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whitneyborup's review against another edition
4.0
As an installment, this wasn’t very satisfying. But as a complete product, this series of novels was one I’ll be returning to. I loved it.
liisae's review
4.0
Patrick Melrose has become one of my favorite characters. Following his life in sort of episodic stages across 5 books actually made me feel as if I understood him better than other characters that a reader inhabits continuously. I really enjoy books like these that have a basis in philosophical questioning smoothed over with irony, sarcasm, and helplessness. The contrast between the inarticulacy that is being addressed within the novels and the characters, and the acute articulacy of the prose in which it is explored is invigorating.
emily1602's review against another edition
My favorite of the St. Aubyn novels that I have read so far. Before, I found the characters constantly being witty and philosophizing distracted from the plot/emotion of the books, but I liked it here. Maybe I am getting used to his way of writing or maybe it was just that I recognized more of the references here and was already familiar with the characters. Ending was sweet.
kbuchanan's review
3.0
A fitting last installment that sees Patrick saying goodbye to the last vestiges of childhood. The claustrophobic world of Eleanor Melrose's memorial service dominates this volume, magnifying the importance of transitory things. We catch our last glimpses of the Melrose circle, those we have seen flit in and out of previous novels, and we watch Patrick processing the towering influences that place and time can have on a life. A heady brew with a surprising dose of tentative hope.
n9mr9t9's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lkshedlin's review against another edition
4.0
between three and four stars - a four if it was the first one of his I had read because his writing is brilliant but his shtick gets a little old by volume four
edgeworth's review against another edition
4.0
The fifth and final of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose books, and I find I have little left to say about them. They’ve all been very good, and this one’s no exception, as Patrick and his family attend the funeral of his mother, finally giving him some kind of release on the abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of both his parents. It’s once again a novel of introspection and internal monologues, as the point of view flits across Patrick, his ex-wife, his ex-lover, his father’s monstrous old friend Nicholas, et cetera.
Something that occurred to me during At Last is that the Patrick Melrose novels reflect real life in the sense that there are no definitive conclusions to anything – despite St Aubyn’s sense of cinematic drama exemplified by the swan at the end of Some Hope, or Patrick watching the sun go down at the the end of At Last. St Aubyn originally planned to finish the series with the third volume back in the early ’90s, only to go on and write two more entries, and he could just as easily write more down the line. Patrick is only in his forties, and is still depressed, nihilistic and tormented.
These are very good books and well worth reading. That sounds a little trite but, as I said, I’ve exhausted most of the good things to say about them during that previous four volumes. My only recommendation, having read them myself over the course of more than a year, is to pick them up in a single volume. I’ve seen these around, clocking in at a hefty but still manageable 600 or 700 pages. Reading them disjointedly, given the extended background characters and the vast leaps in Patrick’s life, makes keeping track of things a little more difficult. That’s all. Enjoy.
Something that occurred to me during At Last is that the Patrick Melrose novels reflect real life in the sense that there are no definitive conclusions to anything – despite St Aubyn’s sense of cinematic drama exemplified by the swan at the end of Some Hope, or Patrick watching the sun go down at the the end of At Last. St Aubyn originally planned to finish the series with the third volume back in the early ’90s, only to go on and write two more entries, and he could just as easily write more down the line. Patrick is only in his forties, and is still depressed, nihilistic and tormented.
These are very good books and well worth reading. That sounds a little trite but, as I said, I’ve exhausted most of the good things to say about them during that previous four volumes. My only recommendation, having read them myself over the course of more than a year, is to pick them up in a single volume. I’ve seen these around, clocking in at a hefty but still manageable 600 or 700 pages. Reading them disjointedly, given the extended background characters and the vast leaps in Patrick’s life, makes keeping track of things a little more difficult. That’s all. Enjoy.
savanna's review
3.0
Probably closer to 3.5 stars because I genuinely liked most of this book rather than tolerated it. That being said, I definitely think I'll prefer the miniseries, when it comes out.
astridandlouise's review against another edition
3.0
I had these sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while and didn't give them much thought until I discovered that they'd currently been adapted for TV with Benedict Cumberbatch. As someone who always prefers to read the book before seeing the film/TV adaptation, I decided to give them a go. There are 5 books, which to me read like one book, set over five different time frames of Melrose's life.
I didn't dislike the books at all, and it is a particular heavy story line, but the prose and structure in which it is written didn't have me absorbed. Similar writing style to a lot of late 19th century English literature (think the Romantic Period and the beginnings of Gothic literature) it just didn't attach itself to me like a good book would.
Having since started watching the TV adaptation, I do have a firmer grasp on the intensity of the wide array of emotions portrayed blazingly by Cumberbatch. However I'd recommend to watch the adaptation rather than read the books; it's very true to the story line and done well. Unless it's a writing style that you overly love and connect with.
I didn't dislike the books at all, and it is a particular heavy story line, but the prose and structure in which it is written didn't have me absorbed. Similar writing style to a lot of late 19th century English literature (think the Romantic Period and the beginnings of Gothic literature) it just didn't attach itself to me like a good book would.
Having since started watching the TV adaptation, I do have a firmer grasp on the intensity of the wide array of emotions portrayed blazingly by Cumberbatch. However I'd recommend to watch the adaptation rather than read the books; it's very true to the story line and done well. Unless it's a writing style that you overly love and connect with.