Visiting King Lear

Jackson experienced a lot of horrible things before he fled Burundi and settled in Belgium. From time to time this causes a short circuit in his head. Which is what happened on the day when he pulled the digital whiteboard off the wall and it injured his teacher’s leg. It’s his fault that Ms Annie is out of the running for months. Jackson feels terribly sorry, but he just can’t get the word ‘sorry’ past his lips. Ms Annie gives him a very odd punishment: every Wednesday Jackson has to go to the Hadhouse, until he can manage to apologize. At that remarkable place he meets Don Quichote, Romeo and Juliet, Pippi Longstocking and King Lear. King Lear turns out to be just the person to help Jackson. Will he now succeed in saying sorry?

‘Visiting King Lear’ is a light-hearted and accessible story, in a pared-down writing style, that doesn’t fight shy of heavy themes. The deeper storyline in which the author elaborates upon Jackson’s traumatic experiences, such as the murder of his uncle, the sudden flight from Burundi and his difficulties adjusting to Belgium, convince through their simplicity. In this book Lievens succeeds in finding the perfect balance between raw reality and absurd fantasy. Its layered nature makes the book very strong. ‘Visiting King Lear’ is a moving, tender and in places very funny novel.