Review: The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler

Nelson has turned thirteen. While he’s not exactly the most popular boy, nor does he have the greatest father for a role model, but he does have passion. Nelson has a motto flowing through his blood, powering his organs and his actions, and it is the motto of the Boy Scouts; Be Prepared.

While at camp, where he excels despite the bullying and awkwardness, Nelson truly discovers who he is; not his father’s son or his friend’s plaything – he is his own person, and he is destined to be a great man.

Despite the upheaval of the times, and his own less-than-ideal personal circumstances, Nelson moves through military school and wars to become the man he was destined to be; honest, righteous and strong as hell.

Sharing the mantel of Boy Scout and honour of being Nelson’s friend (for every reader will realise that despite his ‘otherness’, it is indeed an honour to befriend the likes of Nelson) is Jonathan Quick, the yin to Nelson’s yang, and yet his perfect companion. The two stay in touch throughout their lives, passing each other occasionally amid the drama and horde of bodies that is life.

Yet for every brave and honest man is an undesirable counterpart, and Nelson and Jonathan (as Boy Scouts and thus the spokesmen for all that is good) must each face the many versions of this other. Whether they will be swayed by the evil or stay righteous is their test, and the pull of these two sides of the coin will affect their families and friends for generations to come.

The feminist in me was almost hesitant to read a book so focused on the male, yet that is precisely why The Hearts of Men is vital. Too long have we shunned stories of men, their world, and what makes them tick. But as a lover of literature, I cannot miss to the chance to live in the skin of another, and Nickolas Butler allowed me to do just that, with devastating depth and feeling. Nelson’s story is one of transformation and growth in the truest sense, he shuns the burden of ‘less’ that the world tries to thrust upon him, and remains true to his principles and ideals to the end; a true man. Despite the allure and the ease with which a man can fall into debauchery and degradation, the Nelson’s of the world remind us that each man is indeed an island, and that all they need is the right conditions to thrive.

The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler is published by Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan.