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dozylocal's review against another edition
4.0
Firstly, I was delighted to discover that the author was born in SA and even started his schooling here. But that's completely irrelevant :)
I really enjoyed this book. Firstly, it was a whodunnit that was actually a whydunnit. The book starts with this guy who has killed his wife of 50-odd years and the entire book is about why he did it - starting with events from when he was in his early 20s.
I also really enjoyed the author's use of language. I'm not one for big and flowery words (usually the more straight-forward, the better, for me) but his words seemed to read in a roll-off-the-tongue kind of way.
Looking forward to reading another one of his books in the future :)
I really enjoyed this book. Firstly, it was a whodunnit that was actually a whydunnit. The book starts with this guy who has killed his wife of 50-odd years and the entire book is about why he did it - starting with events from when he was in his early 20s.
I also really enjoyed the author's use of language. I'm not one for big and flowery words (usually the more straight-forward, the better, for me) but his words seemed to read in a roll-off-the-tongue kind of way.
Looking forward to reading another one of his books in the future :)
emjay24's review against another edition
3.0
this book was like an old fashioned book. i think it was compared to rebecca and i see it, definitely. despite being in an old style, it still kept my interest. it's about a man whose whole life was altered by some events back when he was about 21, and now he's old, 70s or 80s, telling after having just murdered his wife.
jamieh2024's review against another edition
4.0
"My wife of more than forty-five years shot herself yesterday afternoon. At least that is what the police assume, and I am playing the part of grieving widower with enthusiasm and success... It was I who killed her."
When a novel starts this way it leads to me having high hopes for the rest of the story. Fortunately, my hopes were not dashed. Mason manages to propel the reader through a tale over five decades long in the making. It is still amazing to me to this day that Mason was an eighteen year old fledgeling writer when this novel was written. That being the case I must wonder if he's not one of those individuals with an old soul, so to speak. One of those who are wise and witty far beyond their years. That being said, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a tale well told.
When a novel starts this way it leads to me having high hopes for the rest of the story. Fortunately, my hopes were not dashed. Mason manages to propel the reader through a tale over five decades long in the making. It is still amazing to me to this day that Mason was an eighteen year old fledgeling writer when this novel was written. That being the case I must wonder if he's not one of those individuals with an old soul, so to speak. One of those who are wise and witty far beyond their years. That being said, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a tale well told.
bookerage's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book "starts with the ending", but still got me absorbed into the story. Richard Mason unfolds the chain of events that lead James to the murder of his wife. A beautifully crafted, dark psychology mystery. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.
gelisvb's review against another edition
4.0
I've read this book years ago and I remember loving it. I've read in itt in Italian and the Einaudi's transaltion was beautiful. I don't agree with the critic, this book was well written and well structured. Recommended for those who loved "The secret history"
elisabeth1st's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book when it first came out in 1999 but didn't read it until 2007. It was selected as a "fresh new voice" author at the time of publication and could easily have been chosen in 2007. A fabulous book of love and deception. Sadly, the book is now out of print.
booksdogsandjess's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like any of the characters at all. Most of them came off as quite pretentious and it seemed very predictable the outcome that is.
jch2022's review against another edition
4.0
"My wife of more than forty-five years shot herself yesterday afternoon. At least that is what the police assume, and I am playing the part of grieving widower with enthusiasm and success... It was I who killed her."
When a novel starts this way it leads to me having high hopes for the rest of the story. Fortunately, my hopes were not dashed. Mason manages to propel the reader through a tale over five decades long in the making. It is still amazing to me to this day that Mason was an eighteen year old fledgeling writer when this novel was written. That being the case I must wonder if he's not one of those individuals with an old soul, so to speak. One of those who are wise and witty far beyond their years. That being said, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a tale well told.
When a novel starts this way it leads to me having high hopes for the rest of the story. Fortunately, my hopes were not dashed. Mason manages to propel the reader through a tale over five decades long in the making. It is still amazing to me to this day that Mason was an eighteen year old fledgeling writer when this novel was written. That being the case I must wonder if he's not one of those individuals with an old soul, so to speak. One of those who are wise and witty far beyond their years. That being said, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a tale well told.
nicole_schmid's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
[read in the German translation]
This book is so slow. Nothing happens for ages, and when something does happen, it is negligible. As soon as both cousins are introduced and their appearances explained, the twist becomes quite obvious, though you still have to drag yourself through hundreds of pages to reach it. The main character is uninteresting, though his philosophical conversations with Ella give just enough of a hint that that could change that I clung to that hope.
I thought it was gutsy to add a gay character for a book of its time, but feared his treatment. Somehow, the resolution to his pure innocent love was even than worse I'd expected!
James' descent into being a man stuck in an abusive relatioship he is unaware of is, on the other hand, so rushed it seems unreal. Maybe rushed is the wrong word - glossed over, treated in a few paragraphs like some personal weakness, not something that could happen to anyone. Though inspiring in that the abuser is female and the abused is male, showing that that's thing too, unfortunately, no time is spent on it to the point of it basically only explaining why the fifty years of his life post-Ella are put into a handful of chapters.
It also becomes repetitive after a while. Yes, we know that you regret your actions now. Yes, we know that you would change the past if you could. Yes, we know that this could have been the moment to save you all. Yes, we know that you are old and your memory is weak and weird. Do you really need to repeat it every chapter? We've got the idea by now!
I also disagree with his decision not to unveil Sarah's crime. Maybe I've watched too many detective stories, but I'd like to believe that truth and justice come out in the end, even if only in fiction.
This book is so slow. Nothing happens for ages, and when something does happen, it is negligible. As soon as both cousins are introduced and their appearances explained, the twist becomes quite obvious, though you still have to drag yourself through hundreds of pages to reach it. The main character is uninteresting, though his philosophical conversations with Ella give just enough of a hint that that could change that I clung to that hope.
I thought it was gutsy to add a gay character for a book of its time, but feared his treatment. Somehow, the resolution to his pure innocent love was even than worse I'd expected!
James' descent into being a man stuck in an abusive relatioship he is unaware of is, on the other hand, so rushed it seems unreal. Maybe rushed is the wrong word - glossed over, treated in a few paragraphs like some personal weakness, not something that could happen to anyone. Though inspiring in that the abuser is female and the abused is male, showing that that's thing too, unfortunately, no time is spent on it to the point of it basically only explaining why the fifty years of his life post-Ella are put into a handful of chapters.
It also becomes repetitive after a while. Yes, we know that you regret your actions now. Yes, we know that you would change the past if you could. Yes, we know that this could have been the moment to save you all. Yes, we know that you are old and your memory is weak and weird. Do you really need to repeat it every chapter? We've got the idea by now!
I also disagree with his decision not to unveil Sarah's crime. Maybe I've watched too many detective stories, but I'd like to believe that truth and justice come out in the end, even if only in fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Confinement, Car accident, and Death of parent