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A review by sanmeow
Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
such a good surrealist novel. it mainly follows francis, who is also the narrator. he is a peculiar man whose job is ‘achieving stillness’, aka acting like a wax figure. he has an obsession with wearing white cotton gloves at all times, caused by his complicated childhood and overall life experiences. he also collects objects as part of his private ‘exhibition’ that he calls his exhibition of love, because he only steals objects for it if they’ve been loved properly. he’s reluctant to get close to other people and generally cares more for things than for people. a very strange guy!
the title of the novel refers to the setting, an apartment complex where all the main characters live, such as francis, his family, his teacher, and a woman who acts like a dog. they are all distraught once a new resident, anna, moves in, and they try to get her to leave. anna triggers a phase during which all the residents start remembering various things about their lives.
i think the character work here is fantastic, especially with francis. he’s a deeply complex person and often genuinely so annoying, yet i couldn’t help but feel bad for him and empathize with him at times cause this is just so well written. i also thought anna’s character was great, she had a lot to deal with and she had some unique coping mechanisms. i also liked her dynamic with francis and how she pushed him.
another stunning thing is the setting and the atmosphere, for me at least, because i adore this kind of book. yes, i want an apartment complex with a sort of sickening vibe to it and a bunch of strange and off putting people live there. the book sort of reminded me of shirley jackson’s work for this reason, mostly we have always lived in the castle.
the style itself doesn’t remind me of shirley jackson though, which is in no way a complaint, though i adore her style. this is just different, but so good because the sometimes unemotional and strange approach fits francis as a narrator perfectly. i can understand why this style might not captivate some people and some might find it boring, but that was far from my experience. such beautiful symbolism in here as well. i’m genuinely shocked that this is the author’s first novel because it’s just that good. i like that it gives me much to think about for sure!
absolutely loved this and i love to think it over ^_^
the title of the novel refers to the setting, an apartment complex where all the main characters live, such as francis, his family, his teacher, and a woman who acts like a dog. they are all distraught once a new resident, anna, moves in, and they try to get her to leave. anna triggers a phase during which all the residents start remembering various things about their lives.
i think the character work here is fantastic, especially with francis. he’s a deeply complex person and often genuinely so annoying, yet i couldn’t help but feel bad for him and empathize with him at times cause this is just so well written. i also thought anna’s character was great, she had a lot to deal with and she had some unique coping mechanisms. i also liked her dynamic with francis and how she pushed him.
another stunning thing is the setting and the atmosphere, for me at least, because i adore this kind of book. yes, i want an apartment complex with a sort of sickening vibe to it and a bunch of strange and off putting people live there. the book sort of reminded me of shirley jackson’s work for this reason, mostly we have always lived in the castle.
the style itself doesn’t remind me of shirley jackson though, which is in no way a complaint, though i adore her style. this is just different, but so good because the sometimes unemotional and strange approach fits francis as a narrator perfectly. i can understand why this style might not captivate some people and some might find it boring, but that was far from my experience. such beautiful symbolism in here as well. i’m genuinely shocked that this is the author’s first novel because it’s just that good. i like that it gives me much to think about for sure!
absolutely loved this and i love to think it over ^_^