#Titanuary ‘Exposure’ by Louis Greenberg

About the book…

In an alternate Britain, an immersive theatre like no other unravels a mystery from beyond the grave. Perfect for fans of Black Mirror.

In a Britain akin to this one, Vincent Rice falls off a ladder, literally at Petra Orff’s feet. They introduce themselves, and he offers to take her to Metamuse, an alternative theatre experience like no other that he won tickets to in a competition he doesn’t remember entering.

Vincent has a complex sense of home, and immigrant Petra senses a kindred spirit in him. As time goes on, inexplicable occurrences pile on top of one another, connected to Metamuse: certainly more than just a theatre experience. Unquiet dead seem to be reaching into the world to protest injustices both past and present.

My thanks to the wonderful team at Titan for sending me this gifted review copy of ‘Exposure’ by Louis Greenberg which is available now in paperback and e-book formats.

This is a very thoughtful, mindful book that begins at pace and does not let go. You unravel the mysteries of the theatre experience at the same time as Vincent and Petra do. alongside excerpts from a journalist, Rose’s published reviews. It gives you a rounded idea, both personal and social, as to where Metamuse, and its 2 mysterious creators exist as a concept.

In an age where literally nothing is private, sacred or kept as a secret, it is easy to imagine the extremely high levels of power that  the two female Metamuse founders, must wield in order to have wiped themselves off the internet, and there are people who are not even sure that they are who they say they are. No one knows, and much as Vincent fell at the feet of Petra, we. the readers have to trust that someone will be there to see it, in order for it to have happened. We are, in fact, exposed.

Questions of identity and reality flow through Exposure so naturally-you have Vincent who is born here but is of Malaian extract and therefore has the exotic labelling of ‘other’ though he is more naturally belonging than most of those who would see him as such. He lands at Petra’s feet, literally falling out of the sky as he tries to pack up his grandfather’s recording studio. It has been bought up by a multinational who control access to health in this eerily prescient UK of the future/or slightly off kilter UK. Here, health is privatised and those who have, get. Those who don’t, die. And that includes Beccie, Vincent teenage daughter.

Petra, of South African descent, is not naturalised to the UK and has moved here to be with her sick mother, but keeps this face, this facade of trying to fit in and when her mother, who is openly not from here and who gleefully ignores social conventions such as -shock horror!-talking to strangers in waiting rooms, you can almost feel Petra’s toes curl.

Petra works in Needless Things, a play on the Stephen King novel ‘Needful Things’, run by Suki (not her real name, she has a far more basic one which she shuns for the more exotic and memorable Suki). She comes from a wealthy family who, it seems, have funded her shop of frankly useless items, where every corner is stuffed with an eclectic mix of things like Hot Topless Hunks Colouring Books (which Suki herself got bored with colouring in  after only a couple of pages.) Suki is both an anchor to Petra, not demanding too much of her, she provides a sounding board, emotional support and a steady income. The contrast between the privileged elite and those who cannot even afford the most basic health care is not lost on this reader.

So when Petra meets Vincent in this very funny, relatable and dramatic way, it does not seem out of the bounds of possibility that they should be attending Metamuse together. Vincent (I am unsure if this is a deliberate link in his name to the iconic actor Vincent Price, but it made me question what I was reading because every time his name was mentioned I added hat extra ‘P’. Which is ridiculous as he is clearly described as a young, black man so maybe it is a commentary on seeing and believing what you often overlook as white privilege?) does not remember entering the competition to win tickets, there are 2 of them, and the first event is that night.

He and Petra go there, her whole persona of being a dutiful daughter is something that she tries on but does not quite fit her as well as she would like. Her mother has had a minor procedure and whilst Petra has made a fuss about being there for her, the complexity of their relationship leaps off the page. She is meant to go and see her mother and check on her but goes to the first Metamuse event instead. Wondering, practically, how the events make money as you do not go looking for tickets, they come to you, gives this a bizarre, post-modern Willy Wonka effect.

The selection process is further explored by Rose’s articles. She is a journalist with a terminal case of ennui, chasing something which will make her feel and has been unable to use any of her contacts to get tickets. Until the tickets to Metamuse find her at exactly the right time…

Petra and Vincent fall very deeply into a complex relationship after the first event, their transition from accidental acquaintances to lovers amplified by the experience they shared. This is not to last, however, as the second and then third night completely flip the script on their shared experience and produce some of the most unsettling writing I  encountered in 2021.

I will not go into details as I would hope you would seek this book out for yourself and the read be as individual to you as it was to me.

Suffice to say, from night one both Petra and Vincent exist in this post date/pre-date fugue state where they have been exposed, literally and metaphorically to feelings and memories that each have buried.

Things in the real world seem to be both disjointed and overlapping to the point where you are no longer sure if they are both sane or being manipulated as you, yourself question if you are being manipulated also.

Who is being exposed to what?

And why?

What is the aim of this singularly unique theatre event and why these two people, why now?

The questions of identity, love, loss and expectation of others to provide that synaptic link between feelings and actions are wonderfully explored in a gripping, engaging and page turning novel. It left me with a book hangover, in the best possible way, and I will be forever haunted by that shadowy, two tone cover.

About the author…

Louis Greenberg is a Johannesburg-bred author, editor and writing tutor. He was a bookseller for several years, and has a Master’s degree in vampire fiction and a doctorate in post-religious apocalyptic fiction.

His first novel , ‘The Beggars’ Signwriters’, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and he’s also the author of ‘Dark Windows’ and ‘Green Valley’. As S.L. Grey, he co-writes horror fiction with Sarah Lotz, including ‘The Mall’ and ‘The Appartment’. He is currently based in England.

Links-http://louisgreenberg.com/

Twitter @TitanBooks