What a strange novel this is. The writing is literary fiction at its best. This is what kept me reading the book, as there’s little plot to speak of. I liked it better than The Essex Serpent (which I wasn’t a fan of) and it’s an impressive debut.
John Cole, a bookseller, decides to leave his lonely life behind. He drives into the countryside, where his car breaks down. He finds a grand isolated house and the people there mistake him for a visitor they were expecting, a man with a similar name. John is drawn into their friendly company and then not a lot happens for the rest of the book. It’s a hot summer but there’s a storm coming and everyone is behaving eccentrically. There’s a mental health angle to the story, which I liked, and it’s subtly done. However, I didn’t take to any of the characters. They seemed to be distanced from me despite their actions being described in detail. Since the novel revolves around the characters rather than the plot, my enjoyment wasn’t high.
Although I found the concept intriguing, my interest waned after about halfway. The book isn’t long, so I finished it without resorting to skim-reading. I appreciated the writing style but sometimes I felt frustrated. The characters were always touching each other on the shoulder. It happened often enough to annoy me. At first, there was a gothic tone to the story, with the decaying house and suspiciously kind welcome to a stranger. This wasn’t sustained and I was confused as to what sort of book I was reading. I’d gone into it open-minded but the blurb made the story sound more mysterious than it was. An endorsement by novelist Sarah Waters on the front cover describes the book as a ‘beautiful, dream-like narrative’. I’d agree with this. The heat-drowsy atmosphere contributes to the feeling that this could be John’s dream.
In summary, this is an atmospheric and well-written novel but I found it a little odd and directionless.
Well put! I know exactly what you mean. I’ve read this and tried to read The Essex Serpent, but just couldn’t really get on with either of them. Oh well not every author is for everyone.
Thank you. I think she’s a talented writer but I really prefer to have a clear story in addition to lovely descriptions.
Great review! I haven’t tried Perry yet, but I keep seeing increasingly mixed reviews for her work. I own a copy of The Essex Serpent, and adore gothic, atmospheric books, but it sounds like her lack of plot direction could be frustrating…
Thanks! I think if you want atmosphere, you’ll probably like her books. It depends how much of an actual story you want!
I’ll definitely give her a go at some point, but I’d need to be in the right mood!
This doesn’t seem to be a book I would like, especially with a shallow plot and characters that are hard to relate to. Nice review 🙂
I think that based on the kind of books you review, you’re probably right that it’s not for you. For a debut novel it’s a skilful effort though. Thanks 🙂
I remember reading this and feeling as though I didn’t really get it. I think that this was in part due to the biblical references – many of which passed me by. I liked it, but not as much as The Essex Serpent and Melmoth. Great review.
Thank you 🙂
Not just me that was bewildered by this book then. I mean I didn’t dislike it, I just wanted more of a story!