Flipping through What We Need To Know, a reader might come to the conclusion that this is an unfinished work — and to a certain degree, they wouldn’t be wrong. The art is only pencilled; it lacks the inks and colors that bring everything together nicely.
Rest assured, Willy Linthout’s reasons for this were not out of laziness or succumbing to a deadline; he does this to symbolize the haze of psychosis his characters feel as they combat the ghosts in their lives. The art is unfinished and needs development, not unlike the characters whom we follow in this melancholy tale.
What We Need To Know follows the story of three estranged brothers coping with their aging mother’s slow decline in health. With their ma at death’s door, long-gestating issues among the siblings begin to manifest like never before. Each brother faces his own inner demon in the story — and each deals with it differently.
Carl, a man haunted by the suicide of his son, has exiled himself from his wife and the world. He writes poetry at his desk secluded from everyone. When his mother’s health concerns come to pass, he is forced to leave his protective shell and reacquaint himself with the world he left behind.
Roger, on the other hand, battles alcoholism — and not very well, either. With his mother falling to sickness, his drinking issues become further exacerbated. Ignoring his doctor’s and wife’s cries for him to cut down on his heavy drinking, Roger secretly sneaks to his barn to get drunk sharing in the company of a hallucinatory chicken, enabling him to drink more.
Lastly, Walter, who lives with his ailing Mother, is a controlling and lazy man who often secludes himself from others. He is an inadvertently humorous character who often makes the declaration that he does not need others to take care of him, and yet shows no proficiency in self-efficacy whatsoever. Of all the brothers, Walter is the most humorous, but also the most tragic.
Willy Linthout writes an endearing and heart-wrenching drama sprinkled with dark humour. But as engrossing as this story is, it is not without its flaws. The most notable one being that the time dedicated to each brother is inconsistent. For example, Walter’s story arc has many pages dedicated to it, whereas his brother’s storylines are significantly fewer. Granted, What We Need To Know is a sequel to Years of the Elephant, for which a considerable amount of time was dedicated to Carl’s character.
With that though, I bring up my second critique: for those unaware of the first in the series, the book can be a little confusing at times. As readers continue to dive into the lives of the characters continuing plot threads become clearer, but not as clear as they could be.
What We Need To Know is an endearing slice of life filled with both tasty and bittersweet morsels. It does not sugarcoat life, nor does it hold back from the often depressing truth that not everyone can face their demons with success.
