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A review by gilmoreguide
Palace of the Drowned by Christine Mangan
2.0
Frankie Croy achieved critical and financial success with her first novel. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to replicate that by her 3rd and in the face of a minor breakdown she retreats to a rich friend’s palazzo in Venice. She has one book left on her contract with her publisher so she’s hoping the change of scenery will revitalize her writing. It seems to work until she runs into the daughter of an editor she knows, who’s besotted with her work. Gilly attaches herself to Frankie as an acolyte in a way that both unsettles and intrigues her. This is the groundwork laid by Christine Mangan in her new psychological thriller, Palace of the Drowned.
It’s bad timing, but this is the second novel in two months that I’ve read about a once promising writer now floundering to replicate their success. I understand, in some part, that Frankie must be portrayed as unsteady, but Mangan pushes further, making her drunk, surly…the epitome of an unreliable narrator. Which is a trait that can be fascinating, but relying on outside influence, like alcohol, cheapens the effect. It’s too easy to be unreliable when you’re blackout drunk.
Mangan is pulling from the classic movie, All About Eve but adding her own twist. This would been interesting except she’s so heavy-handed with the atmosphere (a rude housekeeper, odd neighbors, and the 1966 Venice flood) and with Frankie’s sad-sack personality it all fell flat and then, the ending? I’m still shaking my head. What did I love about this novel? The cover. Gorgeous. Enough said.
It’s bad timing, but this is the second novel in two months that I’ve read about a once promising writer now floundering to replicate their success. I understand, in some part, that Frankie must be portrayed as unsteady, but Mangan pushes further, making her drunk, surly…the epitome of an unreliable narrator. Which is a trait that can be fascinating, but relying on outside influence, like alcohol, cheapens the effect. It’s too easy to be unreliable when you’re blackout drunk.
Mangan is pulling from the classic movie, All About Eve but adding her own twist. This would been interesting except she’s so heavy-handed with the atmosphere (a rude housekeeper, odd neighbors, and the 1966 Venice flood) and with Frankie’s sad-sack personality it all fell flat and then, the ending? I’m still shaking my head. What did I love about this novel? The cover. Gorgeous. Enough said.