dwrice01's review against another edition
4.0
I see many complaints regarding the likability of the characters in Edward St. Aubyn’s Never Mind that attribute the lack of redeeming qualities as a failure. I don’t really have anything to say except maybe go read some Nicholas Sparks or something? There’s hardly anything redeemable in Camus’ The Stranger and yet there is still a lesson to learn.
lex23's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
katmackie's review against another edition
4.0
Never Mind was a quick read, but a resonating one. It left me with the sense that I had delved into something quite epic, though brief. Luckily, it's the first installment in the Patrick Melrose Novels series, but I'm hesitant to leap into the next one just yet.
I forget who recommended this series to me, but they obviously understand my book tastes very well. Never Mind is caustically hilarious, utterly heartbreaking, and surprisingly philosophical. And it's the perfect mix of these things (though the heartbreak is deeply unsettling). The story follows young Patrick Melrose's parents, and their dinner guests, as they prepare for the nearing dreaded evening. With each person comes a unique and satirical character study, which St. Aubyn has mastered.
Though the voice of young Patrick doesn't quite read as a five year old, I found this to actually work well. From my brief research I discovered that this series is based on St. Aubyn's experiences. In Patrick's voice it's easy to see this, and though the observations are sophisticated for a child, they work exceptionally. Seeing his world overlap with the surrounding characters was equally fascinating. The flow from each perspective was effortless, and never overextended. it's an odd experience to be laughing at the wit of a novel one second, then outraged, yet in awe of the writing, the next. Never Mind is filled with moments like this.
I wholeheartedly agree with the praise this series has received, and I look forward to continuing, but not before letting it rest a bit.
I forget who recommended this series to me, but they obviously understand my book tastes very well. Never Mind is caustically hilarious, utterly heartbreaking, and surprisingly philosophical. And it's the perfect mix of these things (though the heartbreak is deeply unsettling). The story follows young Patrick Melrose's parents, and their dinner guests, as they prepare for the nearing dreaded evening. With each person comes a unique and satirical character study, which St. Aubyn has mastered.
Though the voice of young Patrick doesn't quite read as a five year old, I found this to actually work well. From my brief research I discovered that this series is based on St. Aubyn's experiences. In Patrick's voice it's easy to see this, and though the observations are sophisticated for a child, they work exceptionally. Seeing his world overlap with the surrounding characters was equally fascinating. The flow from each perspective was effortless, and never overextended. it's an odd experience to be laughing at the wit of a novel one second, then outraged, yet in awe of the writing, the next. Never Mind is filled with moments like this.
I wholeheartedly agree with the praise this series has received, and I look forward to continuing, but not before letting it rest a bit.
frankiebuchanan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nayomi_reads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
katrinky's review against another edition
3.0
Extemely intelligent writing, devastating subject matter. "the lure of the Open Road definitely lost some of its appeal if you took any luggage with you."
ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
Rather an odd read. I stumbled across these series as being on some sort of "funny book" list, and I love genuinely comic novels (and sometimes humurous memoirs, but a genuinely comic novel is a very rare treat).
I did not find this to be a funny book. It was a beautifully-rendered tale of almost entirely terrible people, some of the worst people (outside of a murder-mystery with serial killers) I've ever read read about. The writing is exquisite, the subject matter is dross.
I've never held the requirement that books have to be about wonderful people—A Confederacy of Dunces or the Lucia series mostly deal with the very flawed, and I love them—but I think if you're going to write about terrible people, even for a short time, you need to supply more than simply elegant writing. It's like a restaurant with terrible food and gorgeous presentation, and that's not a superficial analogy like I usually use. It's almost exactly the same experience. You are impressed and dazzled at the presentation which raises your expectations, but they are dashed as you taste each dish and realise it's not going to improve over the last course/chapter.
I may or may not try the next one (I'll read the reviews more carefully). I did finish this—it was brief, and thus I could get it down—but it wasn't what I expected or wanted.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
I did not find this to be a funny book. It was a beautifully-rendered tale of almost entirely terrible people, some of the worst people (outside of a murder-mystery with serial killers) I've ever read read about. The writing is exquisite, the subject matter is dross.
I've never held the requirement that books have to be about wonderful people—A Confederacy of Dunces or the Lucia series mostly deal with the very flawed, and I love them—but I think if you're going to write about terrible people, even for a short time, you need to supply more than simply elegant writing. It's like a restaurant with terrible food and gorgeous presentation, and that's not a superficial analogy like I usually use. It's almost exactly the same experience. You are impressed and dazzled at the presentation which raises your expectations, but they are dashed as you taste each dish and realise it's not going to improve over the last course/chapter.
I may or may not try the next one (I'll read the reviews more carefully). I did finish this—it was brief, and thus I could get it down—but it wasn't what I expected or wanted.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
tierneybrook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bjork5ever's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
Moderate: Racism and Antisemitism
abbydoris's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0