Lionel Shriver’s novel, “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” is a poignant and intense exploration of motherhood, familial relationships, and the repercussions of violence.
Against the backdrop of tragic gun incidents in America, the novel delves deep into the character of Kevin Khatchadourian, a troubled teenager who commits a heinous act at his high school.
“You can only subject people to anguish who have a conscience. You can only punish people who have hopes to frustrate or attachments to sever; who worry what you think of them. You can really only punish people who are already a little bit good.”
― Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin
These lines summarize Kevin’s whole personality in the novel.
“Had I catalogued the downsides of parenthood, “son might turn out to be a killer” would never have turned up on the list.”
What do you do when your own child is born without the capacity for conscience or emotion? When they are inherently evil? As a parent, there is a responsibility to recognize these abnormalities and seek medical help, but in ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, Eva Khatchadourian failed to take action and lost her entire life in the process.
Narrated by Eva Khatchadourian, Kevin’s mother, the story unravels through her reflections on his upbringing and their strained connection.
As Eva grapples with her son’s chilling tendencies and societal pressure to be a perfect mother, Shriver raises questions about nature vs nurture: whether Kevin’s actions are the result of his upbringing or if there is something inherently evil within him. Through Eva’s reflections, the reader is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the complexities of parenthood and the limits of maternal love.
Meanwhile, Franklin remained blindly oblivious to his son’s faults, unable to see the path leading to their ultimate downfall.
Some may argue that Kevin was born this way, beyond any medical intervention.
But as a mother, it was difficult for me not to blame Eva for her coldness and detachment towards her own son’s true nature. Part of me despised her for her coldness, but another part cried for her — knowing the immense guilt and pain she must carry as a mother unable to protect her child from himself. What else could she have possibly done? The tragedy of maternal love knows no bounds.
The haunting question lingers long after the final page turn: could anyone have changed Kevin’s destiny? And what does it say about human nature when we are faced with such unexplainable evil within our own children?
For those who have experienced parenthood, I urge you to read this book.
But I must warn you, it is a powerful book about ugly things — difficult, depressing, dark, and soul-dampening.
It offers a searing critique of American society’s obsession with violence and the pervasive influence of gun culture. The book’s setting in the aftermath of multiple gun incidents in the United States adds a layer of urgency to its exploration of these themes.
A book that will stay with you for a long long time.
@
Neena H. Brar
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The Things I Know 
I happened into this – even knowing the content, somewhat – as a kind of lark — because one of my best friends is named Kevin, and so when this first came around, you see, we were cutting up all the time about the title, applying it to his life 😉 … This one affected me like The Bad Seed, only on a deeper, closer to the heart, level: much identification with Celia (love the opening quote! because that’s been one of the bigger challenges of my adult life) BOTH as a mother of a high-trouble (now adult) child AND as someone who has personally encountered – well, let’s just say people programmed like this Kevin ;- As I’ve gotten older, I tend to have honed just enough skills where such encounters are often along the edge – and then I skirt away – wounded, yes, but at least one where I’m capable of landing on my feet (eventually …) . Your review is spot-on! and I thank you for sharing!
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JEANNEE, that must be hard…raising a difficult child, being a mother of a difficult child. I can imagine your pain and struggle as a mother of two myself. I don’t think there is any task harder than having a child who is not easy. Just having a child, being a mother is not if you ask me. For a mother everything involving a child is painful in some way. All the emotions (it does not matter if they are happiness, sorrow, love, hurt or pride) are so deep and sharp, they hit you hard leaving you exposed and raw. Thanks for liking my review. You will be in my prayers always.
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