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The Light of Day
On the anniversary of a life-shattering event, George Webb, a former policeman turned private detective, revisits the catastrophes of his past and reaffirms the extraordinary direction of his future. Two years before, an assignment to follow a strayed husband and his mistress appeared simple enough, but this routine job left George a transformed man.
Suspenseful, moving, and hailed by critics as a detective story unlike any other, The Light of Day is a gripping tale of murder and redemption, as well as a bold exploration of love and self-discovery.
Suspenseful, moving, and hailed by critics as a detective story unlike any other, The Light of Day is a gripping tale of murder and redemption, as well as a bold exploration of love and self-discovery.
323 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2003
83 people are currently reading
3917 people want to read
About the author
Graham Swift
62 books696 followersGraham Colin Swift is a British writer. Born in London, UK, he was educated at Dulwich College, Queens' College, Cambridge, and later the University of York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
March 10, 2013
Whilst I liked the style of writing, I was waiting for some kind of twist at the end, which never came. I also couldn't believe in the relationship between George and Sarah. He never really explained what it was about her that made him so head over heels in love after a few brief meetings (other than he liked her knees!).
July 27, 2015
To set the scene, let's have some Sugar Loaf SambaDescription: On the anniversary of a life-shattering event, George Webb, a former policeman turned private detective, revisits the catastrophes of his past and reaffirms the extraordinary direction of his future. Two years before, an assignment to follow a strayed husband and his mistress appeared simple enough, but this routine job left George a transformed man.
Suspenseful, moving, and hailed by critics as a detective story unlike any other, The Light of Day is a gripping tale of murder and redemption, as well as a bold exploration of love and self-discovery.
Opening: "Something’s come over you.” That’s what Rita said, over two years ago now, and now she knows it wasn’t just a thing of the moment.
Something happens. We cross a line, we open a door we never knew was there. It might never have happened, we might never have known. Most of life, maybe, is only time served.
Morning traffic in Wimbledon Broadway. Exhausts steaming. I turn the key in the street door, my own breath coming in clouds.
“Something’s come over you, George.”
But she knew even before I did.
A clever, heart-wrenching 'day in the life of' story, which slightly echoed the poignant 'End of the Affair' by Graham Greene. This won't be for everyone, yet I was moved.
'How come flower shops still exist? In this day and age.' 
Dubrovnik, old town.4* Last Orders
5* Waterland
3* The Light of Day
5* Ever After
3* The Sweet Shop Owner
3* England and Other Stories
July 18, 2022
It's the second anniversary of a horrific event, and George Webb has plans to put flowers on a grave. During the course of a November day we learn about the situation through George's interior monologue which goes back and forth through time. We know a basic account of events early in the novel, then become aware of the details and motivation as the story of a crime unfolds.
Sarah Nash hires private investigator George Webb to follow her husband and his mistress to the airport. Kristina is a Croatian refugee, helped by the Nash family, who is flying back to her homeland. Mrs Nash wants to be certain that Kristina boards the plane and the affair has ended.
The book delves into the emotional details of the past in short chapters. Some parts of the story are partly told with sentence fragments as George's mind flits from one thing to another. George becomes obsessed with Sarah who loves her husband who cannot imagine his life without Kristina.
"The Light of Day" is not a book for readers who love fast-paced, plot-driven mysteries. It is written for readers who enjoy characters with deep psychological pasts, and their interactions. It's fascinating to see how author Graham Swift takes many small moments in the characters' lives and slowly lets the reader visualize the big picture.
Sarah Nash hires private investigator George Webb to follow her husband and his mistress to the airport. Kristina is a Croatian refugee, helped by the Nash family, who is flying back to her homeland. Mrs Nash wants to be certain that Kristina boards the plane and the affair has ended.
The book delves into the emotional details of the past in short chapters. Some parts of the story are partly told with sentence fragments as George's mind flits from one thing to another. George becomes obsessed with Sarah who loves her husband who cannot imagine his life without Kristina.
"The Light of Day" is not a book for readers who love fast-paced, plot-driven mysteries. It is written for readers who enjoy characters with deep psychological pasts, and their interactions. It's fascinating to see how author Graham Swift takes many small moments in the characters' lives and slowly lets the reader visualize the big picture.
February 18, 2009
Graham Swift's The Light of Day is a sort of psychological/crime/love story. George Webb, a disgraced policeman, now works as a private detective, investigating the extra-marital affairs of the spouses of his clients. However, he gets emotionally involved with the case of Sarah Nash, whose husband had an affair with the Croatian refugee they sheltered in their home.
I didn't like it. I couldn't stand the prose style. He often uses short, pseudo-emotional sentences that lack a verb phrase (though don't quote me on that - I'm no expert on syntax) and rhetorical questions. I'll quote a bit:
"Or forgotten? Deliberately wiped from the record? A missing file. No, not here. You must be thinking of somewhere else."
To me, this is just plain bad writing. I used to write like that. I still write like that when I'm not writing well, and I read over it later and shudder. It's a crude, unsophisticated method to try and create an emotional atmosphere, and it fails. Every time.
Other times, he slips into long, flowing sentences with far too much punctuation, which is just as bad:
"But this, this now, can't be what she would have imagined for me, what she would have wished. This woman in my life. That I'd be going, once a fortnight, two years now, to see - this prisoner. This killer."
Again, bad writing. It's better when he uses sentences of normal length, but then it slips into mediocrity. Frankly, I can't believe it won a Booker Prize.
The chapters are short and bitty - nothing useful is said, ever. It is the final triumph of style over substance. Swift spends most of the novel skirting around the big issues, because he's evidently under the impression that withholding key elements of the plot for as long as is physically possible makes readers happy. I actually tend not to mind this, as long as the style is enthralling enough to keep me occupied, as in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, for example. It also helps for the book to be gripping enough that I don't notice the suppression of information that would make the story make sense. Gripping, however, is not how to describe The Light of Day. It's been ages since I counted pages so much. I was willing it to end.
The praise for this novel has been excessive. Arena says: "A book so shot through with pent-up emotion that it practically trembles in your hands." I looked so hard for that pent-up emotion, but I could not for the life of me find it.
However, perhaps I'm being overly harsh. Here are some other points made by the critics, who are quoted liberally on the cover (inside and out), perhaps trying to convince the innocent Swift-hater that there is something worthwhile to be found in this pile of random words that claims to be a novel:
* "how to explain the inexplicable things in life: the strangeness of love at first sight, love like a blow to the heart, love for the duration?" Guardian
* "sees the poetry and the tragedy lurking in an ordinary life" Irish Times
* "Asks profound questions about how we live and love" Big Issue
There's also much praise for his "prose of such sensitivity" - um, where is it? On the other hand, I can sort of see where they're coming from with the points I quoted above, if I squint, turn my head sideways and think of a different book. But I couldn't for the life of me get past the execrable prose.
I didn't like it. I couldn't stand the prose style. He often uses short, pseudo-emotional sentences that lack a verb phrase (though don't quote me on that - I'm no expert on syntax) and rhetorical questions. I'll quote a bit:
"Or forgotten? Deliberately wiped from the record? A missing file. No, not here. You must be thinking of somewhere else."
To me, this is just plain bad writing. I used to write like that. I still write like that when I'm not writing well, and I read over it later and shudder. It's a crude, unsophisticated method to try and create an emotional atmosphere, and it fails. Every time.
Other times, he slips into long, flowing sentences with far too much punctuation, which is just as bad:
"But this, this now, can't be what she would have imagined for me, what she would have wished. This woman in my life. That I'd be going, once a fortnight, two years now, to see - this prisoner. This killer."
Again, bad writing. It's better when he uses sentences of normal length, but then it slips into mediocrity. Frankly, I can't believe it won a Booker Prize.
The chapters are short and bitty - nothing useful is said, ever. It is the final triumph of style over substance. Swift spends most of the novel skirting around the big issues, because he's evidently under the impression that withholding key elements of the plot for as long as is physically possible makes readers happy. I actually tend not to mind this, as long as the style is enthralling enough to keep me occupied, as in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, for example. It also helps for the book to be gripping enough that I don't notice the suppression of information that would make the story make sense. Gripping, however, is not how to describe The Light of Day. It's been ages since I counted pages so much. I was willing it to end.
The praise for this novel has been excessive. Arena says: "A book so shot through with pent-up emotion that it practically trembles in your hands." I looked so hard for that pent-up emotion, but I could not for the life of me find it.
However, perhaps I'm being overly harsh. Here are some other points made by the critics, who are quoted liberally on the cover (inside and out), perhaps trying to convince the innocent Swift-hater that there is something worthwhile to be found in this pile of random words that claims to be a novel:
* "how to explain the inexplicable things in life: the strangeness of love at first sight, love like a blow to the heart, love for the duration?" Guardian
* "sees the poetry and the tragedy lurking in an ordinary life" Irish Times
* "Asks profound questions about how we live and love" Big Issue
There's also much praise for his "prose of such sensitivity" - um, where is it? On the other hand, I can sort of see where they're coming from with the points I quoted above, if I squint, turn my head sideways and think of a different book. But I couldn't for the life of me get past the execrable prose.
