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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
The Idea of Perfection was a delightful yet sly novel, a slow paced character study. It’s set in the small Australian town of Karakarook, a place where everyone knows everyone. And everyone’s business. Grenville captured the small town vibe perfectly. Two strangers arrive in relatively quick succession. Douglas Cheeseman, an engineer, is the son of a war hero, a man he never met but that he can never measure up to. Harley Savage is a museum curator assigned to help establish the local heritage museum. She has three failed marriages, one of which was particularly tragic, and a heart condition. We spend a lot of the novel getting to know Douglas and Harley, through their actions but especially their thoughts. Neither is comfortable in their own skin. We also get to know Felicity Porcelline, a former model turn bank manager’s wife who has an affair with the butcher who happens to be Chinese. Her thoughts on matters of race are toe-curling your cringey. Not a lot happens externally but Harley and Douglas make peace with their pasts and become more comfortable with who they are. And with each other. A tender comedy of manners which I really enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
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