Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
“But then neither revenge nor forgiveness change what happened. They’re sideshows, of which forgiveness is the less attractive because it represents a collaboration with one’s persecutors. I don’t suppose that forgiveness was uppermost in the minds of people who were being nailed to a cross until Jesus, if not the first man with a Christ complex still the most successful, wafted onto the scene. Presumably those who enjoyed inflicting cruelty could hardly believe their luck and set about popularizing the superstition that their victims could only achieve peace of mind by forgiving them.”
Patrick is free of drugs. He doesn't even drink alcohol anymore. His best friend Johnny is narcotics anonymous, Patrick doesn't go, lest he would be pressured into telling about being abused by his father. In this book he is going to a party. The narrator switches between several of the attending guest's point of view. There are plenty of opportunities for glaring and acerbic socially commentary. It's mean, funny and astute.
I read somewhere else on that Edwards St Aubyn wanted to tell the truth in this book. He does. He goes straight for the jugular and leaves you gasping for breath, because you're not used to hearing the unvarnished truth. Everything is so politically correct these days.
Patrick is free of drugs. He doesn't even drink alcohol anymore. His best friend Johnny is narcotics anonymous, Patrick doesn't go, lest he would be pressured into telling about being abused by his father. In this book he is going to a party. The narrator switches between several of the attending guest's point of view. There are plenty of opportunities for glaring and acerbic socially commentary. It's mean, funny and astute.
I read somewhere else on that Edwards St Aubyn wanted to tell the truth in this book. He does. He goes straight for the jugular and leaves you gasping for breath, because you're not used to hearing the unvarnished truth. Everything is so politically correct these days.
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Patrick doesn't make much of an appearance as compared to [b: Bad News|1077554|Bad News|Edward St. Aubyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1180794768s/1077554.jpg|2241620], but it was interesting to compare the party attendees with the aural hallucinations in [b: Bad News|1077554|Bad News|Edward St. Aubyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1180794768s/1077554.jpg|2241620]. As usual, Ann provides some moral clarity, but Johnny is a solid friend.
A lot of reviews for this book complain about the narrative slowing down after Bad News and sure... Patrick is a little older, no longer hooked on heroin, and slightly more together but he's still chock full of malaise and his acerbic wit, so as far as I'm concerned it's all good.
This was told similarly to Never Mind, with multiple points of view and narrators surrounding a single event. I admit, I'm partial to books about skewering the upper classes, but these books are great fun.
This was told similarly to Never Mind, with multiple points of view and narrators surrounding a single event. I admit, I'm partial to books about skewering the upper classes, but these books are great fun.
The third installment hews closer to the first but wasn’t quite as razor sharp; it felt more exaggerated to me. It’s over the top snide about the British upper class; I think if it had honed in more closely on particular characters rather than taking a bird’s eye view of many, I would have liked it more.
slow-paced
*MILD SPOILERS*
This one turned out to be my favorite of the series, because of the beauty of the epiphany I’ve been waiting for Patrick to have for two books now. It’s so simple. That’s the best part. It wasn’t some dramatic mess, or too literary an epiphany. He just finally told someone, and that simple act moved him forward. He grew up leaps and bounds in one night just by finally taking a healthy step. I love it. It told me that I can quietly change, and it’ll be okay. I love, love, love how just setting him against a background of more hideous people with all their shallow priorities buggering them over made such a stark contrast with his experience. His arc was too simple to fill a whole book, something else had to happen to bulk the space, and so Aubyn gives you the rest of the awful lot being awful, and he does so in entertaining fashion. It turns out quite satisfying to see them all concerned with what amounts to shallow rubbish while Patrick has to work out the snarl at the center of his soul. It’s really beautifully done.
This one turned out to be my favorite of the series, because of the beauty of the epiphany I’ve been waiting for Patrick to have for two books now. It’s so simple. That’s the best part. It wasn’t some dramatic mess, or too literary an epiphany. He just finally told someone, and that simple act moved him forward. He grew up leaps and bounds in one night just by finally taking a healthy step. I love it. It told me that I can quietly change, and it’ll be okay. I love, love, love how just setting him against a background of more hideous people with all their shallow priorities buggering them over made such a stark contrast with his experience. His arc was too simple to fill a whole book, something else had to happen to bulk the space, and so Aubyn gives you the rest of the awful lot being awful, and he does so in entertaining fashion. It turns out quite satisfying to see them all concerned with what amounts to shallow rubbish while Patrick has to work out the snarl at the center of his soul. It’s really beautifully done.
Beşlemenin 3. kitabında Patrick'ten ziyade babası ve annesi sayesinde bir parçası olduğu cemiyetin çeşitli üyelerine daha fazla yer ayırılmış. Hatta ana karakter Patrick neredeyse kitabın yarısında kadar ortalarda gözükmüyor bile.
2. kitapta Patrick'in babasının küllerini almak için New York'a yaptığı kısa ziyaretten bahsediyordu. Birkaç yıl sonrasını konu alan bu kitap ise yüksek sosyetenin bazı üyelerinin bir araya geldiği yemekli, eğlenceli birkaç saatlik bir kutlamayı merkeze alıyor.
Patrick ve diğer 1-2 karakter için kitabın sonuna doğru tam da "Biraz Umut" ismine uygun bir şekilde işlerin bir nebze olsun iyiye gittiği işaretini veren gelişmeler oluyor. Patrick için bu kitapta yaşanan en önemli olay; çocukluğunda ebeveynleriyle yaşadıklarını itiraf edip kabullenmesi ve iyileşmeye yönelik ilk adımı atması.
Kitabı okumadan önce diziyi izlediğime memnun oldum; aksi takdirde bu kalabalık bir karakter kadrosuna sahip kitapta kimin kim olduğunu kolaylıkla karıştırırdım. Tembellik olacak ama diziyi izledikten sonra gerek kalmadığı için serinin devamını okumayı düşünmüyorum.
2. kitapta Patrick'in babasının küllerini almak için New York'a yaptığı kısa ziyaretten bahsediyordu. Birkaç yıl sonrasını konu alan bu kitap ise yüksek sosyetenin bazı üyelerinin bir araya geldiği yemekli, eğlenceli birkaç saatlik bir kutlamayı merkeze alıyor.
Patrick ve diğer 1-2 karakter için kitabın sonuna doğru tam da "Biraz Umut" ismine uygun bir şekilde işlerin bir nebze olsun iyiye gittiği işaretini veren gelişmeler oluyor. Patrick için bu kitapta yaşanan en önemli olay; çocukluğunda ebeveynleriyle yaşadıklarını itiraf edip kabullenmesi ve iyileşmeye yönelik ilk adımı atması.
Kitabı okumadan önce diziyi izlediğime memnun oldum; aksi takdirde bu kalabalık bir karakter kadrosuna sahip kitapta kimin kim olduğunu kolaylıkla karıştırırdım. Tembellik olacak ama diziyi izledikten sonra gerek kalmadığı için serinin devamını okumayı düşünmüyorum.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Rape