Reviews and Comments

This is a very odd, but deeply captivating book so far. The movement of the plot between chapters and points of view is incredible. It’s also very upsetting at points.

A very clever little book. It somehow manages to be incredibly compelling, possibly by tricking the reader into being convinced of the interconnectedness of the stories despite, as the book proceeds, the reader increasingly becoming convinced that there is no genuine narrative or story, even in the seemingly directly continuous stories they encounter. The story is entirely made by the juxtaposition of unrelated sequences and yet the magic of the telling leaves you convinced of their self-evident unity.

A fascinating ending to the Chikdren of Violence series. Much more experimental than the earlier books in the series, clearly exploring the feeling of communal, psychological madness Lessing started to explore.

This was a wonderfully fun and vibrant novel. It reminded me, in some ways, of the Lonely Londoners, albeit in an urban fantasy setting.

This was a delightful little read. I was given it as a present after my cat died, and it is such a warm, simple tale of discovery and loss. A beautifully written story, well worth the time.

This is such a quiet, nostalgic book. The cat is both the subject and background, the narrator finding her flirting in and out of his life, and each encounter a discovery, a reassurance, and a loss. Half way through the book, we anticipate their separation, but we know their union is only circumstantial, and every attempt to describe her in human terms always falls short.

This is an enthralling book. It entices you in, presents you with a selection of well realised characters, all with their own motivations and journeys, and all a little lost. Over the course of the novel, as the days draw in, we lead in further and see with increasing horror the inevitable paths each will take. The power of this novel is found in how well Earl uses all the tropes of traditional gothic, images of Stoker and LeFanu alongside the sharpness, wit and passion of Carter, to draw out a very modern tale of coming of age and existential despair. When I finished this, was left with the impression that this was Frankinstein for the millennial generation. It's a hard novel, deeply uncomfortable at parts, but deeply moving and well worth a read.

The complexities of Martha’s living arrangements and the matter of fact way they are dealt with are so refreshing. This weird confusion of sex and discordant relationships, Mark’s love for but frustration with his wife, Paul’s adolescent lashing out, Francis’ frustration, and all the while Martha, at the centre of it all, someone who has stumbled into this situation from happenstance, stayed there for a decade, and is still trying to work out who she is.

Present from my partner. She thought it would be a nice read after my cat died. So far, nicely relaxing read. Reminds me of Lessing’s Particularly Cats.

I’m getting some element of Ayckbourn here with the society comedy of manners. I sometimes forget the class Lessing was born to.

Lessing describing the state of the UK’s public institutions post war. The good intentions but the refusal to fund them. Thus people, particularly the mentally ill and children, are left subjected to poorly thought out institutions, stop gap measure, and professionals just having to do their best of a bad thing.

This is a really interesting and diverse series of essays on witchcraft. Picked it up after thoroughly enjoying Tarbuck’s A Spell in the Wild and looking forward to her essay, but without any particular expectations about the rest of the contributors. Yet, this transpires to be an incredible collection of writing. Brilliant, insightful and accessible both for those who practice witchcraft and people with more of a casual interest.