The Delusions by Jenni Fagan
Jenni Fagan's intensely humanist novel explores the administrative structures of the afterlife
Set against a striking celestial stage, Jenni Fagan’s The Delusions addresses universal concerns through the intensely personal. It’s a novel which reveals its layers with stealth, in no small part due to the unusual setting which is simultaneously heavenly and humdrum, and which takes time to fully comprehend. Love, loss, sickness, prejudice and pain are examined, but there’s also joy and hope, as the worst and best of humanity is made manifest.
Edi and her closest colleagues Batshiva and Eustace work in Admin, where they have to process the recently deceased from Earth. On arrival, there is a set of questions which need honest answers before individuals can be relieved of their Delusions, an unexpectedly corporeal undertaking. Only then can they pass. Many try to cheat the system, but their sins will find them out.
There is an incident involving Edi which results from an administrative error, and for which she is disciplined. Edi’s reaction to this situation is to reflect inwardly on her own time on Earth, and the manner of her demise. No matter where they begin, thoughts always return to Ivor, the son who was left behind, and there are beautiful and heartbreaking details of the relationship between mother and child, and the yearning which remains. Edi’s predicament exemplifies the existential fear of outliving your children, and the depth of feeling is at times palpable. By confronting readers with their own mortality, Fagan digs deep into what it means to be alive, and does so with such honesty and artistry it’s quite extraordinary.
