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book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
This is a retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear set in the Caribbean. Peter Duckworth is a Trinidadian and proud of it, but after his wife dies he decides to move to Barbados where he builds a magnificent house, high on a hill, surrounded by considerable property and with stunning views of the sea. His youngest daughter, Corrine, continues to live with him, while his older daughters are at university and about to be married.
What a wonderful character study! Nunez had me on the edge of my seat a few times, even though I knew the basic story line already. I liked how she wove in current issues of race and class and history of colonialism (and slavery) in the Caribbean.
Her narrator is Emile, the son of a prominent black doctor who once saved Peter Duckworth’s life. He first meets Duckworth and Corrine at the racetrack stables in Trinidad, when Corrine is just a child, 9 or 10 years old. He later reconnects with the family when they’ve moved to Barbados and he is a university student. His best friend, Albert Glazal, has fallen in love with Glynnis and he’s invited Emile to come along when he’s to meet Mr Duckworth for the first time.
The tragic event is shrouded in further mystery, and I’m glad that Nunez leaves so much to the imagination. What IS clear is the motivation of Glynnis. Poor Albert. But I’m reminded of the parable of the little girl who picks up a half-dead rattlesnake …. He knew what he was getting into.
What a wonderful character study! Nunez had me on the edge of my seat a few times, even though I knew the basic story line already. I liked how she wove in current issues of race and class and history of colonialism (and slavery) in the Caribbean.
Her narrator is Emile, the son of a prominent black doctor who once saved Peter Duckworth’s life. He first meets Duckworth and Corrine at the racetrack stables in Trinidad, when Corrine is just a child, 9 or 10 years old. He later reconnects with the family when they’ve moved to Barbados and he is a university student. His best friend, Albert Glazal, has fallen in love with Glynnis and he’s invited Emile to come along when he’s to meet Mr Duckworth for the first time.
The tragic event is shrouded in further mystery, and I’m glad that Nunez leaves so much to the imagination. What IS clear is the motivation of Glynnis. Poor Albert. But I’m reminded of the parable of the little girl who picks up a half-dead rattlesnake …. He knew what he was getting into.
hkihm's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this retelling of King Lear set in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica. It tells the story of three sisters and their doting father in the Caribbean although there is trouble in paradise. The tale is told from the perspective of a family friend and touches on issues of race, class, politics, love, ambition and deceit in a fresh, unexpected way.
letsreadmorebooks's review against another edition
4.0
i was looking for some fiction set in puerto rico to read while i was there and couldn't find anything at my local library. the closest i found was even in paradise, which is primarily set in trinidad and barbados. the setting was my sole reason for picking up this book and it turned out i rather enjoyed this contemporary, caribbean-set version of king lear. i'll definitely check out other books by nunez.
harris39's review against another edition
3.0
I'm chagrined to admit that this is the first book I've read by a Trinidadian author and, moreover, set in Trinidad. On the whole, I enjoyed this book as I found it a fairly quick and easy read, and I did appreciate the insight that I gained into contemporary Caribbean culture. Increasingly I find myself enjoying books that place me somewhere utterly foreign to myself and I liked learning some bits and pieces of Trinidadian history as well as the post-Colonial battles/issues the locals still face. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition to consider that in these "idyllic" former British colonies, they have already had their land stolen by foreigners (at least) once previously, and now the same issue continues to plague locals—albeit this time with the encouragement and/or tacit approval of their government—as desirable bits of land are snatched up and made inaccessible by resorts and rich foreigners. I hadn't considered this parallel before and thought it an interesting line of thought to explore.
As for the main story, that of the Ducksworth family, I thought it was fine, though I did find it rather simplistic and many parts of it obvious, even without considering the obvious homages to Shakespeare's King Lear. I was disappointed that the characters didn't feel very well or deeply developed; indeed, many of them (particularly Glynis & Douglas) felt rather cartoonish in their villainy. I personally didn't find the underlying motivations or the overarching plot very complex, and the whole novel—even the sociopolitical aspects—just felt rather simplistic and superficial in its approach. I kept hoping there would be more meat for Nunez to sink her teeth into, but this reading experience really felt like I was a stone skipping along the surface of a pond, never to know any real depth. That's not to say the story wasn't engaging or absorbing (it was!) only that I wish it all had more heft to it rather than coming across as a rather obvious cautionary tale.
I also REALLY did not like all the mentions within the book of how a given relationship or situation in EVEN IN PARADISE paralleled the original material in KING LEAR. I think most people reading this book would be smart enough to pick up on the similarities/allusions (and, if you aren't, pointing out how something in EIP mirrored KL probably wouldn't mean much to you, regardless), and I thought it was so inelegant and awkward for Nunez to "show her work" as it was. We get that you used KING LEAR as the inspiration for this novel, that you might even consider it a modern-day retelling of KING LEAR in a Caribbean setting... no need to explicitly remind us within the text itself! Let the story and themes you develop speak for themselves!
Overall, a fine book, but nothing spectacular. I do want to read learn more about this part of the world and intend to read more Caribbean authors. Perhaps I was expecting too much from Nunez but I was ever-so-slightly disappointed that this book felt so slight. That said, I would read more by her in the future, though I think I will make it a priority to try other Caribbean authors first.
