Ros Thomas’s latest novella How to Shame the Devil perfectly encapsulates life within Perth where Art Lambkin, now confined to a nursing home, fights a losing battle against Parkinson’s disease and old age. Art writes daily to the Letters Pages of his daily newspaper where he fights to stay relevant in a world that is trying to forget him. But when a woman from his long-ago past surfaces and threatens to ruin Art’s reputation, how will he stop her from turning him into the villain within his own story?
Ros Thomas brings a whole new perspective to the #MeToo movement through her suburban and nostalgic settings and a relatable protagonist who adds a sense of contemporary relevance to the novella. While the character of Art is essentially a mediocre white male often complaining that he is the victim in his own story, one cannot help but come to like his stubbornness and steadfast mentality. The representation of women within the narration has a striking misogynist undertone yet provides a thought-provoking insight into Art’s character. How to Shame the Devil perfectly highlights the need for important conversations to be had about consent and how absence of the word ‘no’ does not automatically grant it.