January 25, 2016
This is what I thought all adult books were like when I was a child - dry stories about middle aged people having affairs. I really struggled to finish this book, the writing was very stilted and repetitive, and the story of an aging private detective in love with one of his previous clients didn't really grip me. Not a bad book, just not my type.
Read
June 3, 2022DNFing this at 45 %. Graham Swift writing just isn't for me. I find it difficult getting into the story and getting attached to the characters. Just don't pull me in
February 19, 2016
Hmm, nicely written, but it was too long for the story. I think it would have worked best as a novela. Also it felt like Swift was trying to lead us along the path of a twist or a revelation as if was a crime genre novel but there wasn't one. I don't mind that there wasn't one, it's just the expectation that didn't work. I also had issues with the sensitive, thinking, feeling narrator, George, who was a policeman turned private detective. Of course there are sensitive, thinking, feeling private detectives, but I felt Swift was trying too hard with all the cooking stuff to make George that kind of man.
March 12, 2017
Another beautifully written novel by Graham Swift - the simple brilliance of his prose is breathtaking to me. It's a rare book that needs to be read slowly (compared to my usual mystery thriller genre pace) to fully appreciate the slow unfolding of the tale. The lyrical yet down-to-earth narrative interspersed with an incredible collection of cliches was fascinating. And there was a murder.
June 22, 2022
This book is hard to categorize. It is a Booker nominee which I think may be justified (like I can pass judgement on the Booker judges!). Goodreads members have shelved it as mystery-thriller and I looked forward to it as such. I have to admit I think that shelving is less justified. There were sections that I thought Swift had been heavily influenced by Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled style. Neither does hard-boiled fit for the majority of the novel.
For those who want a very linear timeline, don't look here. This first person narrative is mostly an interior dialog of a few major events in George Webb's life. He is a former police officer who was discharged under a cloud of the charge of corruption. We know that from the beginning, but it is many pages and chapters later before he ruminates on what really happened. In the present he leaves his office to go across the street to buy flowers. it is many pages and chapters later before we learn for whom and why. He is divorced. Why did his wife leave him? There are at least two other life events that seemingly randomly intrude on his thoughts.
It occurred to me a few times that I might complain about the prose. There are frequent sentence fragments and I have commented before about how this annoys me. Why can't a writer of the caliber of Graham Swift write in complete sentences?!! Well, I felt it worked because of the first person narrative. But it also occurred to me this type of writing is not unlike the impressionistic style of art by Monet and others of that movement. I'm unlikely to ever embrace it, but I *do* find myself becoming more able to tolerate it.
This will never be my favorite by Graham Swift. I suspect that spot will always be taken by his Waterland. I have others on hand and will look forward to readng them. This, however, isn't any better than a middlin' 4-stars and it might even rest toward the bottom of that group.
For those who want a very linear timeline, don't look here. This first person narrative is mostly an interior dialog of a few major events in George Webb's life. He is a former police officer who was discharged under a cloud of the charge of corruption. We know that from the beginning, but it is many pages and chapters later before he ruminates on what really happened. In the present he leaves his office to go across the street to buy flowers. it is many pages and chapters later before we learn for whom and why. He is divorced. Why did his wife leave him? There are at least two other life events that seemingly randomly intrude on his thoughts.
It occurred to me a few times that I might complain about the prose. There are frequent sentence fragments and I have commented before about how this annoys me. Why can't a writer of the caliber of Graham Swift write in complete sentences?!! Well, I felt it worked because of the first person narrative. But it also occurred to me this type of writing is not unlike the impressionistic style of art by Monet and others of that movement. I'm unlikely to ever embrace it, but I *do* find myself becoming more able to tolerate it.
This will never be my favorite by Graham Swift. I suspect that spot will always be taken by his Waterland. I have others on hand and will look forward to readng them. This, however, isn't any better than a middlin' 4-stars and it might even rest toward the bottom of that group.
August 12, 2008
The Light of Day is not my kind of book. Which isn't to say it is a bad book - I found it to be well written and probably would have enjoyed it immensely were the subject matter to my liking.
The theme seems a little cliched. The protagonist is an Private Investigator, an ex-cop (wow, really?) who was chucked off the force because he was dirty, except he wasn't really firty, just doing his job (who'd have thought?). His wife left him (duh) and he falls in love with a client (oh, th suspense) after only having met her a few times while he followed her cheating husband, whom she then kills (because that's what betrayed housewifes do, I guess...)
So, the story is cliched, and the main characters are cliched - George the ex-cop, Sarah the murderess, Bob the cheating Gyno husband - and all three aren't particularly likable. It's the supporting cast who interested me; George's grown up daughter Helen, Helen's girlfriend Claire, and George's secretary Rita. See, I like Rita a lot, and I cannot understand how George falls for Sarah (who seems amazingly bland) when he has smart, feiry, attractive Rita right there ready to become more than work-mates. George is an idiot.
The writing style is interesting, told from George's point of view, skipping perspectives from two years after the murder, to the murder, to before the murder, but these changes are easy to follow, and make the story more interesting than if it was told linearly, because I knew from the beginning what was going to happen, no need for the suspense of keeping the murder to the end.
And speaking of, I found the end to be amazingly anti-climatic. Like...there's an actual final chapter or two missing, because it just ends. Nothing new happens, it's just George, thinking that maybe in another eight years, if he's good and visits every second Thursday, maybe they'll let him take Sarah home. Coz, gee wow, I didn't already know that, having read about it for 250 pages...
But still, just because it wasn't to my liking, doesn't mean it's a bad book...
The theme seems a little cliched. The protagonist is an Private Investigator, an ex-cop (wow, really?) who was chucked off the force because he was dirty, except he wasn't really firty, just doing his job (who'd have thought?). His wife left him (duh) and he falls in love with a client (oh, th suspense) after only having met her a few times while he followed her cheating husband, whom she then kills (because that's what betrayed housewifes do, I guess...)
So, the story is cliched, and the main characters are cliched - George the ex-cop, Sarah the murderess, Bob the cheating Gyno husband - and all three aren't particularly likable. It's the supporting cast who interested me; George's grown up daughter Helen, Helen's girlfriend Claire, and George's secretary Rita. See, I like Rita a lot, and I cannot understand how George falls for Sarah (who seems amazingly bland) when he has smart, feiry, attractive Rita right there ready to become more than work-mates. George is an idiot.
The writing style is interesting, told from George's point of view, skipping perspectives from two years after the murder, to the murder, to before the murder, but these changes are easy to follow, and make the story more interesting than if it was told linearly, because I knew from the beginning what was going to happen, no need for the suspense of keeping the murder to the end.
And speaking of, I found the end to be amazingly anti-climatic. Like...there's an actual final chapter or two missing, because it just ends. Nothing new happens, it's just George, thinking that maybe in another eight years, if he's good and visits every second Thursday, maybe they'll let him take Sarah home. Coz, gee wow, I didn't already know that, having read about it for 250 pages...
But still, just because it wasn't to my liking, doesn't mean it's a bad book...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2013
At first this novel reminded me of 'The Maltese Falcon' or 'The Big Sleep', the protagonist is a big tough ex-cop turned private detective. His specialty is getting incriminating photos of spousal infidelity, most of his clients are women.
George Webb narrates a day in his life and slowly reveals the details of his relationships with his ex-wife, daughter, assistant, his parents who have passed as well as the current love interest in his life.
He talks about pivotal moments in his life, secrets that he's kept, things he's glad his parents never lived to know but mostly he focuses on the one event that turned things somewhat upside down for him. He relives the day that he wished he could go back and change and he reflects on love but his isn't a sappy romantic love it's a somewhat stoic love.
I really liked Swift's writing style, it's succinct and reserved but moving at the same time. I liked this story and the way he told it, I thought it was interesting and well done.
George Webb narrates a day in his life and slowly reveals the details of his relationships with his ex-wife, daughter, assistant, his parents who have passed as well as the current love interest in his life.
He talks about pivotal moments in his life, secrets that he's kept, things he's glad his parents never lived to know but mostly he focuses on the one event that turned things somewhat upside down for him. He relives the day that he wished he could go back and change and he reflects on love but his isn't a sappy romantic love it's a somewhat stoic love.
I really liked Swift's writing style, it's succinct and reserved but moving at the same time. I liked this story and the way he told it, I thought it was interesting and well done.
May 4, 2023
Whiny, repetitive, boring
February 13, 2024
That was extremely boring.
It literally took me around 10 days to finish, which is extremely unusual for me for a book...
The writing style was absolutely not my cup of tea.
It literally took me around 10 days to finish, which is extremely unusual for me for a book...
The writing style was absolutely not my cup of tea.
April 9, 2023
This book was an absolute drag. The narrative is so stretched out that it almost becomes unbearable. Content-wise, the book really does not have that much to say. Moreover, the interrogative style really got on my nerves. Even if you do love a good detective story, this is not what you are looking for. The character's motives are incredibly vague, the murder scene is unrealistic. Maybe if you are a fan of Graham swift it is worth reading, but by itself? A waste of time.
