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thefloralbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
pkc's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s interesting to read a book like this that’s effectively a slice of history from the perspective of those who were unlucky enough to live through and be directly affected by it. In this instance, the gross indecency act of 1885 is almost a tertiary watchman. It casts a pall across any happiness and opportunity that the characters in the book might hope to one day enjoy. The result is egregious bigotry, secrecy, and lies. The story follows Marion who meets her eponymous policeman - Tom, the brother of her best friend and falls instantly for him. Their relationship is complicated by the policeman’s relationship with Patrick - a museum curator. Their arrangement is uneasy and rocky and in the end can only lead to tragedy.
The story vacillates between Marion’s and Patrick’s perspective: the former reflecting on the events of her tumultuous marriage from the relative safety of 1999, while the latter’s perspective is told in the form of extensive diaries. The perspectives are beautifully woven together as events start to derail. I loved how Tom’s story was never told from his own perspective. It gives him the same air of unknowability that each narrator would experience as he retreated into his respective “other life.” Bethan Roberts’ writing is so skilled though that he is no less formed or sympathetic by the omission of his direct perspective
I found myself throughout abhorring the decisions made by the characters and felt anger throughout but ultimately, pity. The bulk of the story takes place in the late 1950s in Brighton, and while Brighton now proudly owns its title as the queer capital of Britain, at the time, it was as backwards as the rest of the country in its attitudes towards queer people, or “inverts”. The characters are placed in impossible decisions and face untenable quandaries in their pursuit of a happy and authentic life, wrestling between the ideal and the expected path.
This was an easy 5⭐️ and I’d recommend it to anyone. Some caution though, by its very nature it’s super bleak and infuriating from a 2024 vantage point.
The story vacillates between Marion’s and Patrick’s perspective: the former reflecting on the events of her tumultuous marriage from the relative safety of 1999, while the latter’s perspective is told in the form of extensive diaries. The perspectives are beautifully woven together as events start to derail. I loved how Tom’s story was never told from his own perspective. It gives him the same air of unknowability that each narrator would experience as he retreated into his respective “other life.” Bethan Roberts’ writing is so skilled though that he is no less formed or sympathetic by the omission of his direct perspective
I found myself throughout abhorring the decisions made by the characters and felt anger throughout but ultimately, pity. The bulk of the story takes place in the late 1950s in Brighton, and while Brighton now proudly owns its title as the queer capital of Britain, at the time, it was as backwards as the rest of the country in its attitudes towards queer people, or “inverts”. The characters are placed in impossible decisions and face untenable quandaries in their pursuit of a happy and authentic life, wrestling between the ideal and the expected path.
This was an easy 5⭐️ and I’d recommend it to anyone. Some caution though, by its very nature it’s super bleak and infuriating from a 2024 vantage point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Violence
tegzy95's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Sexism, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
queerloras's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, Outing, Blood, and Hate crime
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide
marleen02's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, and Homophobia
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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
4.0
I read this as part of my 12 books recommended by 12 friends challenge!
Started off slow and a bit overly descriptive for my taste but it picked up around page 60
I preferred Patrick’s POV chapters more because of the writing style! Marion’s chapters, especially in the beginning, were a bit overly descriptive. It slowed down the pacing making it harder for me to want to read the book.
We get chapters in both Marion’s POV and Patrick’s but we never hear from Tom. I thought this was an interesting way to tell the story but I kind of would have liked to hear how Tom felt and thought through all of this.
Overall a fantastically tragic story with complex characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Violence, and Outing
Moderate: Suicide, Gaslighting, Confinement, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia and Infertility
pernafet's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I like that it was told through journal entries. I always appreciate when an author takes an alternate method to their storytelling rather than the traditional chapters.
What I found interesting about this book is how it contrasts from other stories about romantic affairs. Rather than merely focusing on the two people partaking in the affair itself, it also focuses on a third party (that being Tom’s wife, Marion) as they all live their lives together as this sort of ménage à trois while ignoring the elephant in the room until they can’t anymore. It’s more-so a story about two people as individuals who had fallen in love with the idea of lives they could have had with the same man rather than it is the typical gay love story that I think many people expect it to be.
However, the story ultimately wrapped up a bit awkwardly and abruptly. I’m not sure what, but I expected more from that ending. It left me thinking, “that’s it??”
What I found interesting about this book is how it contrasts from other stories about romantic affairs. Rather than merely focusing on the two people partaking in the affair itself, it also focuses on a third party (that being Tom’s wife, Marion) as they all live their lives together as this sort of ménage à trois while ignoring the elephant in the room until they can’t anymore. It’s more-so a story about two people as individuals who had fallen in love with the idea of lives they could have had with the same man rather than it is the typical gay love story that I think many people expect it to be.
However, the story ultimately wrapped up a bit awkwardly and abruptly. I’m not sure what, but I expected more from that ending. It left me thinking, “that’s it??”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
olddirtymartha's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I knew after a couple of chapters that it was going to be a punch in the gut and I wasn't mistaken. A continuous, painful punch; it just kept coming. Nonetheless, it was the most beautiful read of the year so far. The different narrator voices were extremely well developed and characterized, just like the 50s seaside setting. Would recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Police brutality
kriti's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide
sophinchen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Read it in one car ride, was captivating and was able to bring all of the emotions I hoped it would.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide