The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld is a gorgeously written debut novel that examines the lives of prisoners on death row. It’s narrated by a death row inmate whose otherworldly visions add a touch of magical realism to the story. Through his eyes, we learn about other inmates and workers within the prison. The novel uncovers the corruption and conditions in the prison while exploring themes like loneliness, the passing of time, mortality and the root causes of evil.
We learn quite a lot about about one character in particular: a woman who is simply referred to as the lady. The lady is an investigator whose job is to save prisoners from their fate on death row. What I love about her character is her gentle, kind nature. Yet, her job is to save men who have caused an unthinkable amount of suffering. This sort of juxtaposition puts the reader in a tricky place, reminding us to avoid black-and-white thinking.
We also learn about the prison warden. Both the lady and the warden, while not prisoners themselves, are dealing with their own hardships, showing how even those of us who are free can feel trapped in our own circumstances.
What I found interesting about this novel is that you sympathize with certain prisoners who have committed truly horrific crimes. It’s hard not to feel some sense of sympathy, especially when we learn about the troubled past of one prisoner in particular named York. And at times, you can’t help but feel somewhat claustrophobic and panicked, thinking about how these men will live out what’s left of their lives behind bars, simply waiting for their turns to die. But the novel then questions how deserving these characters are of our sympathy. In other words, the story is honest about the tragedies they’ve caused while also acknowledging the human in them. The novel does not tell us how to feel about the prison system or about the death penalty. It merely gives us some food for thought.
Despite the depressing nature of the plot, the way that it’s told makes the novel more uplifting than you’d think. The way the narrator views the world – with honesty but with enchantment – gives you some sense of hope and awe. I don’t normally enjoy magical realism, but it was done subtly here. While there were some points in the novel that left me wanting more, I found The Enchanted to be absolutely captivating.
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