A review by wayneg
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The constant references to Virgina Woolf underline that this is often Mrs Dalloway lite, especially in the early stages. It’s hard to understand why this won the Booker Prize in a competitive year, but it is a short novel with many pleasures, not least of which is the sly humour. It’s hard to imagine now the social mores that would have seen Edith flee to Switzerland, let alone the speech from Mr Neville in which he suggests a marriage of convenience. What strikes true is the situation of the “other woman”, rarely explored in fiction in this way and I enjoyed the ending with its slight twist…