AliCorbin reviewed The Red House by Mark Haddon
Review of 'The Red House' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
An odd book, in which there was plenty of conflict, but no resolution. (Unless Angela's burning of the broken doll symbolized her finally coming to grips with her first daughter's stillbirth.) All of the characters, save innocent little Benjy, had 'issues'. None were particularly sympathetic, and some were downright vile. But maybe this is just your typical family outing.
The novel followed the extended family for a week on holiday, stuck out in the hinterlands with no contact with the outside world and no company but each other. As they did the things that tourists do - tramping over the countryside, canoeing down a river and visiting Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe, Haddon paired off his characters in all permutations, showing how each set could abrade and rub each other raw.
An odd book, in which there was plenty of conflict, but no resolution. (Unless Angela's burning of the broken doll symbolized her finally coming to grips with her first daughter's stillbirth.) All of the characters, save innocent little Benjy, had 'issues'. None were particularly sympathetic, and some were downright vile. But maybe this is just your typical family outing.
The novel followed the extended family for a week on holiday, stuck out in the hinterlands with no contact with the outside world and no company but each other. As they did the things that tourists do - tramping over the countryside, canoeing down a river and visiting Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe, Haddon paired off his characters in all permutations, showing how each set could abrade and rub each other raw.
