Alex Jenson is a brave writer. The subject of his novella, The Serotonin Grand Prix,is mental illness; a topic that some readers may shy away from. Yet perhaps one of the most wonderful things about this work is that it tackles an issue that is still stigmatised and at times ignored by the public and media alike.
With his considerable depth of knowledge, Jenson is able to create a world of depression and paranoia centring on protagonist Marko and his peers in West Royd Mental Hospital. Despite his unconventionality, Marko is particularly likeable as the main character. His internal monologue - which we are privy to throughout the book – is successful in both creating empathy for him and in allowing us to access to the confused workings of his mind.
The characters and events are presented to us from Marko’s point of view. The twisted mind of his ‘friend’ and sometime drug addict Byron, the distrust and dislike he feels for fellow patients and for the doctors and nurses, and the potentiality of assassination at the hands of everyone he meets come together to paint a vivid and occasionally scary picture of mental illness.
Initially I found it fairly difficult to become absorbed in the book, in part due to the heavily descriptive language and frequent use of metaphors and similes. However, once I acclimatised to the rather flowery language, I found that this was a clever device for creating strong images of issues and events that readers may not have experienced.
The fact that this was coupled at times with quite violent and shocking language – including strong racist views from one character – resulted in a graphic treatment of controversial issues. Undoubtedly this forces the reader to become engaged with the subject matter.
The novella has very strong themes and excellent characterisation; by centring on one main event and the thoughts of one protagonist we are allowed a rare glimpse into the minds of the mentally unwell. The book deals with shocking and divisive issues, of which mental illness and racism are just the beginning. Humanity is questioned throughout, religious imagery is invoked and paranoia is ever present.
The book is thought-provoking, its volatile nature punctuated with moments of dark comedy. By ending on a relatively positive note the author suggests that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us all, whatever we might be facing.