Take a photo of a barcode or cover
vladco 's review for:
Double Blind
by Edward St. Aubyn
Aubyn's powers of observation are incredible. Just take a little thing, like how people drink. There's a moment when a drinker does a fake shudder after downing a shot. Perfect observational detail that makes the vignette so crystal clear and easy to imagine. And there's another moment where a man's uncontrollable laughter causes him to pull his drink away from his lips twice because to drink while laughing like that would mean inhaling the beverage. This book is full of details like that, and it's a delight to just enjoy the ride.
I think the criticisms of the book are valid. There are lots of big topics here, but none are explored deeply enough to retrieve deep, lasting, or shattering emotional truths. There are regular moments where Aubyn seems to uncover a multi-carat nugget with a little scratching at the surface, and that's his genius, but what I don't disagree with critics who wished for more depth.
I think the criticisms of the book are valid. There are lots of big topics here, but none are explored deeply enough to retrieve deep, lasting, or shattering emotional truths. There are regular moments where Aubyn seems to uncover a multi-carat nugget with a little scratching at the surface, and that's his genius, but what I don't disagree with critics who wished for more depth.