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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Not her greatest work. Can't help thinking Hilary Mantel would have done it better.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Det är lite spännande att läsa äldre Cusk-böcker, och litegrann leta efter hennes uttryck nu, om det fanns redan då. Och jag skulle säga att In the fold har rätt mycket av konturtrilogin, men i en tyngre uppsättning, "dense" är ordet jag vill använda. Hon använder Mickael som observatören här, men följer också tydligare hans narrativ, även om det just inte kommenteras utan mer visas (med undantaget av Adams respons på när han väl säger något om sitt eget liv. Fokus ligger på hans fru Rebecca som uppenbarligen intet rivs med honom, med att vara mamma, med sig själv, och familjen Hanburys kaos, som förvränger bilden han haft av deras okonstlade liv som förebild. Michael står kvar i rasmassorna av den fallna balkongen som kunnat döda honom, ett faktum som ingen tycks vara särskilt bekymrad över.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Steadily warming up to Cusks fiction, still. Excited for the Outline trilogy, and more than ready to be done with these subpar early novels.
I would describe this novel as slow to start and in need of some compassion to like. The combination of the first person voice and Michael's never ending observations of himself and his environment that are disbelievable in their scope and thoroughness made it hard for me to take this work seriously at first. He's a very psychological man and I think should have a bit more mental distance between cause and effect. But in a stealthy way, it grew on me. I was bored and disappointed until the very last act when everyone returns to Egypt. The foreshadowing with the crossbow. I think that was clever. The characters were definitely interesting and I prefer this to the first Cusk I read, but I'm still waiting for her to truly wow me.
Cusk can do no wrong in my eyes. In a way I read this as I was sceptical if she could thrill me as she did in her trilogy and second place, in this strange one with a plot I'm not sure I'd pick up otherwise. It made me realise I don't often read male protagonists and how my bias was ready to dislike Michael. Yet somehow, with a controlled and poetic manner, you are left reflecting on whether you like them or not or, what is this interaction implying? Why did he feel the need to go? Are they really a bad person?
In The Fold left me wondering about life decisions, how different things can be when returning later on in life, and how damaging idealism can be.
Cusk has a way of forming characters with such nuance, particularly with dialogue that rolls so naturally it builds multiple layers to the cast. There's always an inescapable air of something deeper or untouchable consuming both the world you're reading and you as the reader, holding you within this distanced sort of closeness until the last page. A radiating element of ongoing life in her writing, makes you feel as if you have been graced with the chance to have an insight into this peculiar part for just a moment - so that when it 'ends' it does in fact continue living without you.
In The Fold left me wondering about life decisions, how different things can be when returning later on in life, and how damaging idealism can be.
Cusk has a way of forming characters with such nuance, particularly with dialogue that rolls so naturally it builds multiple layers to the cast. There's always an inescapable air of something deeper or untouchable consuming both the world you're reading and you as the reader, holding you within this distanced sort of closeness until the last page. A radiating element of ongoing life in her writing, makes you feel as if you have been graced with the chance to have an insight into this peculiar part for just a moment - so that when it 'ends' it does in fact continue living without you.