The Operator by Gretchen Berg

I was ready to be swept up by this book, pulled to a time in the past that I didn't live through but somehow think I understand because my parent's lived through it.  Unfortunately, I just found myself feeling pretty blase about it all the way through.

The book is less about what delicious gossipy gems the titular Operator overhears and more about how one particular conversation throws her whole life off kilter.  The real problem being that I just didn't like Vivian so couldn't work up any enthusiasm for her "plight".  Her arch-nemesis, and four-flusher, Betty Martin never manages to escape from the ignominity of being a caricature within the book - this further disappointed me.

The book starts well enough and you get a real flavour of a small 1950s American Town.  Not so small that you genuinely know everyone but small enough that any shopping expedition means you are bound to run in to a number of acquaintances.  However, for the Operators at Bell they know more about the secrets of the town than anyone; after all they clandestinely listen in to telephone calls when they connect them.  Little time is spent with Vivian at her work though, most of the book is dedicated to the aftermath of Vivian listening to a call placed to Betty Martin by someone she doesn't know and who never identifies herself.  What she finds out shocks her to her core as it directly affects her and she can't have it spread as gossip around the town.

Throw in a little aside about a $250,000 robbery at the local bank - owned and operated by Betty's father, Mayor Martin - which has distinct Frank Capra overtones (at least the Author acknowledges such later in the book).  A little nod here and there to Class Distinction and the almost casual racism that pervades the town (for instance, calling The Tomasetti's "Guineas").  It is really the story of Vivian, her relationship with her husband and daughter, her pervading pre-occupation with appearances and her grown-up relationship with her parents and siblings.  If you don't like Vivian or find yourself feeling somewhat blase about what happens to her then you aren't going to enjoy the book - this was the case for me.

It all felt desperately staged somehow and more like a collection of cliches about the time period and location than anything based in realism.  Nothing in the book really dug deep in to the social mores of the time or daily life, it just felt like ideals lifted from contemporaneous films.

The writing, however, is excellent and despite not really caring about what happened I did find myself happy to keep reading as the author did engage me with her style and narrative flow.

THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA AMAZON.CO.UK