All About Books discussion

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell is a haunting, beautifully woven novel that uncovers a family secret buried for over sixty years. When Iris receives a call about a great-aunt she never knew existed—Esme Lennox, about to be released from a psychiatric institution—her life is suddenly pulled into a past full of silence, shame and unspoken truths.

O’Farrell shifts between past and present to reveal Esme’s vibrant childhood, her refusal to conform, and the heartbreaking events that led to her disappearance from the family story. As Iris tries to understand who Esme is—and why she was hidden away—the novel unravels questions of memory, identity, and the cost of defying expectations.

Atmospheric, unsettling, and deeply moving, this short novel is perfect for readers who enjoy lyrical writing, complex characters, and a mystery centred on the quiet tragedies that shape families. It’s one of those books that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

This is the spoiler-free thread. If you have already read the book or wish to discuss possible spoilers, please go here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm going to try to join this one, though I probably won't get to it until late in the month. Next month I have planned for quite a few reads!

Me too! We'll see how to manage!

I started this yesterday. I'm only 10% and haven't even gotten to the main story yet, but I like the writing style. It's so evocative that it's somewhat impressionistic, and it slips from one perspective to another each line break. There don't seem to be any chapters or other divisions than the line breaks.

I like all the tricks of perspective, right from the start: the zoetrope in her head, narrowing her eyes as a child until her mother looks like a triangle, loosening her eyes' focus to make the barrier of the grille disappear.

These sorts of motifs along with the evocative writing make the book interesting, even if a whole lot hasn't happened yet.

Is anyone else planning to join this one? It's an interesting book.

I am planning to start it in a day or two, depending on my eyes recovering from an infection, it's good that you are enjoying it Greg.

Nidhi wrote: "I am planning to start it in a day or two, depending on my eyes recovering from an infection, it's good that you are enjoying it Greg."

So glad Nidhi!

And I hope your eyes recover quickly and well. I'm sure it's frustrating; the eyes are so vital to our daily lives! Wishing you healing!

Thanks Greg. It is frustrating , unable to read, I have not yet ventured into audios, have no idea how to procure books and which device to listen on etc. I too hope to recover soon.

I can see that some of the time shifts in this book cause a little confusion. There's one point I just ran across where the time frame jumped forward mid-section and then back a page later mid paragraph.

If anyone joining starts to find the book confusing, keep in mind that there are time shifts as well as perspective shifts.

The perspective shifts are clear in the physical copy because there are always line breaks with extra space when the point of view changes.

But the time shifts happen more randomly, and there is nothing to mark them. There aren't many time shifts so far, but there are a few.

I'm about 25% in now.

At first, the superb writing was pulling me through, but now, I'm getting quite drawn in by the story as well! I'll save some of my comments for the spoilers thread, but I like some of the historical aspects that are being brought to light.

Some of the more experimental sections and some of the point of view / time shifts make it a little confusing at times, but so far, I have been able to sort everything out with my paperback at hand.

One recommendation: if anyone is using just the audio, you might want to get an e-book or a physical copy from the library as well, at least to glance at. It's much easier to figure out the perspective shifts and time shifts with the physical copy, and there was one very experimental section with many shifts and several fragmented thoughts. A few parts of the book might be confusing without a physical copy to refer to. Also, at least in the Audible recording, the reader doesn't always pause at the line breaks as long as she should; that makes some of the shifts especially unclear without a physical copy to refer to.

At 42% now.

The characters and their backstories are really pulling me through! I really feel for (view spoiler)[Esme, having been locked up for so long for behaviors that were basically completely natural in a child asked to suppress their own grief over the loss of a sibling.

Esme isn't as adept as Kitty at understanding the cultural expectations. It would be funny if the consequences weren't so deadly . . . such as the time the grandmother is absolutely horrified by Esme not wearing a hat, when she had never been given one. But Kitty has figured out the cultural expectations and has found one somewhere. Since she does know, it's sad that she didn't try to protect her sister.

Kitty is a complex figure. She's trying to please her elders; that's part of why she behaves as she does. She wants to desperately to fit in. And she does occasionally try to tell Esme what she needs to do. But she doesn't seem to try very hard with her sister. Maybe she's absorbing the adults' attitudes toward Esme as she gets older? Children do tend to mimic and model what they are shown. I'm not sure. Does anyone else have other ideas as to why Kitty turns so cold with Esme over time? (hide spoiler)]

Greg wrote: "I can see that some of the time shifts in this book cause a little confusion. There's one point I just ran across where the time frame jumped forward mid-section and then back a page later mid para..."

Not easy to follow - especially in an elettronic edition, where it is not always so easy to understand who is speaking: Kitty, Iris, Esme
But once you've got the idea, it opens a world: I'm the daughetr of two neuropsichiatrists, and remember that in Italy mad houses were opened in the 80s. So I've sort of lived stories like this, from another perspective. Terrible, but theu HAVE to be told. I'll come back once I finish it

LauraT wrote: "Not easy to follow - especially in an elettronic edition, where it is not always so easy to understand who is speaking: Kitty, Iris, Esme
But once you've got the idea, it opens a world: I'm the daughetr of two neuropsichiatrists, and remember that in Italy mad houses were opened in the 80s. So I've sort of lived stories like this, from another perspective. Terrible, but theu HAVE to be told. I'll come back once I finish it"

Completely agree Laura, terrible but necessary to tell.

And even as a native English speaker with the paperback, some of the fragmented sections are a bit challenging. Not an easy read, but some beautifully deep characterizations!

Wow, I'm only a handful of pages away from the end now. The text is sometimes a little fragmented and difficult, but both the story and the writing are extraordinarily beautiful. I found myself so moved by Esme's story! I really loved this book!

I'll head over to the spoiler thread tomorrow once I finish.

Greg wrote: "Completely agree Laura, terrible but necessary to tell. AND The text is sometimes a little fragmented and difficult, but both the story and the writing are extraordinarily beautiful. I found myself so moved by Esme's story! I really loved this book!"

I totally afree? Whom do we have to thank for proposing it? I had not heard of it before - in Italian it has been translated, but it has been totally neglected.
And I do agree on what you think: beautifully deep characterizations!!!
I have something to do these couple of days, but I hope to finish it in three four days!!!

LauraT wrote: "I totally afree? Whom do we have to thank for proposing it? I had not heard of it before - in Italian it has been translated, but it has been totally neglected.."

I went back to the nomination thread, and it was Nidhi who nominated this one.

Thank you Nidhi - a wonderful choice!!

Really THANK YOU Nidhi!

You are welcome Greg and Laura. I owe my entry into the world of contemporary literature to Maggie O'Farrell. I read her work Hamnet as a group read and liked it so much that i began to explore modern books which have classic elements in them. Hamnet is a great book.

Nidhi wrote: "You are welcome Greg and Laura. I owe my entry into the world of contemporary literature to Maggie O'Farrell. I read her work Hamnet as a group read and liked it so much that i bega..."

Well, now I am certain that I will read Hamnet! I had seen people reading it, but I haven't read it myself yet.