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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Confidence in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
C
Confidence
Rowland Manthorpe | 2016
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

Many university students will be able to relate to the panic and dread caused by dissertations and final exams. <i>Confidence</i>, co-written by Rowland Manthorpe and Kirstin Smith, is set at an English university where third year students are cramming in revision sessions in the lead up to their examinations. This story combines two character’s experiences which, although rarely overlap, reveal the effects of the lack of and over-confidence.

Whilst Ellie struggles with her dissertation, Charlie believes that he will successfully complete his degree without the need to revise, giving him more time to focus on his social (and sex) life. Both students are distracted by their less-than-perfect social lives, jeopardizing their exam results and discover that life is not at all what they predicted it to be.

<i>Confidence</i> is a book of multiple stories. Firstly (and secondly) there are Ellie’s and Charlie’s predicaments, but the remainder of the novel contains an autobiography of sorts about the nineteenth-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche – whom Ellie is penning her philosophy dissertation on. Whether these sections are an example of a student essay – are the authors aware that they are all written in the third person these days? – Nietzsche’s theories regarding confidence are highly relevant to the theme of the book.

The academically well-written sections about Nietzsche, his life and his spiral into insanity are very interesting to read. Composed in an essay-like format, the information is presented in an easy-to-understand, clear manner, making what in reality is a difficult concept to fathom, simple to comprehend. The fictional narrative, however, is much less pleasing in comparison. Filled with expletives, Manthorpe and Smith paint a stereotypical view of student life. Instead of the hard-working and dedicated people that many students are, they are depicted as alcoholic sex-maniacs.

Whilst negatively categorizing students, other issues are also raised such as feminism and mental health. Whereas these concerns are important topics in the twenty first century, the stigma and inaccurate knowledge about illnesses such as Anorexia is almost unforgivable – “[She] would grow out of it…” Seriously?!

As a story,<i> Confidence</i> falls well below my expectations. Although the stresses of university life are relatable, the characters go to extremes, making their scenarios all the more unrealistic. The essay on Nietzsche on the other hand is an enjoyable, informative piece of writing, which saves <i>Confidence</i> from the fate of a completely negative review. Perhaps my interest in philosophy helped me appreciate the depth of detail and knowledge written about Nietzsche, however I still maintain that it has been composed in such a way as to make it entertaining. Perhaps created with a student audience in mind, <i>Confidence</i> will most likely appeal to readers with the ability to think about the world from a philosophical perspective.