The Drowning Woman
Robyn Harding
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The Drowning Woman is Robyn Harding's psychological thriller about a woman whose grasp on reality becomes increasingly uncertain as she becomes obsessed with a neighbour and with investigating a potential crime. The novel plays with perception and reliability.
- 1The protagonist becomes obsessed with a neighbour and with events occurring in the neighbour's household.
- 2She believes she has witnessed something sinister but has no concrete evidence.
- 3Her mental state becomes increasingly unreliable as she pursues her obsession.
- 4Others in her life begin to question her perception and her sanity.
- 5The novel gradually reveals what is real and what is the product of her distorted thinking.
- 6The title suggests drowning in obsession and in the loss of one's grip on reality.
Key ideas
Obsession and reality
The protagonist's obsession warps her perception of reality.
Mental illness and credibility
Her mental state makes her unreliable, affecting how others respond to her concerns.
The danger of isolation
Isolation allows her obsession to grow unchecked.
Perception versus fact
Harding plays with how difficult it is to determine what is real.
The consequences of delusion
Her delusions have real consequences for her relationships and her life.
The blurring of boundaries
The boundary between concern and obsession becomes increasingly unclear.
Who is it for?
Readers who love psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators will find this gripping. It suits anyone interested in how mental illness affects perception and how others respond to it.
Full summary
The protagonist becomes fascinated by a neighbour and by events in the neighbour's household.
She believes she has witnessed something troubling or sinister occurring in the neighbour's home.
She becomes obsessed with investigating and with proving that something illegal or immoral is happening.
Her attempts to investigate and to alert authorities are dismissed or met with scepticism.
The protagonist's mental state deteriorates as her obsession intensifies.
Those close to her begin to question whether she is perceiving reality accurately.
Harding gradually reveals that the protagonist's perception may be distorted by mental illness.
The novel builds toward revelation of what is real and what is the product of her delusion.
