Following an Atwood double-bill is always a challenge and Szalay — unfortunately — disappointed again. I very much enjoyed All That Man Is, but have not engaged with any of his other novels. I felt The Innocent never really got going. It lacks cheer — set in Communist Russia — and spends too much time dwelling on events that it might be hard for a modern reader fully to appreciate. At the heart of this novel is the ambiguous notion of innocence — and whether any KGB agent could be considered truly innocent in respect of his actions and their consequences — both intended and unintended. Despite being less than 200 pages, I was glad to finish this work. To charity shop. 4/10.
By David Szalay