Case Study is a novel that is centered on the concept of deceit (definitely including self-deceit) of the main characters. The story is centered on a fictional '60s-era wunderkind spokesman for the anti-psychology movement in Britain, a certain Dr. Braithwaite. The main story line is about a women (with, as we discover) psychological problems who is the sister of one of his ex-patients who had committed suicide. This sister initiates a contact with Braithwaite in an attempt to discover whether he is to blame for his sister's tragic end. She does to by pretending to be "Rebecca Smith", a troubled women who is seeking therapy from Braithwaite. It's basically detective work. She becomes his patient and the book walks us through their "relationship" as patient/ therapist. It's clear that "Rebecca" doesn't have a real plan to discover the truth and finds herself caught up in the roleplay she initiates. Turns out she has her own share of issues herself and there is some back-and-forth between "Rebecca" and the actual sister. Central to the story is the truly unlikeable character of Braithwaite, who is, basically, an arrogant ass with a despicable moral standard. But the big question is, is he a "fake"? So the theme of authenticity reverberates throughout the novel. It does have very funny and ironic moments and is quite enjoyable.
For a review of the book by Kirkus, click here: CASE STUDY | Kirkus Reviews
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