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A review by erin_ohboy
The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels by Edward St Aubyn
4.0
Leaning toward 4.5 stars.
This was a bit difficult to get through at first, not so much because of the subject matter (which was horrifying and traumatic, but tempered with that amazing dry British humor), but because of the language. It was beautifully written, but... man, it's not something you breeze through easily. It was clearly written by and about the British upper class, and I'd often forget it took place in the twentieth and twenty-first century, because the vocabulary and tone was so similar to classic British novels from hundreds of years ago.
St. Aubyn's prose reminds me of Ian McEwan, in that he delves into the very depths of his protagonist's mind (as well of the minds of other characters in other sections of the book). Understandable, since this is heavily based on the author's own life, but the level of insight is still incredible. The streams of consciousness were often dreamlike, flowing easily from one subject to the next, with slight interjections of opinions and observations. You learn how each character thinks. It's amazing.
I was extremely attached to Patrick, despite all his bad behavior. He is the central character of each book, and you just want him to be happy and healthy. We see him grow from an abused, helpless little boy to a lost young man self-destructing with drugs, to a lost adult (temporarily) sober and adrift, to a(n unfaithful) husband and father terrified of repeating the mistakes of his family's past, all the while craving the love of his parents while simultaneously resenting them for their abuse and neglect.
I also found myself laughing at odd moments in the book, which I believe is a coping mechanism the author uses for himself and for the audience because of the dark subject matter. How do you laugh at a story that's based on the worst kind of childhood abuse? But St. Aubyn makes it possible, without the reader feeling awful for doing so.
I stayed up late last night to finish the book, and I was so relieved to feel the catharsis of the ending, right along with Patrick. It's definitely a bleak series, but the ending is hopeful. For all the terrible things that happen throughout the books, and for all the demons Patrick fights, I considered this ending to be happy, and when I finally closed the book after finishing, I fell asleep relieved and lighter.
I highly recommend this book, but warn against the subject matter. It is beautifully, poetically written as it deals with childhood sexual abuse and childhood physical abuse, parental alcoholism and neglect, suicide, and heavy drug usage.
With a dash of dry British humor to soften the blow.
This was a bit difficult to get through at first, not so much because of the subject matter (which was horrifying and traumatic, but tempered with that amazing dry British humor), but because of the language. It was beautifully written, but... man, it's not something you breeze through easily. It was clearly written by and about the British upper class, and I'd often forget it took place in the twentieth and twenty-first century, because the vocabulary and tone was so similar to classic British novels from hundreds of years ago.
St. Aubyn's prose reminds me of Ian McEwan, in that he delves into the very depths of his protagonist's mind (as well of the minds of other characters in other sections of the book). Understandable, since this is heavily based on the author's own life, but the level of insight is still incredible. The streams of consciousness were often dreamlike, flowing easily from one subject to the next, with slight interjections of opinions and observations. You learn how each character thinks. It's amazing.
I was extremely attached to Patrick, despite all his bad behavior. He is the central character of each book, and you just want him to be happy and healthy. We see him grow from an abused, helpless little boy to a lost young man self-destructing with drugs, to a lost adult (temporarily) sober and adrift, to a(n unfaithful) husband and father terrified of repeating the mistakes of his family's past, all the while craving the love of his parents while simultaneously resenting them for their abuse and neglect.
I also found myself laughing at odd moments in the book, which I believe is a coping mechanism the author uses for himself and for the audience because of the dark subject matter. How do you laugh at a story that's based on the worst kind of childhood abuse? But St. Aubyn makes it possible, without the reader feeling awful for doing so.
I stayed up late last night to finish the book, and I was so relieved to feel the catharsis of the ending, right along with Patrick. It's definitely a bleak series, but the ending is hopeful. For all the terrible things that happen throughout the books, and for all the demons Patrick fights, I considered this ending to be happy, and when I finally closed the book after finishing, I fell asleep relieved and lighter.
I highly recommend this book, but warn against the subject matter. It is beautifully, poetically written as it deals with childhood sexual abuse and childhood physical abuse, parental alcoholism and neglect, suicide, and heavy drug usage.
With a dash of dry British humor to soften the blow.