May 9, 2023
Het zou nog een beetje leuk geweest zijn als het een musical was, ma nu is het gewoon zielig
January 24, 2012
hmmmmm... not crazy about this book. the writing is beautiful, but for some reason i feel annoyed... mainly because i don't "get it"... what makes him fall in love with this woman? "her knees"? he talks about her knees, he says over and over (to the point that you want to throttle him) "how do we choose?". i found the whole situation rather unbelievable, however, if you enjoy beautiful prose, certainly he is a master of that! his descriptions of the "cold day" are so spot on that i suddenly feel cold. but be prepared for a slow moving plot, since the "plot" isn't really the objective of the book.
November 19, 2022
This book was something.
I thought I was going to love this book because as I read the first page, I felt like I was about to read a masterpiece. It is a semi masterpiece but just not what I expected. I really thought this book would leave a huge imprint in my life but it did not and that's okay. This book is about love, betrayal, hurt, and sacrifice; literally the best combo. I did love the descriptions in this book as they were magnificent, especially the one about the girls silhouette. I loved the little self-love tips written or thought by the main character George. I literally skimmed the last pages because I just couldn't bare reading the book anymore (the book could have been shorter and direct rather than repeating and squeezing the story on more pages). Do I recommend this book? well, not really but maybe, it depends on what book genres you prefer to read. I just don't think its the best out there but I am also not saying it was bad, I did pick a couple of moral lessons here and there.
Reading this book made me scrutinize some things and it is absurd and sad how people pretend for the sake of others. I wish life was different but unfortunately this is the gruesome world we live in. I would like to also point out that in almost every book that I have read, there is this one thing that is repeated over and over again that makes absolutely no sense. In this book, it was George talking or thinking about Sarah's knees.
Another thing I would like to add, not all policemen are shitty people. There are good ones out there.
Highlight's (may contain spoilers):
"Something happens: We cross a line, we open a door we never knew was there. It might never have happened. we might never have known. Most of life, maybe, is only time served."
"Be kind to yourself. Eat well. Go easy. Buy yourself some flowers."
"In times of trouble, eat well, don't skimp. Look after yourself. Don't live out of the microwave. Use love and care. Just because you're on your own."
"Someone walks into your life and you want to
care for them specially, you want to protect them."
"In life there's a sound principle: make a little do for a lot. Don't expect much. This may be all you'll get."
"To love is to be ready to lose -isn't it? It's not to have, it's not to keep. It's to put someone else's happiness before yours. Isn't that how it should be?"
"These routines that become part of us, like a sleeve, a skin."
"Don't give up. This will pass, it will pass"
I thought I was going to love this book because as I read the first page, I felt like I was about to read a masterpiece. It is a semi masterpiece but just not what I expected. I really thought this book would leave a huge imprint in my life but it did not and that's okay. This book is about love, betrayal, hurt, and sacrifice; literally the best combo. I did love the descriptions in this book as they were magnificent, especially the one about the girls silhouette. I loved the little self-love tips written or thought by the main character George. I literally skimmed the last pages because I just couldn't bare reading the book anymore (the book could have been shorter and direct rather than repeating and squeezing the story on more pages). Do I recommend this book? well, not really but maybe, it depends on what book genres you prefer to read. I just don't think its the best out there but I am also not saying it was bad, I did pick a couple of moral lessons here and there.
Reading this book made me scrutinize some things and it is absurd and sad how people pretend for the sake of others. I wish life was different but unfortunately this is the gruesome world we live in. I would like to also point out that in almost every book that I have read, there is this one thing that is repeated over and over again that makes absolutely no sense. In this book, it was George talking or thinking about Sarah's knees.
Another thing I would like to add, not all policemen are shitty people. There are good ones out there.
Highlight's (may contain spoilers):
"Something happens: We cross a line, we open a door we never knew was there. It might never have happened. we might never have known. Most of life, maybe, is only time served."
"Be kind to yourself. Eat well. Go easy. Buy yourself some flowers."
"In times of trouble, eat well, don't skimp. Look after yourself. Don't live out of the microwave. Use love and care. Just because you're on your own."
"Someone walks into your life and you want to
care for them specially, you want to protect them."
"In life there's a sound principle: make a little do for a lot. Don't expect much. This may be all you'll get."
"To love is to be ready to lose -isn't it? It's not to have, it's not to keep. It's to put someone else's happiness before yours. Isn't that how it should be?"
"These routines that become part of us, like a sleeve, a skin."
"Don't give up. This will pass, it will pass"
Want to read
April 17, 2022Vzdávam knihu na str. 70. Veľké nič zabalené do množstva slov, krátkych viet a nepodstatných doplnení v zátvorkách.
