A review by beefmaster
Undue Influence by Anita Brookner

4.0

Another example of where I wish GR had half star options. This is a 3 and a half star book, but I'll give it 4 just for the final paragraph. Yet another acrid, venomous Brookner, full of disappointment and loathing. You get the sense Brookner really hates these characters and all their self-dissembling; probably why the GR community doesn't like this book. Claire Pitt, the protagonist, is deluded, narcissistic, passive, frustrating, annoying, stuck up, and all around not a nice person. But, and here's Brookner's masterstroke, for all her bullshit, a lot of what she says rings true. You're meant to agree with her as Brookner leads you down the path of Claire's thoughts. Like her earlier Look At Me, this novel is far trickier than first glance. Not perfect though as it's a bit too long and there's a claustrophobic element to its construction; every single person Claire meets has the feel of design, like it's all deterministic⁠—somewhat diminishes the realism. Still, another great read.