groadie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
eating_or_reading's review
2.0
I tried to like this book on many different occasions, in many different moods and in many different ways - I failed so I'll keep this reasonably brief!
Murray Watson is a disillusioned professor of English literature engaging in a saddening affair with a married woman and his feelings of desolation seep through every aspect of the book. He makes quite the pitiable figure and when I first started reading, I felt very sorry for him. Pity alone does not, however, make a great story.
The novel centres around Murray's research into the life and, more importantly, death of Archie Lunan, a Scottish poet who had, it seemed, published but one volume of poems before dying seemingly at his artistic peak. Oddly, though, nobody else is really bothered about this apparent travesty. And that was one of my main problems - Murray is pursuing ghosts for the sake of having something to pursue.
When it came down to it, there just wasn't enough action for the type of story that I felt like the book was trying to be; certainly not enough for the type of story the synopsis made out it was going to be. While the story had a realistic feel to it (i.e. the action was sustained at a level that might humanly be possible), there was something lacking. That extends up to the 'climax' of the novel. More melodrama than I knew what to do with and, because it was so out of kilter with the rest of the book, it just didn't seem to fit..
And, before I convince you all that I'm miserable, I shall give you some positives! The story starts slowly but the pace does improve when Murray sets off to the secluded Isle of Lismore in pursuit of Archie's former girlfriend. The setting is perfect and the atmosphere evokes a sense that isolation that mirrors Murray's mindset wonderfully. The eccentric islanders Murray meets are a wonderful pick-me-up after being stuck with the morose protaganist for longer than is probably healthy! They are the main reason (my personal issues with not finishing books aside...) that I finished this book before I flung it at someone on the train.
Overall: This book just wasn't for me - the tempestuous and rugged Isle of Lismore is a high point and the ending is reasonably dramatic, in an unexpected fashion. I'd recommend it if you're yearning for a glimpse of Scottish island life but then again, if that's what you're looking for, you could probably find better elsewhere...
Murray Watson is a disillusioned professor of English literature engaging in a saddening affair with a married woman and his feelings of desolation seep through every aspect of the book. He makes quite the pitiable figure and when I first started reading, I felt very sorry for him. Pity alone does not, however, make a great story.
The novel centres around Murray's research into the life and, more importantly, death of Archie Lunan, a Scottish poet who had, it seemed, published but one volume of poems before dying seemingly at his artistic peak. Oddly, though, nobody else is really bothered about this apparent travesty. And that was one of my main problems - Murray is pursuing ghosts for the sake of having something to pursue.
When it came down to it, there just wasn't enough action for the type of story that I felt like the book was trying to be; certainly not enough for the type of story the synopsis made out it was going to be. While the story had a realistic feel to it (i.e. the action was sustained at a level that might humanly be possible), there was something lacking. That extends up to the 'climax' of the novel. More melodrama than I knew what to do with and, because it was so out of kilter with the rest of the book, it just didn't seem to fit..
And, before I convince you all that I'm miserable, I shall give you some positives! The story starts slowly but the pace does improve when Murray sets off to the secluded Isle of Lismore in pursuit of Archie's former girlfriend. The setting is perfect and the atmosphere evokes a sense that isolation that mirrors Murray's mindset wonderfully. The eccentric islanders Murray meets are a wonderful pick-me-up after being stuck with the morose protaganist for longer than is probably healthy! They are the main reason (my personal issues with not finishing books aside...) that I finished this book before I flung it at someone on the train.
Overall: This book just wasn't for me - the tempestuous and rugged Isle of Lismore is a high point and the ending is reasonably dramatic, in an unexpected fashion. I'd recommend it if you're yearning for a glimpse of Scottish island life but then again, if that's what you're looking for, you could probably find better elsewhere...
jhnd's review
4.0
Welsh unpeels the layers of her tale, revealing hidden truths. From the summary on the back of the novel you expect one outcome, but Welsh shows that you might be mistaken. Well written and paced. A great read
chocolatelady1957's review
4.0
Louise Welsh knows how to intrigue her readers and, like any good mystery writer, gives them enough twists and turns to keep them interested to the last page. But instead of using a professional (like investigator or detective) to get to the bottom of this story, she puts the research in the hands of a Professor of Literature on sabbatical, trying to write the story of his favourite poet's brief life for a book. Using this as the basis of the story, the people in his life also get tangled into the strange circumstances of the poet's life and death. For people like myself, who don't care much for the mystery genre, Welsh proves once again that you don't need to be a fan to enjoy her works.
readingisadoingword's review
3.0
This was an odd book. The story focusses on an English professor researching a dead poet for a book. His interest verges on obsession and leads him to the island of Lismore, where his discoveries take a darker turn.
The characters were not that sympathetic and the climax of the book somewhat I'll fitting.
The characters were not that sympathetic and the climax of the book somewhat I'll fitting.
scotchneat's review
2.0
The title is a strange choice for this book. Yes, there are bones at the heart of the mystery, but really it's more about passion and poetry and dysfunction, so I suspect the choice came out of the mystery novel title-generator.
A lit prof who's obsessed with a long-dead local poet gets caught boinking the Dean's wife just before he heads off on sabbatical to write the definitive biography of the poet.
As he chases down what happened before the poet drowned, he discovers how inter-related the people are who knew him, and ends up in a boggy mudpit on a windblown island off of Scotland.
As a former grad student, I appreciated some of the academic snark and characterizations. But overall, I wasn't blown away.
A lit prof who's obsessed with a long-dead local poet gets caught boinking the Dean's wife just before he heads off on sabbatical to write the definitive biography of the poet.
As he chases down what happened before the poet drowned, he discovers how inter-related the people are who knew him, and ends up in a boggy mudpit on a windblown island off of Scotland.
As a former grad student, I appreciated some of the academic snark and characterizations. But overall, I wasn't blown away.
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