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A review by wordsofclover
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle by Neil Blackmore
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
When Benjamin Bowen and his brother Edgar set off on their Grand Tour of Europe to really see and live the culture and sights their erudite mother has spent their life teaching them, they have no idea that what they counter will implode their family. Horace Lavelle, loud, brash and sarcastic bewitches Benjamin and slowly takes him away from his brother, and his family until what is left behind is utter devastation.
This book is basically about a young gay man ignorant of the real world, and hiding his true feelings about himself and who he is from everyone, meeting someone who sees him and makes him feel alive. This book is a hard one to review as the story and the writing aren't necessarily bad but I can't rate this book higher as I just thought the characters were all so horrible and selfish - and I just felt so sad for what happen to Benjamin's family - and how he didn't really seem to care or understand it was all his fault for allowing Lavelle into his life.
Lavelle was someone who had childhood trauma of sexual abuse and his story is so incredibly sad but that doesn't mean he can be excused for so many of his actions. He practically brainwashes Benjamin, and the way he treated Edgar was so awful - I couldn't understand how Benjamin could be happy being around someone who would treat their loved one in such a way. And he also just forgot that it was Lavelle's fault that Edgar did what he did. This is a story about a toxic relationship but the character never really sees it as toxic, and it's probably only the reader that does and at that, probably not every reader depending how one feels about Lavelle.
I also felt so sorry for Benjamin's parents who by the end of the book are made out to be some wicked villains, when all they had done was perhaps shield their children a little bit too much from the real world. There were some real uncomfortable moments in this when Ben talks to his mother about her hiding her Jewish heritage from them, and makes her feel so bad and at fault, it was really awful.
This book just made me feel sad because the characters were all horrible and nothing redeeming happened to them. The only one who deserved better was Edgar whose only real fault was being a bit of a brown nose to those higher up the social class.
This book is basically about a young gay man ignorant of the real world, and hiding his true feelings about himself and who he is from everyone, meeting someone who sees him and makes him feel alive. This book is a hard one to review as the story and the writing aren't necessarily bad but I can't rate this book higher as I just thought the characters were all so horrible and selfish - and I just felt so sad for what happen to Benjamin's family - and how he didn't really seem to care or understand it was all his fault for allowing Lavelle into his life.
Lavelle was someone who had childhood trauma of sexual abuse and his story is so incredibly sad but that doesn't mean he can be excused for so many of his actions. He practically brainwashes Benjamin, and the way he treated Edgar was so awful - I couldn't understand how Benjamin could be happy being around someone who would treat their loved one in such a way. And he also just forgot that it was Lavelle's fault that Edgar did what he did. This is a story about a toxic relationship but the character never really sees it as toxic, and it's probably only the reader that does and at that, probably not every reader depending how one feels about Lavelle.
I also felt so sorry for Benjamin's parents who by the end of the book are made out to be some wicked villains, when all they had done was perhaps shield their children a little bit too much from the real world. There were some real uncomfortable moments in this when Ben talks to his mother about her hiding her Jewish heritage from them, and makes her feel so bad and at fault, it was really awful.
This book just made me feel sad because the characters were all horrible and nothing redeeming happened to them. The only one who deserved better was Edgar whose only real fault was being a bit of a brown nose to those higher up the social class.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
Minor: Suicide