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jackb's review against another edition
4.0
Witty and well written, then incredibly dark seemingly out of no where. Rich people being obscenely awful.
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
3.0
St. Aubyn has been on my list for awhile to try, and I am glad I finally did . . .but this initial book in the series was hard to stomach. Apparently semi-autobiographical, this story revolves around Patrick at the age of 5. His father is a horrible human being with a sadistic streak and his mother is a drunk. This book gives us little peeks into how a boy perceives his own life. It also sets the stage for future books by introducing adult friends of Patricks' parents and painting a picture of wealth and upper crust society.
The writing was strong, but the storytelling didn't quite rise the book up to four stars for me. However, I was intrigued enough that I will probably give the second book in the series a try.
Dark and reminded me in a certain way of Nabokov.
The writing was strong, but the storytelling didn't quite rise the book up to four stars for me. However, I was intrigued enough that I will probably give the second book in the series a try.
Dark and reminded me in a certain way of Nabokov.
oohblue's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
liamlaurence's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dwrice01's review against another edition
4.0
I see many complaints regarding the likability of the characters in Edward St. Aubyn’s Never Mind that attribute the lack of redeeming qualities as a failure. I don’t really have anything to say except maybe go read some Nicholas Sparks or something? There’s hardly anything redeemable in Camus’ The Stranger and yet there is still a lesson to learn.
lex23's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
katmackie's review against another edition
4.0
Never Mind was a quick read, but a resonating one. It left me with the sense that I had delved into something quite epic, though brief. Luckily, it's the first installment in the Patrick Melrose Novels series, but I'm hesitant to leap into the next one just yet.
I forget who recommended this series to me, but they obviously understand my book tastes very well. Never Mind is caustically hilarious, utterly heartbreaking, and surprisingly philosophical. And it's the perfect mix of these things (though the heartbreak is deeply unsettling). The story follows young Patrick Melrose's parents, and their dinner guests, as they prepare for the nearing dreaded evening. With each person comes a unique and satirical character study, which St. Aubyn has mastered.
Though the voice of young Patrick doesn't quite read as a five year old, I found this to actually work well. From my brief research I discovered that this series is based on St. Aubyn's experiences. In Patrick's voice it's easy to see this, and though the observations are sophisticated for a child, they work exceptionally. Seeing his world overlap with the surrounding characters was equally fascinating. The flow from each perspective was effortless, and never overextended. it's an odd experience to be laughing at the wit of a novel one second, then outraged, yet in awe of the writing, the next. Never Mind is filled with moments like this.
I wholeheartedly agree with the praise this series has received, and I look forward to continuing, but not before letting it rest a bit.
I forget who recommended this series to me, but they obviously understand my book tastes very well. Never Mind is caustically hilarious, utterly heartbreaking, and surprisingly philosophical. And it's the perfect mix of these things (though the heartbreak is deeply unsettling). The story follows young Patrick Melrose's parents, and their dinner guests, as they prepare for the nearing dreaded evening. With each person comes a unique and satirical character study, which St. Aubyn has mastered.
Though the voice of young Patrick doesn't quite read as a five year old, I found this to actually work well. From my brief research I discovered that this series is based on St. Aubyn's experiences. In Patrick's voice it's easy to see this, and though the observations are sophisticated for a child, they work exceptionally. Seeing his world overlap with the surrounding characters was equally fascinating. The flow from each perspective was effortless, and never overextended. it's an odd experience to be laughing at the wit of a novel one second, then outraged, yet in awe of the writing, the next. Never Mind is filled with moments like this.
I wholeheartedly agree with the praise this series has received, and I look forward to continuing, but not before letting it rest a bit.
frankiebuchanan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.25
nayomi_reads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
katrinky's review against another edition
3.0
Extemely intelligent writing, devastating subject matter. "the lure of the Open Road definitely lost some of its appeal if you took any luggage with you."