A review by annabdavid
The Patrick Melrose Novels by Edward St. Aubyn

5.0

I don't think I've ever wanted a book to end as much as I did this one; I literally read two other books once I knew i was reaching the end in order to put off the inevitable. Dark and brilliant, The Patrick Melrose Novels is filled with characters that range from wholly despicable to merely somewhat unlikable and St. Aubyn manages to make you care passionately about every last one. While the main character (not the protagonist because it turns out that Patrick Melrose is the protagonist) in this collection of three books is so horrific that it's actually difficult to stomach, the sophistication of the language and the subtle nuances which show that St. Aubyn knows his characters—no matter how minor—inside and out makes this work wholly gripping. It requires a great deal more concentration than the average book because occasionally minor characters that you meet on, say, page 20 show up again on, say, page 550 but is oh so worth the effort. The section from a child's point of view that describes being born is probably the part that will stick with me forever.