As for the main story, that of the Ducksworth family, I thought it was fine, though I did find it rather simplistic and many parts of it obvious, even without considering the obvious homages to Shakespeare's King Lear. I was disappointed that the characters didn't feel very well or deeply developed; indeed, many of them (particularly Glynis & Douglas) felt rather cartoonish in their villainy. I personally didn't find the underlying motivations or the overarching plot very complex, and the whole novel—even the sociopolitical aspects—just felt rather simplistic and superficial in its approach. I kept hoping there would be more meat for Nunez to sink her teeth into, but this reading experience really felt like I was a stone skipping along the surface of a pond, never to know any real depth. That's not to say the story wasn't engaging or absorbing (it was!) only that I wish it all had more heft to it rather than coming across as a rather obvious cautionary tale.
I also REALLY did not like all the mentions within the book of how a given relationship or situation in EVEN IN PARADISE paralleled the original material in KING LEAR. I think most people reading this book would be smart enough to pick up on the similarities/allusions (and, if you aren't, pointing out how something in EIP mirrored KL probably wouldn't mean much to you, regardless), and I thought it was so inelegant and awkward for Nunez to "show her work" as it was. We get that you used KING LEAR as the inspiration for this novel, that you might even consider it a modern-day retelling of KING LEAR in a Caribbean setting... no need to explicitly remind us within the text itself! Let the story and themes you develop speak for themselves!
Overall, a fine book, but nothing spectacular. I do want to read learn more about this part of the world and intend to read more Caribbean authors. Perhaps I was expecting too much from Nunez but I was ever-so-slightly disappointed that this book felt so slight. That said, I would read more by her in the future, though I think I will make it a priority to try other Caribbean authors first.
kjade13's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
collegecate's review against another edition
4.0
Read for Read Harder 2018: book of colonial or post colonial literature. I thought this category was going to be a downer, but this was really interesting. I liked the original story, the King Lear connection, and I learned a lot about the people if the Caribbean.
scorpstar77's review against another edition
3.0
Émile first meets Corinne and her father in Trinidad when he's a teenager and Corinne is a child, but he's impressed with her even then. He likes her father, Peter Ducksworth, but even as a teenager he recognizes the man's flaws. He notes that, though Ducksworth is a native Trinidadian and seems not to have a hint of racism about him, he's still a wealthy white man and Émile feels weird about hearing him using traditional Trini turns of phrase. Ducksworth is about to move his family to Barbados because of their amazing beaches, and Émile heads off to Jamaica for college, where he becomes best friends with another Trinidadian with Lebanese roots. His friend, Albert, becomes besotted with a white woman named Glynis...who turns out to be Corinne's older sister, another of the Ducksworth girls, and Émile does not have the same warm feelings toward her that he does toward Corinne. But after a whirlwind romance, Albert and Glynis determine to marry, and Albert asks Émile to accompany them to Barbados to introduce the idea to Ducksworth. Wanting to make his friend happy, and also curious about seeing Corinne again, Émile agrees, thus unwittingly embedding himself in a hotbed of familial jealousy that reminds him strongly of King Lear. Glynis and the third sister, Rebecca (recently eloped with a man who is very rude to Albert because of his Lebanese heritage), seem to be conspiring to drive a wedge between their father and Corinne (who they believe receives far more of their father's love than they). Meanwhile, Émile and Corinne are slowly falling in love.
Émile's comparison of the situation to Lear is no accident - the author compares the two stories often, and the three sisters even have the same first initials as the sisters in King Lear. It's not quite as tragic a tale as Lear, but it's not a happy story, either. It does, at least, have a happy ending for the hero and heroine of the tale. It is a pretty captivating family drama - I was sucked in from early on - but the comparisons to King Lear were heavy-handed. I always like getting an inside look at different cultures from my own - in this case, a little bit of 3 different Caribbean islands, each of which has its own character. A good story, a solid story, if not a literary masterpiece.
Émile's comparison of the situation to Lear is no accident - the author compares the two stories often, and the three sisters even have the same first initials as the sisters in King Lear. It's not quite as tragic a tale as Lear, but it's not a happy story, either. It does, at least, have a happy ending for the hero and heroine of the tale. It is a pretty captivating family drama - I was sucked in from early on - but the comparisons to King Lear were heavy-handed. I always like getting an inside look at different cultures from my own - in this case, a little bit of 3 different Caribbean islands, each of which has its own character. A good story, a solid story, if not a literary masterpiece.
kmaddy's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chelzabeth's review against another edition
3.0
Émile first meets the Ducksworths when he’s young, then again when he’s older and in college. His friend Albert is marrying the eldest Ducksworth daughter and brings Émile along with him to meet Peter Ducksworth, her father. Peter is no longer the energetic man Émile met in Trinidad. He’s an old, overweight alcoholic with two daughters who manipulate him, trying to get his property when he dies. But Corinne is also no longer the young girl she was when Émile met her. She’s going into college now, and he’s instantly attracted to her.
Corinne’s oldest sister Glynis plans to marry Albert for his money, and somehow Albert is so blinded by her beauty that he doesn’t realize this, insisting on going forward with the wedding despite every (obvious) red flag, including her endless flirtations with her younger sister’s husband, Douglas.
Full review here.
Corinne’s oldest sister Glynis plans to marry Albert for his money, and somehow Albert is so blinded by her beauty that he doesn’t realize this, insisting on going forward with the wedding despite every (obvious) red flag, including her endless flirtations with her younger sister’s husband, Douglas.
Full review here.