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thomas_edmund 's review for:
Moon Tiger
by Penelope Lively
One thing that can be said of Booker Prize winners that you can never be sure what you will be in for reading one. Moon Tiger I found to have a strange appeal. The premise - the elderly narrator Claudia reaching the end of her life and 'writing' a book on the history of the world sounds intense and difficult. Oddly, despite being appropriately vivid, deep and meaningful, Moon Tiger is an comforting novel. I'm sure there are dozens (if not thousands) of novels out there with the message 'life goes on' but this is the only book I've read that embodies that theme and communicates it covertly without over the top epiphany's and monologues.
If I may be allowed a tiny spoiler, the story is not in fact a history of the world, but actually a history of Claudia (who wrote history books) the episodes from her life that she shares share themes of love, war, relationships and death and while at times the narrative is a kaleidoscopic jumble of other's (or is that what Claudia thinks other's think?) and Claudia's Point of View, the book never feels confusing or hard to follow.
The book is light on cheesy tension and drama, and I have no idea how Lively managed to make such a compelling book without some form of suspense. If you're scared of the requiem type premise don't panic, for me at least the book did not jerk tears, but instead sat comfortably in my head, leaking thoughtfulness.
If I may be allowed a tiny spoiler, the story is not in fact a history of the world, but actually a history of Claudia (who wrote history books) the episodes from her life that she shares share themes of love, war, relationships and death and while at times the narrative is a kaleidoscopic jumble of other's (or is that what Claudia thinks other's think?) and Claudia's Point of View, the book never feels confusing or hard to follow.
The book is light on cheesy tension and drama, and I have no idea how Lively managed to make such a compelling book without some form of suspense. If you're scared of the requiem type premise don't panic, for me at least the book did not jerk tears, but instead sat comfortably in my head, leaking thoughtfulness.