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andyy_reads_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lera9reen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
weihnachtsfee2007's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hard to read Marions POV but the last pages made the book worth first book where I say that the movie is actually better)
cassidyserhienko's review against another edition
4.0
Well it only took 84 years but I finally finished My Policeman and surprise, surprise, I don’t really know how I feel. It’s a great book and very well-written, but I’m so friggin’ pissed.
Obviously I knew going in that it wasn’t going to be a happy story, but I was prepared to feel a lot more empathy and compassion for Marion than the unadulterated rage that was the reality of my feelings towards her. She makes a terrible decision obviously, and in the 1999 time frame you can see that she regrets it. But the thing that kept me from feeling sympathy towards her is that it is very hard to believe that she actually loved Tom. She was infatuated with the idea of him that she had created in her head but on the rare occasion that he showed any of his true self to her, she was more angry and annoyed than anything else because he wasn’t behaving in the prescribed way that she wanted him to. Even before she does what she does (keepin’ it spoiler free folks) I didn’t like her. I felt a certain amount of pity, but it’s not like she’s a meek bystander in her relationship with Tom. Patrick, who is also enamored with the idea of Tom, at least gets to see all sides of him and seems to accept and love those too. Because Tom is never quite comfortable with Marion, she doesn’t get that. This isn’t her fault, but it does make it hard to feel anything other than anger towards her for her actions. Nothing would have justified what she did, but I at least would have been able to feel some more compassion for her. Furthermore, she keeps doing terrible things to make herself feel better. She’s hiding the fact that she can’t provide adequate care for Patrick because she wants to keep him around to assuage her own guilt and give her time to write her confession. It’s very hard to come to terms with the fact that this character has willfully made herself and everyone around her miserable for 40+ years. I will say, if anyone could make me feel for Marion it’s probably Emma Corrin.
Other than the fact that Marion is the epitome of the worst, I think that it was an interesting choice to limit the story to Patrick and Marion’s perspectives, and then to further limit it to their reflections in letters and diary entries. In the beginning it made it difficult to decide how I felt about Tom. Marion and Patrick were so clearly besotted with him that they aren’t exactly reliable narrators when it comes to him. He makes decisions that hurt both of them, but he doesn’t really have much of a choice - at least not a good one. Having his perspective would have made it easier to understand how he was feeling in these moments and how he was affected, but as much as the narrative is centered around Tom, it’s not really his story.
The writing itself was fantastic, especially considering it wasn’t a standard narrative form. While I did enjoy the book, I actually expect to enjoy the film adaptation more since I assume they’re going to make changes/choices that might make me more invested in Marion’s character. Since she is a key storyteller I think that they have to at least make her a more compassionate figure, if not a likeable one. But as much as Marion is a main character with an important story, I’m hoping that they focus more on Patrick, Tom, and their relationship. I wish that the book had done so, and I think that it’s what an audience would be more interested in seeing. And of course Harry Styles is playing the guy that drives these people to such complete distraction and recklessness, OF COURSE.
Obviously I knew going in that it wasn’t going to be a happy story, but I was prepared to feel a lot more empathy and compassion for Marion than the unadulterated rage that was the reality of my feelings towards her. She makes a terrible decision obviously, and in the 1999 time frame you can see that she regrets it. But the thing that kept me from feeling sympathy towards her is that it is very hard to believe that she actually loved Tom. She was infatuated with the idea of him that she had created in her head but on the rare occasion that he showed any of his true self to her, she was more angry and annoyed than anything else because he wasn’t behaving in the prescribed way that she wanted him to. Even before she does what she does (keepin’ it spoiler free folks) I didn’t like her. I felt a certain amount of pity, but it’s not like she’s a meek bystander in her relationship with Tom. Patrick, who is also enamored with the idea of Tom, at least gets to see all sides of him and seems to accept and love those too. Because Tom is never quite comfortable with Marion, she doesn’t get that. This isn’t her fault, but it does make it hard to feel anything other than anger towards her for her actions. Nothing would have justified what she did, but I at least would have been able to feel some more compassion for her. Furthermore, she keeps doing terrible things to make herself feel better. She’s hiding the fact that she can’t provide adequate care for Patrick because she wants to keep him around to assuage her own guilt and give her time to write her confession. It’s very hard to come to terms with the fact that this character has willfully made herself and everyone around her miserable for 40+ years. I will say, if anyone could make me feel for Marion it’s probably Emma Corrin.
Other than the fact that Marion is the epitome of the worst, I think that it was an interesting choice to limit the story to Patrick and Marion’s perspectives, and then to further limit it to their reflections in letters and diary entries. In the beginning it made it difficult to decide how I felt about Tom. Marion and Patrick were so clearly besotted with him that they aren’t exactly reliable narrators when it comes to him. He makes decisions that hurt both of them, but he doesn’t really have much of a choice - at least not a good one. Having his perspective would have made it easier to understand how he was feeling in these moments and how he was affected, but as much as the narrative is centered around Tom, it’s not really his story.
The writing itself was fantastic, especially considering it wasn’t a standard narrative form. While I did enjoy the book, I actually expect to enjoy the film adaptation more since I assume they’re going to make changes/choices that might make me more invested in Marion’s character. Since she is a key storyteller I think that they have to at least make her a more compassionate figure, if not a likeable one. But as much as Marion is a main character with an important story, I’m hoping that they focus more on Patrick, Tom, and their relationship. I wish that the book had done so, and I think that it’s what an audience would be more interested in seeing. And of course Harry Styles is playing the guy that drives these people to such complete distraction and recklessness, OF COURSE.
carolina_02's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
teodoraelena's review against another edition
3.75
it felt like the author wanted us to feel sorry for marion but in the end i just didn’t care for her, i even hated her a little
coconuttyy's review against another edition
3.0
Can’t say the upcoming Amazon movie didn’t influence me to read this. I, personally, don’t enjoy reading mlm novels because it always has the “gays always suffer” trope, which I despise with my entire being. That being said, I didn’t absolutely hate this book, but it did tend to fall flat for me. Every time it felt like we were getting somewhere, or it was building up to something bigger, it just ended up with an underwhelming outcome. I could not get past that, and honestly, it made no sense to have these people suffer so much for such a meh ending. I didn’t need a happy ending, but something different would have helped.
kpanagod's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
I grew to hate Tom, even through Marion and Patrick’s rose colored glasses. However, imagining HS as Tom really brought the novel to life and makes me hate him a little less
I grew to hate Tom, even through Marion and Patrick’s rose colored glasses. However, imagining HS as Tom really brought the novel to life and makes me hate him a little less
maggiee999's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking. I hate Marion, she’s a homophobic ass bitch I hate her! But oh my god
wal_10's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0