BookerMarks discussion

Discuss Alison Moore's The Lighthouse in this forum.

Just started The Lighthouse... well aware that it's similar in premise to the last one I read, Harold Fry. A few chapters in and I can confirm that it also is principally the banal experiences and internal musings of a solitary middle-aged man. It's spare, quick and superficially straightforward, with some startling resonances that sometimes creep up on you: we're talking about something that suddenly turns out to mean something bigger.

The lighthouse motif is already strong, but not overpowering (yet); I'm wondering if some of these other images - dropped in like little bombs - will start to annoy me, if they start to feel like chunks of cleverness not supported by the rest of the (crisp, but banal) text.

AND LATER: Wow, quick read. No, it did not annoy me much - just enough cleverness (foreshadowing, pretty nicely done symbolism) to keep the brain occupied. Very well-written, in fact, though a little cliched, a little too reminiscent, a little under-developed. Better writing, technically, than Harold Fry, I'd say, but not as good a novel - if I can generalise like that. 3 stars.

Thanks Sarah. This one is still two books away for me (finishing Skios and then tackling Swimming Home). I'm going to add your rating to the community longlist page.

(3 star) Despite the fact that the uncertain endings may irritate those who like more traditional works, this Is a readable story, However, it seems to follow a well trodden path. In fact, many reviewers have commented that it reminds them of ‘the unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Frye’ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13.... (See http://bookermarks.wordpress.com/2012...) I found the constant foreshadowing of the lighthouse theme slightly heavy handed. In addition, the characters didn’t grip me. It would be an enjoyable read for an autumnal afternoon. But, it didn’t; engross, surprise, or excite me in any way. (read More at http://vikzreadsthebooker.wordpress.c...)

Adding your link to the longlist page now. Nice review! The only suggestion I have would be to update the protagonist's name to Futh. I did the same thing initially in my review. I called him Fuch.

I don't what it is about his name that lends itself to multiple misspellings! :)

Aaron wrote: "Adding your link to the longlist page now. Nice review! The only suggestion I have would be to update the protagonist's name to Futh. I did the same thing initially in my review. I called him F..."

Corrected, thanks for telling me :)