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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
This was a very clever book. The writing was powerful, subtly dropping details that all added up by the end for the final two chapters. It does a good job of tackling childhood trauma and domestic abuse, never directly stating details but alluding to events that happened. The constant alternation of narrator was confusing at first however when you realise the characters will be meeting again it does start to build tension, so effectively that when the climax is reached at the end my heart did drop. The author doesn’t even describe what happens but I think the lack of detail leaves your imagination open which I really liked. Some passages of the book were slightly duller than others, and a LOT of repetition occurred, however I do think this emphasises the significance of certain events on Futh’s adulthood state of mind. An interesting little read!
reflective
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
the writing is nice but everything else is upsetting. The characters are all horribly broke no redeeming features presented. no character appears to have any redeeming features at all. depressing gratuitous misery.
A man goes on a walking holiday in Germany. A woman runs a hotel and has affairs with the guests. Both spend their time reminiscing about their past – their disappointments, the promises that fizzled out.
That's basically The Lighthouse in a nutshell. It's not offensive to my eyes, but then, it's not terribly interesting and I'm left with the feeling of why bother.
Neither character is particularly likeable – I found myself disliking the man more as I read further. The woman was more likeable, but still – I don't find much to find admirable in a woman who left her fiancé for his brother, marries the brother only to have numerous infidelities and steals from her guests. Their memories are not particularly special or interesting – some of them prompting the urge to scream at the character to get over, others making the characters look even more pathetic. As far as the walking holiday and running a hotel goes, these are sparse. The man spends very little time detailing his surrounding as he whines about his life.
And then there's an ending, in which the man ventures into ultra creep territory as he snoops around the woman's bedroom and bathroom (even though they've hardly spoken), the suggestion of a climax is alluded to, but the narrative abruptly switches perspective to another man, seen briefly at the start, who can reveal nothing about what's just happened. It's probably meant to instil a sense of literary masterpiece, but it's so frustrating – all that lead up for nothing but a quirky epilogue.
Like I said: why bother.
That's basically The Lighthouse in a nutshell. It's not offensive to my eyes, but then, it's not terribly interesting and I'm left with the feeling of why bother.
Neither character is particularly likeable – I found myself disliking the man more as I read further. The woman was more likeable, but still – I don't find much to find admirable in a woman who left her fiancé for his brother, marries the brother only to have numerous infidelities and steals from her guests. Their memories are not particularly special or interesting – some of them prompting the urge to scream at the character to get over, others making the characters look even more pathetic. As far as the walking holiday and running a hotel goes, these are sparse. The man spends very little time detailing his surrounding as he whines about his life.
And then there's an ending, in which the man ventures into ultra creep territory as he snoops around the woman's bedroom and bathroom (even though they've hardly spoken), the suggestion of a climax is alluded to, but the narrative abruptly switches perspective to another man, seen briefly at the start, who can reveal nothing about what's just happened. It's probably meant to instil a sense of literary masterpiece, but it's so frustrating – all that lead up for nothing but a quirky epilogue.
Like I said: why bother.
3.5 stars.
Thoughts recorded for the Listener Bookclub here: http://www.listener.co.nz/book-club/the-lighthouse-booksellers-discussion/
Thoughts recorded for the Listener Bookclub here: http://www.listener.co.nz/book-club/the-lighthouse-booksellers-discussion/
This slim volume tells the story of Futh, a forty-something man, newly divorced, who decides to take a walking holiday in Germany before returning to England to start life as a single man. We first meet him on the ferry crossing; slight, middle-aged, with thinning hair and an oddly forgettable presence. Futh's journey is largely uneventful; he gives a lift to a man he meets on the ferry then continues alone, having his suitcase sent on ahead as he walks a scenic circuit between the six hotels he is to stay in over the course of the week.
As is natural when spending so much time alone, Futh's mind wanders and he thinks a lot about his past. Through his reminiscences we gradually build up a picture of a sad and lonely life. His mother left him when he was a young boy, leaving him to be raised by an unfeeling father who had little patience for this quiet, sensitive son. This abandonment has coloured Futh's whole life, leading him to eventually marry a woman who reminded him of his mother, with predictably disastrous results. Futh has lived his life in the background, allowing others to take from him without ever complaining or standing up for himself. This makes him infuriating in many ways, and on more than one occasion I found myself wanting to yell at him to man up. Yet, I have met people like Futh; ineffectual little Normans or Harolds who keep to themselves and won't make a fuss.
