lydiahousley's review against another edition
4.0
This has definitely been my favourite novel of the series so far. Having the changing perspectives of Patrick, Mary and Robert made it a much more refreshing read, rather than being in Patrick's head all the time. The wit of St. Aubyn's writing continues to make me both laugh out loud and reconsider my entire life at the same time. Excited to get on to read the conclusion to the series.
frasersimons's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
One of the few books where I don’t mind having a focus in children as characters. Though, usually it’s a gripe when the perspective is solely from a child, but still I’ve not read a book where kids were as interesting as in here (and the first book).
In this mark forward, Patrick is married, though not wholly unhappily, but progressively tumultuously. He and Mary have two kids and their eldest more-or-less embodies the cyclical pattern from the first, where a young, impressionable person internalizes things from their parents. Patrick may not be as horrible as his father in some departments, but he is severely lacking as a father figure and husband, which are certainly inherited and supported by learned behaviours and vices. Which, because of his mother being in terminal care, only become exasperated, as he is unwilling to confront the source of any of his mental ailments, just as his mother confronts the decision to seek end-of-life options.
The prose are still fantastic and the character work improved over the others. No characters are “good”; all of them are interesting.
In this mark forward, Patrick is married, though not wholly unhappily, but progressively tumultuously. He and Mary have two kids and their eldest more-or-less embodies the cyclical pattern from the first, where a young, impressionable person internalizes things from their parents. Patrick may not be as horrible as his father in some departments, but he is severely lacking as a father figure and husband, which are certainly inherited and supported by learned behaviours and vices. Which, because of his mother being in terminal care, only become exasperated, as he is unwilling to confront the source of any of his mental ailments, just as his mother confronts the decision to seek end-of-life options.
The prose are still fantastic and the character work improved over the others. No characters are “good”; all of them are interesting.
tierneybrook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
boose's review against another edition
3.0
İlk üç kitaptan birazcık daha farklıydı, onlar kadar çok sesli değildi. Bu yüzden ilk başlarda kendimi kitaba vermede azıııcıııkk zorlandım.
+Bir ell öğrencisine trauma flashbackleri yaşatacak her türlü referans var içinde, lacan esintileri olsun, oedipus complex olsun, john keats olsun...
+Bir ell öğrencisine trauma flashbackleri yaşatacak her türlü referans var içinde, lacan esintileri olsun, oedipus complex olsun, john keats olsun...
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
Patrick is married with two young children, and we see the world very clearly through the eyes of Robert, who's about six here:
In fact, all the books are about consciousness, especially Patrick's relentless self-consciousness and inability to be his genuine self, whatever that may be. Lots here too about marriage, adultery, aging parents, injustice, and old friends. One more and I can be done with this amazing and harrowing character!
Thomas [his infant brother] still knew how to understand the silent language which Robert had almost lost as the wild margins of his mind fell under the sway of the verbal empire. He was standing on a ridge, about to surge downhill, getting faster, getting taller, getting more words, getting bigger and bigger explanations, cheering all the way. Now Thomas had made him glance backwards and lower his sword for a moment while he noticed everything that he had lost as well. He head become so caught up in building sentences that he had almmost forgotten the barbaric days when thinking was like a splash of colour landing on a page. Looking back, he could still see it: living in what would now feel like pauses: when you first open the curtains and see the whole landscape covered in snow and you catch your breath and pause before breathing out again. He couldn't get the whole thing back, but maybe he wouldn't rush down the slope quite yet, maybe he would sit down and look at the view.
In fact, all the books are about consciousness, especially Patrick's relentless self-consciousness and inability to be his genuine self, whatever that may be. Lots here too about marriage, adultery, aging parents, injustice, and old friends. One more and I can be done with this amazing and harrowing character!
marthaos's review against another edition
3.0
Having read none of the other Patrick Melrose novels in this series, I started out a little confused as to whether I may be missing some background character knowledge, especially in terms of how certain characters were linked to others. However, this was mostly revealed as I read on though I do feel I missed out on some character development and relationship dynamics from the previous novels, for example Patrick's complicated relationship with his mother Eleanor, or Mary's thorny relationship with her mother Kettle. Even Patrick and Mary's relationship to each other, so distant in this novel, must have once grown from something more. Here, Mary consumed by maternal love, and especially taken up by Thomas, has little left to give, and Patrick, who's needs are unmet, childishly falls into some form of depression, and even mild depravity. This apparent lack of love among the adults is quite disillusioning and unpleasant to read. Is this reality?
However, Robert and Thomas, the two children in this book, are very much loved, and they, especially Thomas, provide amusement, lightness and a sense of play that children naturally have, which offers a more cheerful aspect to the novel. Robert seems to have his father's acerbic wit and cynicism, though only five years old at the beginning of this novel, and some of his comments and observations are so sharp and astute that they surprise and at times throw the reader off balance, but in a good way. I questioned at times though whether this was authentically his voice or whether it was Patrick imbuing his son with his voice. Though Patrick appears to fundamentally love his sons, he is also resentful of them, especially Thomas, who in his early years consumes all of his mother Mary's attention, leaving little for himself.
This book is structured into four sections, each describing the Melrose family's summer holiday in August. It is quite a clever way of moving the plot forward, and of showing the changes and developments over the four years that it spans. At the beginning of the book, for example, we see Eleanor and Thomas sharing qualities, i.e. Eleanor no longer able to speak, Thomas not yet able to speak. As the book proceeds, Eleanor descends further and further to dementia and helplessness, while Thomas develops quite rapidly and grows more and more into life and independence. Observations like this were very well portrayed in the novel.
Patrick, the first person voice for much of this memoir novel (though this alternates from time to time), is, as I noted acerbic and cynical. I can't say I liked his character much, but he certainly doesn't hide any blemishes. By the end I felt I understood him more, and appreciated the honesty with which he revealed his often deprave thoughts, and self-destructive tendencies. He is a person of opposites, which makes him very human: he loves his sons but is jealous and resentful of them; he hates his mother but understands her plight and wants to help her in the end; he feels emotionally cut off from his wife and perhaps victimised by her maternal infatuation, but also hateful and vengeful, causing him to seek out his own needs elsewhere.
All in all I enjoyed the comedy of this novel: the clever observations, the witty cameos, the shameless exposition of truth, all conveyed with a sardonic, cynical humour. However, despite the humour, I found the story quite depressing, with too much focus on the problems of life and how these seem only to get worse, not better. There was little room then for hope, redemption or even a sense of resolution. I'm sure this is exactly what the author set out to do, but I didn't enjoy this particular element.
However, Robert and Thomas, the two children in this book, are very much loved, and they, especially Thomas, provide amusement, lightness and a sense of play that children naturally have, which offers a more cheerful aspect to the novel. Robert seems to have his father's acerbic wit and cynicism, though only five years old at the beginning of this novel, and some of his comments and observations are so sharp and astute that they surprise and at times throw the reader off balance, but in a good way. I questioned at times though whether this was authentically his voice or whether it was Patrick imbuing his son with his voice. Though Patrick appears to fundamentally love his sons, he is also resentful of them, especially Thomas, who in his early years consumes all of his mother Mary's attention, leaving little for himself.
This book is structured into four sections, each describing the Melrose family's summer holiday in August. It is quite a clever way of moving the plot forward, and of showing the changes and developments over the four years that it spans. At the beginning of the book, for example, we see Eleanor and Thomas sharing qualities, i.e. Eleanor no longer able to speak, Thomas not yet able to speak. As the book proceeds, Eleanor descends further and further to dementia and helplessness, while Thomas develops quite rapidly and grows more and more into life and independence. Observations like this were very well portrayed in the novel.
Patrick, the first person voice for much of this memoir novel (though this alternates from time to time), is, as I noted acerbic and cynical. I can't say I liked his character much, but he certainly doesn't hide any blemishes. By the end I felt I understood him more, and appreciated the honesty with which he revealed his often deprave thoughts, and self-destructive tendencies. He is a person of opposites, which makes him very human: he loves his sons but is jealous and resentful of them; he hates his mother but understands her plight and wants to help her in the end; he feels emotionally cut off from his wife and perhaps victimised by her maternal infatuation, but also hateful and vengeful, causing him to seek out his own needs elsewhere.
All in all I enjoyed the comedy of this novel: the clever observations, the witty cameos, the shameless exposition of truth, all conveyed with a sardonic, cynical humour. However, despite the humour, I found the story quite depressing, with too much focus on the problems of life and how these seem only to get worse, not better. There was little room then for hope, redemption or even a sense of resolution. I'm sure this is exactly what the author set out to do, but I didn't enjoy this particular element.
lolabella's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bettyvd's review against another edition
4.0
Aangename verrassing. Ik had eigenlijk de drie delen die hieraan voorafgaan eerst willen lezen, maar vond dit toevallig tweedehands... Vinnig, sarcastisch en psychologisch doorwrocht.
uniskorn's review
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Finally back to the sharp sarcasm that I missed in the last book.
frankiebuchanan's review
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.0