Sharon Kernot's verse novel Night Swimming is a sharp, sexy and tremendously satisfying thriller in verse, progressing with impeccable narrative logic. The form is perfectly suited to the story of a sleep-deprived woman unravelling as she is haunted by her past, reminiscent of Dorothy Porter's The Monkey's Mask.
Insomnia and its psychological toll
One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its portrayal of insomnia, capturing both its physical strain and maddening psychological effects. Protagonist January Clare Colson has suffered bouts of insomnia alongside intense parasomnias—sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, hallucinatory nightmares—since the death of her best friend, Julie, at age 16. She survives largely by self-medicating with red wine and sleeping pills.
In early scenes, we witness Clare lying to a doctor to get a new prescription, her desperation running through the encounter, and listen to her list the well-meaning but infuriating advice people give her: “You need to go to bed earlier / Or get up earlier / Get some morning sunshine / Meditate.” It is clear Clare is barely holding herself together.
A catalyst from the past
What sets Clare's disintegration into motion is the appearance of a man at the front counter of the social services agency where she works. She immediately recognises him from her reckless teenage years: “the past presents itself in the shape of a man.” The man, unnamed throughout the novel, was once the object of a shared and competitive attraction between Clare and Julie, fuelled by the twin intensities of adolescence and transgression. He disappeared completely after Julie's death, leaving Clare unable to prove his existence to investigating police. He remains attractive, “wolfish” and athletic, and Clare cannot help but pursue him, driven by old desire and her need for answers.
Form and lineage
Kernot has previously published two young adult verse novels, including the award-winning Birdy in 2024, as well as one traditional novel in 2013. The verse novel form beautifully suits Night Swimming's subject matter: its fragmented intensity eerily reflects sleep-deprived irrationality, and its rapid pace contributes to the dread and suspense of the thriller. The novel sits within a lineage of Australian verse novels, with the influence of Dorothy Porter's The Monkey's Mask especially clear. While Porter is self-conscious in her poetry references, Kernot plays with the contemporary thriller genre. Her unstable female protagonist nods to that genre, as do scenes where Clare stakes out the man's house (having copied his address from her agency's database) and effects a home-hairdressing disguise with scissors and hair dye.
Masterful control of backstory
What is most masterful is Kernot's control over the slow unfurling of Clare's backstory—details of her teenage hijinks with Julie and what transpired on the night of Julie's death. These small revelations constantly shift the reader's understanding of her character and sympathies. These shifts are subtle but work by accrual, until it becomes clear that Clare may not just be unstable but untrustworthy as well. There is something gripping about these revelations, especially as they occur alongside Clare's deepening obsession with the man from her past. That her pursuit is as genuinely desirous as it is motivated by her search for answers muddies the waters further, making it deliciously compelling.
A satisfying and captivating novel
Night Swimming is a tremendously satisfying novel—sharp, sexy, and exciting, with impeccable narrative logic. Clare's interior world and her ever-increasing desperation are finely drawn and captivating. There is something intensely beautiful and painful in her memories of teenage friendship and the nascent sexuality of that age. It is a complex and compelling novel, and great fun to read. Night Swimming by Sharon Kernot is out now through Text Publishing.
