Useful Idiots by Jan Mark is a very thought-provoking read and challenges the reader to develop their own points of view as the book progresses.
The small old English nursery rhymes were a lovely touch which put the reader more in touch with Merrick and the Oysters. I was not totally sure what their overall role was but this is the feeling that I got.
The Useful Idiots characters were well developed and it is easy to understand the story from the points of view of each character. However, the character of Turcat, in my opinion, was slightly misleading and by the end of the book I was confused about his personality. My favourite character was Amandine because she had apersonality that everyone can relate to, everyone has a friend like Amandine. Her character was painted beautifully. In each character, Mark has left enough space for the reader to include their own personal ideas and fantasies.
The climax comes quite late in the book and although parts of it are slightly predictable it remains exciting and keeps the reader reading. I found Shepherd's role in the climax ha rd to believe as my original reaction to him did not fit with this. On the other hand, Frida's part fitted perfectly with the nature of her character.
Setting in this book, I think, is the key to its success. Mark uses different descriptive words, some unusual, for example, 'dense insanitary velvet'. This really brings alive the futuristic nature of the book and feelings of the characters towards our present day culture. The setting makes this book what it is.
