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curatoriallyyours's review
4.0
I found myself caring very much about the characters in this book, and as the story picked up pace it became difficult to put down. The narrative was compelling and the characters were mostly well-constructed.
Having said that, there were some things that didn't quite sit right. Reader beware: spoilers ahead, though I'll try to tread lightly.
Some descriptive passages seemed overworked to me, occasionally drawing me out of the moment. An example was the scene where sex was compared to a pig searching for truffles - it was a bit weird, even cheesy - and I was brought back to my own thoughts rather than remaining in the moment.
Some problems we're too easily resolved and were, therefore, unbelievable. The discovery in the lake towards the end - come on! Other problems were unsatisfactorily resolved, which was irritating. The ending came too quickly after the climax of the action for me too.
Aspects of the character of David bothered me, and while I think some can be explained away to some degree by the era within which the book was written, it was still problematic. Warning: definite spoilers ahead. David is bisexual and he has mental health issues, most likely linked to trauma. Firstly, bisexual does not mean ravenous for sex with both genders, though I suppose it might for some. It also does not mean someone cannot be monogamous. David's bisexuality is painted, at least by Pearl and the other characters, as being dangerous at worst, and a symptom of his shaky mental health at best. Although aspects of this position are somewhat redeemed later in the storyline, it's still a poor representation of what bisexuality actually is. Similarly, David's mental health is not given the robust treatment it deserves. It's either a response of pity or terror from other characters. His mania and his actions at the end of the novel are also not a reliable reflection of the way in which these things happen in the real world. Again, maybe the understanding of such things in 1988, when this book was published, was different, but it really doesn't scan so well as I read it in 2019.
I did enjoy this book, despite its foibles, so I'm giving it 4 stars.
Having said that, there were some things that didn't quite sit right. Reader beware: spoilers ahead, though I'll try to tread lightly.
Some descriptive passages seemed overworked to me, occasionally drawing me out of the moment. An example was the scene where sex was compared to a pig searching for truffles - it was a bit weird, even cheesy - and I was brought back to my own thoughts rather than remaining in the moment.
Some problems we're too easily resolved and were, therefore, unbelievable. The discovery in the lake towards the end - come on! Other problems were unsatisfactorily resolved, which was irritating. The ending came too quickly after the climax of the action for me too.
Aspects of the character of David bothered me, and while I think some can be explained away to some degree by the era within which the book was written, it was still problematic. Warning: definite spoilers ahead. David is bisexual and he has mental health issues, most likely linked to trauma. Firstly, bisexual does not mean ravenous for sex with both genders, though I suppose it might for some. It also does not mean someone cannot be monogamous. David's bisexuality is painted, at least by Pearl and the other characters, as being dangerous at worst, and a symptom of his shaky mental health at best. Although aspects of this position are somewhat redeemed later in the storyline, it's still a poor representation of what bisexuality actually is. Similarly, David's mental health is not given the robust treatment it deserves. It's either a response of pity or terror from other characters. His mania and his actions at the end of the novel are also not a reliable reflection of the way in which these things happen in the real world. Again, maybe the understanding of such things in 1988, when this book was published, was different, but it really doesn't scan so well as I read it in 2019.
I did enjoy this book, despite its foibles, so I'm giving it 4 stars.
bobareann's review
3.0
A very pleasant and comfortable story in a certain way, but not one of her best. She does that thing where she is combining elements from other stories of hers and her husbands. It is fun and unnerving.
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