December 10, 2022
This book was not it. The writing was good at times and some of the insights were interesting but I hated every character and I did not understand the motivations so it was just frustrating by there end.
May 13, 2023
Maybe 1,5 stars…
I didn’t really like this book, but I also didn’t completely hate it. We did cover some interesting stuff in our class discussions, though. I can understand why people believe this style of writing is brilliant, but I found it quite annoying at times too. The main character also says some things in such ways that are absolutely awful, like about a lesbian relationship that one of them is the husband and the other the wife and then that he shouldn’t say those stuff, but he still does. Or another example is how he talks about women wearing make-up as a form of mask or armour to go into battle or something. And more about the lesbian stuff: it really isn’t inclusion or representation if one side character gets to do a coming out once and those two pages and some awful sentence later on is all that is said about it. Overall, I guess it’s quite obvious I’m not a fan of this book.
I didn’t really like this book, but I also didn’t completely hate it. We did cover some interesting stuff in our class discussions, though. I can understand why people believe this style of writing is brilliant, but I found it quite annoying at times too. The main character also says some things in such ways that are absolutely awful, like about a lesbian relationship that one of them is the husband and the other the wife and then that he shouldn’t say those stuff, but he still does. Or another example is how he talks about women wearing make-up as a form of mask or armour to go into battle or something. And more about the lesbian stuff: it really isn’t inclusion or representation if one side character gets to do a coming out once and those two pages and some awful sentence later on is all that is said about it. Overall, I guess it’s quite obvious I’m not a fan of this book.
May 17, 2023
ik vond het echt niet leuk
February 4, 2023
To be in Graham Swift’s world is to be there only a day, but that one day comes with reminiscing worth of a lifetime. It is to know life in retrospect. To hobnob around time, go back, come around, and move ahead. To look at the whole of life, to make a long journey to the present moment through various trajectories of the past. To sleuth around the human condition. To probe deeper into the details. To try and demystify life, one lived moment at a time.
Life is a spectacular construction in Graham Swift’s hands, especially the one lived inside being impudently nudged along by the one on the outside. In this life, as we would hope in our own, each day and every detail is of some larger significance, relayed to us only in retrospect.
The narrative of this novel is propelled forward by a murder, numerous accounts of infidelity, familial tension, and professional failures, but as lived in the mind of the narrator, these outside events unravel slowly, over time, at different phases and places, agonizingly and hauntingly. Perfectly structured and grippingly paced with beautifully unevolved characters, it is written like every other Graham Swift novel I’ve read so far, like a slow thriller about life, delivered in the sum of tiniest tablets of time. The trope never gets boring, only more fascinating, and while I wasn’t affected too profoundly by this one, I couldn’t find a single fault either.
To read a Graham Swift novel is to inevitably come to that one big finality, that there may be many mysteries, solved or unsolved, about our lives, but life itself will remain the most mystifying thing of all. It is to accept that, in the end, there will be moments of clarity, but maybe no clear light of day.
Life is a spectacular construction in Graham Swift’s hands, especially the one lived inside being impudently nudged along by the one on the outside. In this life, as we would hope in our own, each day and every detail is of some larger significance, relayed to us only in retrospect.
The narrative of this novel is propelled forward by a murder, numerous accounts of infidelity, familial tension, and professional failures, but as lived in the mind of the narrator, these outside events unravel slowly, over time, at different phases and places, agonizingly and hauntingly. Perfectly structured and grippingly paced with beautifully unevolved characters, it is written like every other Graham Swift novel I’ve read so far, like a slow thriller about life, delivered in the sum of tiniest tablets of time. The trope never gets boring, only more fascinating, and while I wasn’t affected too profoundly by this one, I couldn’t find a single fault either.
To read a Graham Swift novel is to inevitably come to that one big finality, that there may be many mysteries, solved or unsolved, about our lives, but life itself will remain the most mystifying thing of all. It is to accept that, in the end, there will be moments of clarity, but maybe no clear light of day.
August 1, 2021
Saw this at the Abbey Bookstore and confused Graham Swift for Graham Greene. The reviews on the book jacket for Swift's writing was glowing, so when I returned to the bookstore 2 weeks later, and saw that this was available, I made my pick. What's summer if not for indulging in a few thrillers?
This book was disappointing and formulaic to say the least (like how Promising Young Woman screening in the Luminor yesterday was disapppointing). The protagonist is a hardboiled ex-cop who is . The story cuts back and forth the present, replaying scenes over and over again with what-ifs. The plot in itself isn't terrific. Quite early into the book, we piece together that . Then we spend the remaining 75% of the book re-reading the scenes.
The book was rather boring to me after the initial novelty of reading it in Malongo Cafe or Jardin du Luxembourg wore off. Also. What's with the author writing in short sentences. Like this. Seems lazy. Maybe cops write like that. But it's lazy. Why have my bookstore reads in Paris been mediocre. thank u. next.
This book was disappointing and formulaic to say the least (like how Promising Young Woman screening in the Luminor yesterday was disapppointing). The protagonist is a hardboiled ex-cop who is . The story cuts back and forth the present, replaying scenes over and over again with what-ifs. The plot in itself isn't terrific. Quite early into the book, we piece together that . Then we spend the remaining 75% of the book re-reading the scenes.
The book was rather boring to me after the initial novelty of reading it in Malongo Cafe or Jardin du Luxembourg wore off. Also. What's with the author writing in short sentences. Like this. Seems lazy. Maybe cops write like that. But it's lazy. Why have my bookstore reads in Paris been mediocre. thank u. next.
February 4, 2016
Romantika a krimi zároveň, ak to chcete však škatuľkovať, najviac je to psychologický román. Policajt, ktorý musel odísť z práce s potupou kvôli údajnej korupcii, sa momentálne venuje svojej firme. Je súkromným detektívom a jeho zákazníčkami sú oklamané manželky, ktoré chcú dôkazy o ich manželoch-neverníkoch. Ak sa chcete na knihu pozerať takto, môžete. Ale ja odporúčam vychutnať si ju. Ak si knihu obľúbite, bude to kvôli jej atmosfére - zhutnené vety, niekedy poetické, inokedy nahé. A Swiftov štýl obsahuje, hm, ako to len nazvať - akési prechody - raz spomenie minulosť, potom súčasnosť, ale keďže sa to onedlho zopakuje, nestratíte niť. Ten čas je, aj nie je podstatný. Podstatné je, čo cítite. Čo by sa stalo, keby... Ale čo sa stalo naozaj?
Všetko sa začína, keď do kancelárie prišla žena, ktorá prevrátila jeho svet naruby a on sa do nej zaľúbil. Kniha je skôr pohodová, pocitová, lebo aj keď úkrýva vraždu a zaradenie medzi ľúbostné romány je teda oprávnené. Oddanosť, fascinácia, žiarlivosť, hnev, nenávisť, odpustenie... emócie postáv sa ukazujú postupne a takto si poskladáte aj samotný príbeh.
Raz prečítať stačí (aspoň mne osobne), ale myslím, že odteraz Swifta radím medzi pozoruhodných autorov a určite toto nebude posledná jeho kniha, po ktorej siahnem. Odporúčam skôr náročnejším čitateľom.
Všetko sa začína, keď do kancelárie prišla žena, ktorá prevrátila jeho svet naruby a on sa do nej zaľúbil. Kniha je skôr pohodová, pocitová, lebo aj keď úkrýva vraždu a zaradenie medzi ľúbostné romány je teda oprávnené. Oddanosť, fascinácia, žiarlivosť, hnev, nenávisť, odpustenie... emócie postáv sa ukazujú postupne a takto si poskladáte aj samotný príbeh.
Raz prečítať stačí (aspoň mne osobne), ale myslím, že odteraz Swifta radím medzi pozoruhodných autorov a určite toto nebude posledná jeho kniha, po ktorej siahnem. Odporúčam skôr náročnejším čitateľom.
September 28, 2023
As others have noted there are strong flavours of both Graham Greene and Dashiel Hammett in this bad-cop who loses his heart narrated story about love/a murder/loving a murderer. It ought to be promising. It is astonishing how quickly it becomes boring.
There are problems with reaching back to those days though - it feels mercilessly dull to be stuck in George’s mind the entire time - not rushing around finding the Maltese Falcon, but pondering his own life and times in Chislehurst. The monotony of the white male gaze, in modern times feels anachronistic, and the story doesn’t have any surprise, no turns or twists to justify or breathe additional life into it.
It’s not so much that it’s bad, although it is boring, more that it feels regrettably not worthy of its 2004 publication date.
There are problems with reaching back to those days though - it feels mercilessly dull to be stuck in George’s mind the entire time - not rushing around finding the Maltese Falcon, but pondering his own life and times in Chislehurst. The monotony of the white male gaze, in modern times feels anachronistic, and the story doesn’t have any surprise, no turns or twists to justify or breathe additional life into it.
It’s not so much that it’s bad, although it is boring, more that it feels regrettably not worthy of its 2004 publication date.
November 3, 2018
This is the first time in a very long time that I have read a book from cover to cover and been tempted to reread it again immediately. It took me a few chapters to fully engage because of the story telling style, where I lived inside the protagonist's thoughts. Typically of that style the story is told through memories which jump around in time. It is quite voyeuristic and felt a bit invasive at times. And then it also felt like I was listening to him tell me his story over a cup of coffee. The prose is simple, spare and beautiful.
4.5 stars from me.
4.5 stars from me.
August 31, 2024
2 stars and both of them are for Helen #livelaughlesbians
July 23, 2022
An impressive and very absorbing novel (as demonstrated by having read this in almost a single day) this certainly was thought-provoking, insightful and observant about people and their thoughts. It follows George, an ex-police detective, now a private investigator, and his involvement in a case surrounding a matrimonial affair. But it is much more than this, more than the classy writing and evocativeness of the places and feelings described.
Alas too, it was far from perfect in terms of my being left with the feeling that I struggled to follow it at times, due to the narrative moving around in time frame so much, and memories ancient and recent mixed in with actions current. Possibly my fault for not taking more time with it, but I nevertheless found myself wanting more clarity.
Alas too, it was far from perfect in terms of my being left with the feeling that I struggled to follow it at times, due to the narrative moving around in time frame so much, and memories ancient and recent mixed in with actions current. Possibly my fault for not taking more time with it, but I nevertheless found myself wanting more clarity.
December 13, 2022
My recommendatiom is for the audiobook. The dull flat South London delivery by Graeme Malcolm is perfect for this singular internal monologue of George Webb, a washed up detective turned private investigator trapped by the consequences of three brief incidents spanning his life that he either witnessed, instigated or was drawn into.
It's a brave choice. Most first person narratives sparkle with insight and wit but George is clearly a man just finding his voice, his thoughts are repetitive and spare , full of pauses and with more questions than answers It's brilliant writing, a six hour talking head taking us across the South London suburban landscape via Croatia, Neapolitan III, photographic studios , caffs, cemeteries and flower shops and into the unanswerable questions of what life is for. There's the petty infidelities, the secrets, the humdrum, the sudden violent rage. And there's something deeply moving in George, in his search for love, in his final compromise , to become a penitent, his necessary sacrifice .
The story takes place over a single day as George marks the second anniversary of a murder and reflects on the events leading up to it and his continued relationship with the murderer and his client, Sarah Nash.But it's so much more than that.
In unadorned language we get to know George, his life, his hurts and regrets as he ruminates on the crime, his fathers philandering, his own failures, his love of cooking. We move backwards and forwards, covering the same ground, the same terrible and ordinary moments that have shaped his life and struggle with him to make sense of it all, the need for silence, secrets, the need for answers , the illusion of happiness in the suburbs.
If you are expecting a thriller you're going to be disappointed. There's no plot twists or cliffhangers just sublime writing, the potency of memory and the privilege of being witness to a man asking big questions without any answers but with modest endurance and a muted hope.
It's a brave choice. Most first person narratives sparkle with insight and wit but George is clearly a man just finding his voice, his thoughts are repetitive and spare , full of pauses and with more questions than answers It's brilliant writing, a six hour talking head taking us across the South London suburban landscape via Croatia, Neapolitan III, photographic studios , caffs, cemeteries and flower shops and into the unanswerable questions of what life is for. There's the petty infidelities, the secrets, the humdrum, the sudden violent rage. And there's something deeply moving in George, in his search for love, in his final compromise , to become a penitent, his necessary sacrifice .
The story takes place over a single day as George marks the second anniversary of a murder and reflects on the events leading up to it and his continued relationship with the murderer and his client, Sarah Nash.But it's so much more than that.
In unadorned language we get to know George, his life, his hurts and regrets as he ruminates on the crime, his fathers philandering, his own failures, his love of cooking. We move backwards and forwards, covering the same ground, the same terrible and ordinary moments that have shaped his life and struggle with him to make sense of it all, the need for silence, secrets, the need for answers , the illusion of happiness in the suburbs.
If you are expecting a thriller you're going to be disappointed. There's no plot twists or cliffhangers just sublime writing, the potency of memory and the privilege of being witness to a man asking big questions without any answers but with modest endurance and a muted hope.
November 21, 2011
Private eyes! Not my favourite sort of person, been followed by one myself and its not a nice feeling (long story!). Anyway this is a strange one, it flits back and fort constantly and is written in quite a cryptic way, it takes a while to work out what is going on. I thought this way of writing would fade out once the crime was revealed, but no, it carries on for the whole book, and requires a bit of concentration. An interesting read, and my first by this author.
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