I read this book on Nat’s recommendation. It is beautifully written but I feel that it’s a case of style over content. The discussion of beauty and aesthetics was boring to me and I know nothing about Henry James so couldn’t relate to that at all. The explicit sex scenes didn’t seem to serve any purpose. Having listened to Hollinghurst discussing the book after I’d finished it, it seems that I’ve missed a number of nuances in this novel. Perhaps it’s just too clever for me.

The protagonist does have painfully perceptive moments which startled me with their insight, such as when Nick’s parents meet the Feddens he is embarassed by them in small ways such as the smallness of the drinks his father makes and how small his parents seem physically to Gerald Fedden. I feel the same about my parents sometimes. Other than a few episodes of this kind I couldn’t find a great deal to connect with in this book. All the characters, with the sole exception of Catherine, are false and unlikeable. Having said all that, I’m glad I finished reading it. I found the pace rather slow except in the final part (of three) which contains the highest proportion of plot and in which loose ends are finally tied up. There is a some satisfaction to be had when major characters get their comeuppance at the end but this is no What a Carve Up! and, as if to reflect his wishy-washiness, the protagonist’s fate is left ambiguous.

I was dead keen to read this since I loved The Casual Vacancy, J. K. Rowling’s first book for adults. It was reserved by more than 60 people at the library so I had to wait a few weeks before I got my hands on it.

This is a contemporary tale set in London (both always a plus for me), well written and the conclusion came as a complete shock to me. However, it all felt a bit flat for the first two thirds of the book. The last third saw the pace pick up significantly and I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t like the name of the hero (Cormoran Strike? Give me a break!) and some of the characters were too stereotyped. Still, I very much enjoyed the final third so I’d recommended it.

I read this book on Saira’s recommendation and I’m glad I did. It definitely reads like a book for teenagers but it’s very good anyway, totally compulsive. It’s simply but well written. The story is science fiction: part Battle Royale, part Big Brother (Channel 4 versions). It throws up some interesting ideas that will get young people thinking. Overall, a very enjoyable package.

I picked this up at the library because I loved the TV series of The Take and The Runaway. I’m not very far in but the writing seems quite simplistic, bad in places: ‘relaxed hair’?? but I’ll read a bit more and see how it goes.

Later…
Well, I have read 100 pages and I am getting annoyed that there is far too much narrative and there is far too little dialogue and action. The writing style is very immature. It’s so stereotypical too: all the women are good-looking, all the men are handsome. And the central characters being two brothers, one sensible and one out of control, is a carbon copy of The Take. I’m going to give this one up as a bad job; life is just too short. I’ll definitely watch it if it gets made into a TV drama though.

This is the first book in a long time, perhaps ever, that I am going to give up on halfway through. It’s direct and bizarre, and I have enjoyed those aspects so far but I just can’t seem to ‘anchor’myself in the book. The events are shocking but so random that it makes them meaningless. I don’t understand the protagonist; he seems completely devoid of feeling although the children are believable. Having read reviews I know how things pan out and the ending seems very mushy which jars against the dramatic opening of the book.

I don’t think this book is worse than others I’ve persevered with; I just feel differently about books now that I’ve stopped going to the book group. I just don’t feel obligated to finish books anymore. A lot of the pleasure of reading, for me, comes from reading precisely what I’m in the mood for.