celebration. The story is so well told one could speculate that the author has first-hand experience of this violent act, such detail of Matt's physical condition and his calculations about how he will deal with this feel excruciatingly real.
I normally read for about an hour per day, and mostly at bedtime. I have to say, I had many very late nights during the reading of this book as I didn't want to put it down, and there was rarely a place where the story becomes less gripping in order for stopping to be easy.
I enjoyed his description of his Dad and their "relationship", so very insightful it becomes obvious that Daryl has spent a lot of time observing human behaviour.
I hope this isn't a one off, and that he can repeat this again and again, he will become an author who's new releases I look out for.
I really enjoyed this first book by author Daryl Johnson.
An incredibly detailed account of the journey to recovery for Matt, a 29 year old Londoner who is raped on his way home from a birthday celebration. The story is so well told one could speculate that the author has first-hand experience of this violent act, such detail of Matt's physical condition and his calculations about how he will deal with this feel excruciatingly real.
I normally read for about an hour per day, and mostly at bedtime. I have to say, I had many very late nights during the reading of this book as I didn't want to put it down, and there was rarely a place where the story becomes less gripping in order for stopping to be easy.
I enjoyed his description of his Dad and their "relationship", so very insightful it becomes obvious that Daryl has spent a lot of time observing human behaviour.
I hope this isn't a one off, and that he can repeat this again and again, he will become an author who's new releases I look out for.
February 21, 2013
I found this book very moving. It's content was extremely thought provoking. You read many books about sexual assaults on women but I had never read one involving a man. The subject was very sensitively handled, with some obviously good research and I found it to be a very powerful story line.
Matt's character was very well written. The way the relationships between Matt & Laura, and Matt and Oliver (the good Samaritan) were portrayed, only enhanced the story and made the book a thoroughly good read. This book was un-put-downable and I read it in one sitting. It is on offer at Amazon at a great price for e-books, so I recommend you grab a copy!
I would love to read more books by this author and look forward to the next book he has to offer.
This is a story line that will stay with me for a long time.
Matt's character was very well written. The way the relationships between Matt & Laura, and Matt and Oliver (the good Samaritan) were portrayed, only enhanced the story and made the book a thoroughly good read. This book was un-put-downable and I read it in one sitting. It is on offer at Amazon at a great price for e-books, so I recommend you grab a copy!
I would love to read more books by this author and look forward to the next book he has to offer.
This is a story line that will stay with me for a long time.
February 6, 2013
This was a very roller coaster book for me! I either couldn't wait to read it or didn't want to pick it up and would do anything to avoid it. It was really well written but seemed to go off the boil at times, there were one or two characters that didn't need to be in there and some of the describing bored me! However when it came to the interactions of the characters I was hooked and couldn't wait to read more. This book wasn't as I expected which is a shame as it's had some great reviews.
April 7, 2015
Despite the difficult subject, I enjoyed this honest sharing of the thoughts and worries during the healing process.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews