The Readers discussion

this book sounds really interesting.

it's not available at my library yet, but i will definitely read it when i can locate it.

I just got this book in the mail last week Thursday and read it over the weekend. The fact that this is a really well done period piece (I don’t want to say historical novel since there are many people who can remember the 50’s and 60’s) and it is told in a sort of confessional retrospective style made it a page turner for me…very easy to devour. On the whole I found it a very moving and tragic story, but told fluidly; it never got too heavy; I never had to put it aside because it became too much. The only criticism I would have is that the end is slightly melodramatic and that the character of Tom remains a cipher, since the reader never hears from him directly. It wasn’t clear to me why either Marion or Patrick were so besotted with him, which begs the question: were the sacrifices that Marion and Patrick made worth it? Hmm, maybe that is Robert’s point. That the circumstances of 1950’s England caused them to react to Tom in a way that would have been resolved otherwise in less restrictive times, if that makes any sense.

Ruthiella seems to have said everything I wanted to say, only more eloquently. My policeman was a wonderfully done period piece and a page-turner. I too wanted to know more about Tom. I loved the cover!

Great interview...BTW, I am with Gavin. Tom definitely would have used the pillow. When reading I did think that Tom was vague and undefined, but now after listening to the podcast and hearing Gav and Simon's take on it, I think that does allow the reader to fill in the gaps and makes this a good book group choice because different people will have different interpretations.