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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
I'm not sure how to classify this book. There were a lot of surprise twists but I wouldn't consider it suspenseful or a thriller. It was more a family drama and a character study of some highly self absorbed people. It was interesting and very well written. The only thing I didn't care for were the few random chapters from a couple of very minor characters - I don't know that they were at all necessary and didn't really add to the story. I look forward to reading more by Caroline Louise Walker. I won an ARC of this book from Goodreads.
I didn't see a lot of this coming and that always makes it fun, doesn't it?
Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Such a great book. However, the section by Elizabeth at the end was beyond weird and doesn’t seem to fit her character. I liked the explanation but the writing style was too much, too busy.
I felt like this was two books in one. It changed so drastically from one type of story to another. I got through about 90% of it in a day and a half, but the last 10 or so pages of it took me a long time to get though. All of the perspectives were so different that it was hard to believe.
I loved this book which is the interior monologue of a man whose public and private personas are entirely different. It brought to mind the oft-quoted lines from Walter Scott’s poem Marmion: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we practise to deceive!”
Dr. Robert Hart has been chosen as Citizen of Year in his home community of Sag Harbor, NY, but his happiness at receiving the award is tainted. He suspects that his wife Elizabeth is having an affair with Nick Carpenter, their son Jonah’s best friend, who is staying in their guest house for the summer. Though he has no real evidence, he devises a convoluted, highly questionable plan to keep Nick away from Elizabeth, a plan that if discovered would put Robert’s medical career in jeopardy. Of course things go awry, and he has to take desperate measures to keep his life and reputation intact.
Robert is the first person narrator throughout, though there are chapters interspersed that present the viewpoints of other characters connected to Robert: his best friend’s wife, his office manager, his son. These latter sections clarify how others perceive Robert so that the reader is not left with only Robert’s perspective which is certainly skewed. He is definitely not a reliable narrator.
Though the novel begins slowly, once initial relationships were established my interest was maintained. There is considerable suspense: how will Robert put a stop to Elizabeth and Nick’s alleged affair? Then when things go wrong, how will he “whack-a-mole [his] next risk”? There is more than one surprise twist to keep the reader on his/her toes.
The book is really a character study of one man. Dr. Hart is successful and seems not to lack confidence, but it becomes apparent that much of that self-assurance is a façade. Being very insecure, he lets his imagination run wild and he jumps to conclusions. I was reminded of Othello when Desdemona’s father tells him, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. / She has deceived her father, and may thee.” Elizabeth was unfaithful to her first husband so Robert easily suspects she could be unfaithful to him.
What stands out is Robert’s narcissism and supreme arrogance. He describes Elizabeth as being “worthy” of him and when he thinks his wife is attracted to someone else, he assumes that attraction lies in the fact that the man has features similar to his. Even when Robert knows he is wrong, he refuses to admit it: “Backtracking shows weakness.” He takes enjoyment in manipulating people to do as he wants.
There are actually no likeable characters. Robert and his family are acquainted with many people, but Robert knows that he can confide in no one: “There’s not a soul in Sag Harbor I can call – not one good friend or mild acquaintance who could lend an ear without clanging the gossip chain.” By the time the ending is reached, Robert is not the only character who proves to be morally bankrupt. This lack of sympathetic characters is not a problem; in fact, it seems appropriate that Robert is surrounded by such despicable people.
This book reminded me of Herman Koch’s novels Summer House with Swimming Pool and The Dinner. Anyone who liked either of these should pick up Man of the Year.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Dr. Robert Hart has been chosen as Citizen of Year in his home community of Sag Harbor, NY, but his happiness at receiving the award is tainted. He suspects that his wife Elizabeth is having an affair with Nick Carpenter, their son Jonah’s best friend, who is staying in their guest house for the summer. Though he has no real evidence, he devises a convoluted, highly questionable plan to keep Nick away from Elizabeth, a plan that if discovered would put Robert’s medical career in jeopardy. Of course things go awry, and he has to take desperate measures to keep his life and reputation intact.
Robert is the first person narrator throughout, though there are chapters interspersed that present the viewpoints of other characters connected to Robert: his best friend’s wife, his office manager, his son. These latter sections clarify how others perceive Robert so that the reader is not left with only Robert’s perspective which is certainly skewed. He is definitely not a reliable narrator.
Though the novel begins slowly, once initial relationships were established my interest was maintained. There is considerable suspense: how will Robert put a stop to Elizabeth and Nick’s alleged affair? Then when things go wrong, how will he “whack-a-mole [his] next risk”? There is more than one surprise twist to keep the reader on his/her toes.
The book is really a character study of one man. Dr. Hart is successful and seems not to lack confidence, but it becomes apparent that much of that self-assurance is a façade. Being very insecure, he lets his imagination run wild and he jumps to conclusions. I was reminded of Othello when Desdemona’s father tells him, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. / She has deceived her father, and may thee.” Elizabeth was unfaithful to her first husband so Robert easily suspects she could be unfaithful to him.
What stands out is Robert’s narcissism and supreme arrogance. He describes Elizabeth as being “worthy” of him and when he thinks his wife is attracted to someone else, he assumes that attraction lies in the fact that the man has features similar to his. Even when Robert knows he is wrong, he refuses to admit it: “Backtracking shows weakness.” He takes enjoyment in manipulating people to do as he wants.
There are actually no likeable characters. Robert and his family are acquainted with many people, but Robert knows that he can confide in no one: “There’s not a soul in Sag Harbor I can call – not one good friend or mild acquaintance who could lend an ear without clanging the gossip chain.” By the time the ending is reached, Robert is not the only character who proves to be morally bankrupt. This lack of sympathetic characters is not a problem; in fact, it seems appropriate that Robert is surrounded by such despicable people.
This book reminded me of Herman Koch’s novels Summer House with Swimming Pool and The Dinner. Anyone who liked either of these should pick up Man of the Year.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
What a surprise this book was! A mild but fantastic trip of lies. A family that, at the heart, wants to protect each other but ends up muddying the waters.
Just when you think you know, you find out that you really don’t!
Just when you think you know, you find out that you really don’t!
This was a tough one for me because I had a really hard time getting through the first half since I hated the primary narrator Robert so much. So I read the reviews on Goodreads, which were pretty glowing, and thus I persevered. I liked the second half of this novel much more than the first half, in part because different narrators shared their accounts of events.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, which RELEASES JUNE 11, 2019.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, which RELEASES JUNE 11, 2019.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really irritated me, which I think was the purpose. I'll definitely be thinking about this story and these messed up characters for a while. It felt very slow paced, then the last fifty pages or so have back to back twists, which I just didn't enjoy. Felt a little forced.
This is a hard one to review. The main character was definitely not likable - so if you need someone to feel for, this is not your book. I’m not sure why, but this story absolutely had me sucked in trying to figure out - not only how it was going to end - but at times, what it was even about. I wasn’t sure if this was a 3 or 4 star read, but went with the latter since it was a one of a kind book and held my interest throughout with its slow-build mystery that is mostly based on a character study. It was an interesting journey.
Outside of the exquisite writing, with a lyricism not often found, this book is also incredibly well-plotted. Even the twists have twists. Readers looking for a character-driven, domestic suspense read...this is it! Given to us from multiple points of view, as deception after deception unfolds, you'll be left wondering "why". I highly recommend this book and will be on the lookout for more reads by Caroline Louise Walker!