The Bad Seed by William March

 

William March's Rhoda has seeped into our cultural lexicon, so that like The Stepford Wives or Cujo, you don't need to have read the book (or seen the movie) to know that a well-dressed, polite child wearing formal, old-fashioned clothes is most likely a psychopathic killer. This child doesn't just braid her own hair, she loops them into "hangman's nooses." Her shoes have iron cleats to conveniently transition from outerwear to deadly weapon. You better hope you don't have anything she wants. 

What do you do when this murderous elementary schooler is your kid? March focuses his story on that dilemma. Christine's husband is abroad for work and though she writes him passionate letters full of desperation that verges on the erotic, those are locked in a drawer with other troublesome things like, oh, a loaded gun and a couple bottles of sleeping pills. She only writes him carefully edited letters that keep up the facade that all is well back home. 

The book begins with "the day of her last happiness," but darkness has assiduously followed Christine her entire life, a fact she forcefully tries to deny, despite the encouragement of her neighbor Mrs. Breedlove to delve into every unexamined thought and impulse. 

Speaking of Mrs. Breedlove, she is a fantastic character: a devotee of analysis, an older woman who speaks her mind (constantly!) and bucks convention. Her parties are the best. My favorite is the one where she invites three older ladies to get soused to convince them to fund her new endeavor -- a rehab facility for alcoholics. With Mrs. Breedlove, nothing is off the table. She freely talks about latent homosexuality and incestuous desire, true crime, and what is most fascinating to her: the inner workings of her own mind. But she has a massive blind spot when it comes to Rhoda, whom she just adores. Probably because Rhoda is quiet and well-mannered, the kind of kid adults who don't enjoy children adore. 

Through Mrs. Breedlove's influence, Christine is introduced to the dark and fascinating world of true crime, which she dives into obsessively, like a detective, hoping to find some sort of answer to the riddle of her child's behavior. The deeper she goes, the more unsettled she becomes, and finally, decisive action can not be avoided. It's a pretty good read! I'm looking forward to re-watching the movie. 

- Michael G.