But Futh isn't the only character we follow in The Lighthouse. The other is Ester, landlady of the first hotel Futh stays at. Ester is married to Bernard, but the two have grown apart and he no longer looks at her with desire or love as he used to. The only time she can seem to provoke a reaction from him is if he suspects her of having sex with other men, which she does frequently - right under his nose - to try and get him to notice her. Ester, like Futh, spends time thinking about the past, which gives the reader an insight into her marriage as we learn how she and Bernard met and fell in love and the problems this caused.
Alison Moore's writing is sublime, and she manages to make what seems like a very ordinary tale utterly gripping. This may be partly due to the fact it's written in the present tense, which keeps things moving along, but it's much more than that. Every word is carefully considered, little details build up a slow picture of our characters and the author plays with recurring themes threaded skillfully through the narrative. One of these is smell, which is an interest of Futh's, and scents play a key role in the novel; the smell of violets which Futh associates with his mother, the smell of cigarettes that clings to Futh's wife, and the smell of camphor which tells Ester when her husband is near. Another is the lighthouse, which crops up as an antique perfume vial Futh carries in his pocket, as a sight he remembers from a happy family picnic before his mother left, and in the brilliantly named Hellhaus - the hotel where Ester lives - which means House of Light in German but which has another meaning for us.
The Lighthouse is sad, atmospheric and wonderfully creepy. I read it in just a couple of hours and didn't put it down once.
As is natural when spending so much time alone, Futh's mind wanders and he thinks a lot about his past. Through his reminiscences we gradually build up a picture of a sad and lonely life. His mother left him when he was a young boy, leaving him to be raised by an unfeeling father who had little patience for this quiet, sensitive son. This abandonment has coloured Futh's whole life, leading him to eventually marry a woman who reminded him of his mother, with predictably disastrous results. Futh has lived his life in the background, allowing others to take from him without ever complaining or standing up for himself. This makes him infuriating in many ways, and on more than one occasion I found myself wanting to yell at him to man up. Yet, I have met people like Futh; ineffectual little Normans or Harolds who keep to themselves and won't make a fuss.
But Futh isn't the only character we follow in The Lighthouse. The other is Ester, landlady of the first hotel Futh stays at. Ester is married to Bernard, but the two have grown apart and he no longer looks at her with desire or love as he used to. The only time she can seem to provoke a reaction from him is if he suspects her of having sex with other men, which she does frequently - right under his nose - to try and get him to notice her. Ester, like Futh, spends time thinking about the past, which gives the reader an insight into her marriage as we learn how she and Bernard met and fell in love and the problems this caused.
Alison Moore's writing is sublime, and she manages to make what seems like a very ordinary tale utterly gripping. This may be partly due to the fact it's written in the present tense, which keeps things moving along, but it's much more than that. Every word is carefully considered, little details build up a slow picture of our characters and the author plays with recurring themes threaded skillfully through the narrative. One of these is smell, which is an interest of Futh's, and scents play a key role in the novel; the smell of violets which Futh associates with his mother, the smell of cigarettes that clings to Futh's wife, and the smell of camphor which tells Ester when her husband is near. Another is the lighthouse, which crops up as an antique perfume vial Futh carries in his pocket, as a sight he remembers from a happy family picnic before his mother left, and in the brilliantly named Hellhaus - the hotel where Ester lives - which means House of Light in German but which has another meaning for us.
The Lighthouse is sad, atmospheric and wonderfully creepy. I read it in just a couple of hours and didn't put it down once.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
A short book, I had high hopes for this Booker nominated story. Instead, I found it rather depressing with an ending that just stopped dead, failing to reach its potential. Disappointing.
Futh has recently separated from his wife and, as part of trying to rediscover himself, sets off on a solo walking holiday in Germany, an activity he did as a young child with his father. This book is the story of his journey, his thoughts, his reflections on life and the interactions he has en route and over his life.
An enjoyable book that ambles along pretty much like Futh's walking holiday with some occasional mirroring with other people's lives. It's end is ambiguous and somewhat dissatisfying but Futh is enough of a intriguing companion en route to make it a likeable book but not one I can say I will remember.
An enjoyable book that ambles along pretty much like Futh's walking holiday with some occasional mirroring with other people's lives. It's end is ambiguous and somewhat dissatisfying but Futh is enough of a intriguing companion en route to make it a likeable book but not one I can say I will remember.
This book is hauntingly depressing. Enjoyed the style of prose and the construction of the story. Booker prize shortlist 2012.