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agmaynard's review
4.0
Range from 3 to 4 stars of this collection of Patrick Melrose novels. I'm glad I read them slowly over probably more than two years...
cate577c3's review
1.0
Tedious, uninteresting, and I could not bring myself to like any of the characters.
claben's review
5.0
Brutally clear-eyed and relentless in their observation of Britain's upper classes, these novels, with their themes of inheritance and disinheritance, spare no one. A note of caution - though each individual novel is short, with two of the four encompassing only one day's length, I don't recommend reading the whole omnibus straight through. The precise renditions of cruelty, snobbery, and hypocrisy can become overwhelming.
naonao's review
5.0
Scathing, heartfelt, satirical, and decadent-- the reader will laugh almost against their will at the finely drawn, cruel yet accurate portrayals of English toffs at their worst.
I am lucky to have stumbled on this series from a throwaway mention in an article about something else, and then shortly thereafter, read an in depth profile of the author. I read Mother's Milk first, and had trouble getting into it, as the style is so unique-- a kind of sour, babyish, yet refined tantrum. It's not for everyone, but the other novels are very funny, in a dark way. I skipped large sections of Bad News, the novel in which a drugged out Patrick navigates the streets of NYC, and I skimmed the last of Mother's Milk.
The first novel is the best, and most heartbreaking-- following the lives of characters in one day and night. There's a sadness that hangs over the novel-- especially knowing that the author took so many elements from his own life. The inheritance of madness, addiction, cruelty, and class are intertwined with biting social observations in this series.
Not for the faint of heart and despite its size, NOT a beach read. But a great book.
I am lucky to have stumbled on this series from a throwaway mention in an article about something else, and then shortly thereafter, read an in depth profile of the author. I read Mother's Milk first, and had trouble getting into it, as the style is so unique-- a kind of sour, babyish, yet refined tantrum. It's not for everyone, but the other novels are very funny, in a dark way. I skipped large sections of Bad News, the novel in which a drugged out Patrick navigates the streets of NYC, and I skimmed the last of Mother's Milk.
The first novel is the best, and most heartbreaking-- following the lives of characters in one day and night. There's a sadness that hangs over the novel-- especially knowing that the author took so many elements from his own life. The inheritance of madness, addiction, cruelty, and class are intertwined with biting social observations in this series.
Not for the faint of heart and despite its size, NOT a beach read. But a great book.
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