I previously enjoyed the Vanishing House by the same author, and was interested in this by-the-sea setting. I expected it to be quite dark/melancholic in style of writing.
The first few chapters were good at scene setting, but the remainder of the book meandered and left me with a feeling that I didn't really 'get alongside' the main character. The story is told in the first person to a therapist, but at times I forgot that and became engrossed in small areas of the plot. However I soon felt pulled out again and disconnected at regular intervals. There aren't too many characters to keep track of, and the imagery of the hot summer and seaside tourists are very evocative.
I think I will need to read this book again at a later date, now that I have read it through. I will look at it with different eyes, knowing what I do about the (in some ways) open ending.
The first few chapters were good at scene setting, but the remainder of the book meandered and left me with a feeling that I didn't really 'get alongside' the main character. The story is told in the first person to a therapist, but at times I forgot that and became engrossed in small areas of the plot. However I soon felt pulled out again and disconnected at regular intervals. There aren't too many characters to keep track of, and the imagery of the hot summer and seaside tourists are very evocative.
I think I will need to read this book again at a later date, now that I have read it through. I will look at it with different eyes, knowing what I do about the (in some ways) open ending.