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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 2, 2025
Not entirely sure what to make of this book really. Not my usual style but picked it up from a book swap as a bit of a wildcard. I found the first part interesting then, as pointed out by another reviewer, the story switched. Quite differently from the previous reviewer's praise of the genius of this, I personally found the first 35 or 40 pages of the switched-to story really quite boring and was about to give up on the book when it got interesting again. At other times, I found the book perhaps tries to be too clever, but overall it does explore the condition of being human in interesting ways. It's a decent book, and I'm sure those with tastes different from mine would enjoy it more than I did, but I'm personally not rushing to recommend it to anyone.
May 1, 2021
After a long, turbulent time spent not reading anything, this book reminded me of why I enjoy reading so much. It took me there, to its French setting, with its French and English characters.
It's a pretty philosophical character study. It talks about societal expectations, teenager angst & the hard, uneven road to becoming mature.
I really liked Keith Ovenden's clarity and his very sure hand. He started telling one story, got me all curious and interested, and then proceeded to change course and tell a completely different one over many many pages. You need to have a sure hand as a writer to pull this off. Also, at times he was pretty descriptive, and in terms of action not a lot was happening sometimes, and still there I was, reading breathlessly. Waiting to understand, waiting to see what comes next.
I haven't finished the book yet, a bit more to go, but I am enjoying it tremendously. The book is actually a sequel and I haven't read the first one, called "The Greatest Sorrow". However, this is a standalone novel, so you can just jump in if you find it.
Will write more once I finish it.
It's a pretty philosophical character study. It talks about societal expectations, teenager angst & the hard, uneven road to becoming mature.
I really liked Keith Ovenden's clarity and his very sure hand. He started telling one story, got me all curious and interested, and then proceeded to change course and tell a completely different one over many many pages. You need to have a sure hand as a writer to pull this off. Also, at times he was pretty descriptive, and in terms of action not a lot was happening sometimes, and still there I was, reading breathlessly. Waiting to understand, waiting to see what comes next.
I haven't finished the book yet, a bit more to go, but I am enjoying it tremendously. The book is actually a sequel and I haven't read the first one, called "The Greatest Sorrow". However, this is a standalone novel, so you can just jump in if you find it.
Will write more once I finish it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews