Reviews

My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

Only show reviews with written explanations

rosiefpb's review against another edition

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4.0

Bleak and uncomfortable but sadly very relatable mother daughter relationship. Very engrossing.

patriciadm's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jaclyncrupi's review against another edition

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4.0

I only started reading Riley with her book First Love and now her latest My Phantoms. Gosh she is wonderful and I really must explore her backlist (let me know if you have a favourite). This novel delves into a very particular dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. Riley is very, very good at revealing the vulnerabilities, nature or fault lines of her characters with just minor incidents. Something fundamental about them is gotten at through a seemingly meaningless moment or comment. Their humanity is laid bare and there is a truth to these women that I found deeply affecting. And it sneaks up on you. If you’re not paying attention you could easily miss the fine work Riley is doing. I loved this. I need to sit with it and turn it in my mind and possibly even read it again.

kaaaaaaaaaaate's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book felt so poignant, I almost can’t say I enjoyed it because it feels as if it wasn’t written to be enjoyed but to think about. Whilst my relationship with my mother is nothing like Bridget and Hen; I found myself reflecting on how my own personal relationships have changed over time and particularly over the last couple of years. There was something a little comforting about this novel to me which maybe marks me as a little cruel, I don’t know. Bridget and Hen reminded me of how closed off we can be in conversation when we feel isolated or unresponsive- how sometimes we can be callous or cruel but without this being a villainous thing to do.

sarahmatthews's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced

My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

Read on audio

Narrator: Helen McAlpine

Granta Books

Pub. 2021, 208pp

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This has to be the best audio narration I’ve heard all year! It’s the story of Bridget and the relationship with her family, most notably her mother, Helen (known as Hen), who can be a difficult person to connect with. The narrator shifts seamlessly between accents, bringing these distinctive characters alive and helping the reader feel the impact of the complex feelings expressed in this story.

There’s agonising tension and miscommunication and an unwillingness on both sides to lay bare difficult feelings for fear of damaging a fragile relationship permanantly.

Bridget narrates the story, and you feel the pressure she’s under to keep contact even when it’s incredibly fraught, awkward and painful. There was certainly fault on both sides for the distant relationship, with Bridget being unwilling to let her mother too close, for reasons we never quite get to.

Hen is a character who on the surface appears outgoing and forceful but is shown to struggle deeply with relationships and can’t find fulfilment in her life, though at times she really tries:

“‘I’m putting myself out there’ she told me, and ‘You’ve got to be in it to win it. I’m pursuing my own interests’ she said, quoting the advice routinely given for meeting like-minded people.”

Later on they’re meeting for their annual dinner and conversation is horribly strained:

“If there was something going on in the news I could try that, but there too she would resist being put on the spot. And sometimes, as when I was little, she simply didn’t reply at all. She only smiled and stayed very still, or else just said ‘yes, yes”, or ‘no, yes” while straightening her cutlery. And then she was back to looking at me, waiting happily for my next gambit.”

Some of these exchanges are on the edge of being funny for their toe-curling awkwardness and reminded me of conversations I’ve had with people who’re just on a totally different wavelength to me, and, wow, those silences can be excruciating!

As the narrative developed my feelings towards the characters shifted and I adore fiction that does this to me so subtly, creating a sense of unease.

A truly unforgettable read.

horsley123's review against another edition

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5.0

A mother -daughter relationship gone wrong - the daughter keeps her distance perhaps because she is worried that her mother will taint her life with her bad luck and attitude.

Enjoyable in a weird way - the relationship is beautifully described, I felt the daughter's embarrassment and frustration at her mother's choices. The ending is quite abrupt - but then life can be like that I suppose. A recommendation.