I have never liked and disliked a book at the same time as I do In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien. Let me explain. The story follows John Wade, a failed politician who just humiliatingly lost his career, as he moves to the middle of the woods with his wife to escape. One day, his wife, Kathy, goes missing, launching a town-wide investigation into what happened and where she went. The story jumps back and forth between the present moment of the case and John’s past involvement in a gruesome massacre of Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. Additionally, it features chapters of case testimonies and hypothetical scenarios of what could have happened to Kathy.
I greatly enjoyed the different formats of each chapter, especially the testimonies. I felt like I was experiencing the case unfolding, and my opinion was shaped by the testimonies I read, just as someone would in a real case. Although there were moments when it got stagnant and harder to read through, the question of what happened to Kathy kept me reading. The ending is so ambiguous and well-constructed, leaving everything up in the air. I was convinced John committed murder two chapters before the end, but I was left unsure once again upon finishing the book. As someone who hates unresolved endings, I hated not knowing what truly happened and being unable to formulate my own ending. At the same time, that’s why I find this book so incredibly written on Tim O’Brien’s behalf.
Overall, In the Lake of the Woods is a very interesting read for anyone looking for a mystery or war-related novel. The ongoing case keeps you reading, leaving you wondering what happened to Kathy.