A review by literaryelephant
Small Pleasures, by Clare Chambers

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Though an easy and compelling read when I needed one, books set in this era that don't challenge or even acknowledge the inherent sexism/homophobia/etc. of the time period don't tend to work for me. My expectations were probably off from the start, as I'd assumed this story would focus on the virgin birth investigation when really that's only a small piece of a larger domestic drama; I'm less interested in reading about marital issues, personally. Even so, I might have had a fine time with this book if I'd been able to sympathize with the MC, but unfortunately I found her questionable treatment of someone else's trauma and lesbian relationship untenable. Additionally, while I like the idea of the controversial ending, it does not feel cohesive with the rest of the story, to the extent that both pieces detract from each other. A gripping read for the right reader perhaps, but I wish this spot on the Women's Prize longlist had gone to another book. 
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