Eternity Is Temporary

by Bill Broady

This work is suitable for anyone who sweated their way through the summer of '76, and readers of Jonathan's Coe's The Rotters' Club , Martin Amis' Success , and Ian McEwan's The Cement Garden . It's the long, hot summer of 1976 and Adrea is falling in love for the first time, while nursing the decrepit residents of Heron Close, a care home in Chalk Farm. This is the summer that sees Blue Oyster Cult and Supertramp superseded by Patti Smith and the Stranglers, and as the heat rises in and out of the Roundhouse, the lives of residents and carers alike are about to blister and burn. And right in the midst of all this humdrum squalor, like the sun's rays beating back the darkness, are Adrea and Evan, about to let in the light and heat—with inflammatory results.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this booked. I loved the characters Evan and Adrea and exploring the heat of the 70s with them. And also their weird and wonderful ways of getting to know the residents of Heron Close. I thought Broady brought the characters to life and had a very good sense of humour.
I didn’t, however, like the ending. It was left too open and turned too surreal at the end for my likening.

Overall though, worth a read!

[Indiabookstore · Rating 4 out of 5]

With clever comparisons, diligent delineations and skillful selectivity, Broady stuffed this literary chillum with carefully crushed leaves of linguistic marijuana for readers to smoke and attain a relaxing, rejuvenating and of course a harmless high. The unconventional and captivating characterization, sentences soaked in mesmerizing wit, the narration that stimulates reader’s imagination and an impartial touch of philosophy are unquestionably the invaluable assets of this book.

If at all there is a beginning, this book begins with Evan’s recruitment as a professional care assistant for Heron Close, a residential home for the elderly. The setting is quite restricted and the pool of characters is more or less stagnant. Evan finds himself in the company of interesting and contrasting personalities. He falls in love with Adrea, his colleague. This story is about how each of these interesting people, including the elderly, fits into others’ lives....

For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.

[Linjea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik ben pas halverwege, maar tot nu toe is dit boek precies wat ik op dit moment nodig heb: een simpel verhaal, veel humor en niet te moeilijk, maar wel met mooie en eigenaardige karakters.

Inmiddels heb ik het uitgelezen. Het leest lekker weg. Jammer dat het verhaal een slap staartje heeft.

[Aileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I'm just not able to read into things more, didn't particularly enjoy this book, some interesting chapters and characters but it was a slug and a half to get through..!