This is an interesting book. One of the best I have read so far and interestingly one I bought at a book sale, so really this book was a trial on the author book. However I did buy a book by the same author in another book sale before, called The Fourth Hand. It was an interesting enough book and I wonder why I didn’t purchase any other titles until this one.
A remarkable book with 2 protagonists, Ruth and Eddie. They first met when Ruth was 4 and Eddie 16. Eddie was working as a writer’s assistant to Ruth’s father Ted, who was a famous children's book writer. At that time Ruth’s parents were already living apart. Through Ted’s machinations, Eddie became Ruth’s mother Marion’s lover and the two had a passionate (on Eddie’s side. Marion’s feelings were not spoken of much ) affair. The sad thing was ( to me it is sad ) it made Eddie inclined to relationships with much older women. In fact, he only could fall in love with older women. At the end of that summer, Marion left leaving Ruth with her father.
The second part of the novel told how Ruth and Eddie met again after so many years. Both writers, Ruth a successful one and became firm friends. At this point I expected Ruth and Eddie to become lovers but they didn’t and I was not disappointed the book didn’t go my way. In fact I was very much intrigued and read on, curious what the writer has in store for them.
The final part of the novel described Ruth in her widowhood and when she found love for the first time. Eddie ? Well he got what he wish for ( no ending spoiler here ).
Although the book basically gave both characters happy ending but I was unhappy for Eddie. Here is this decent guy who is beautiful ( I imagined beauty like Tobey Maguire, the non-threatening like gorgeousness because Eddie is a decent guy and who is more decent that Spidey ? ) inside and out ( his character flaw is his nervousness and lack of confidence .. kinda weak really ) but his entire life is wasted on pinning for Marion. He doesn’t have children and none of his relationships lasted … well because by the time he was fifty. All his lovers were geriatrics !!
I like it because again the plot is different and yet the same. Different because it gave me a glimpse of a life without children ( by choice because they terrified Eddie and Hannah, Ruth’s best friend, just didn’t want them ) and without close family ties. It is also about a kind-hearted egomaniacal pervert cum adulterer ( yup.. that is how I describe Ted ), making me think.. WOW ! Not all perverts cum adulterers are all bad … ha ha…Well… not funny…. It has murder, love, right amount of tragedy and happy ending.
A remarkable book with 2 protagonists, Ruth and Eddie. They first met when Ruth was 4 and Eddie 16. Eddie was working as a writer’s assistant to Ruth’s father Ted, who was a famous children's book writer. At that time Ruth’s parents were already living apart. Through Ted’s machinations, Eddie became Ruth’s mother Marion’s lover and the two had a passionate (on Eddie’s side. Marion’s feelings were not spoken of much ) affair. The sad thing was ( to me it is sad ) it made Eddie inclined to relationships with much older women. In fact, he only could fall in love with older women. At the end of that summer, Marion left leaving Ruth with her father.
The second part of the novel told how Ruth and Eddie met again after so many years. Both writers, Ruth a successful one and became firm friends. At this point I expected Ruth and Eddie to become lovers but they didn’t and I was not disappointed the book didn’t go my way. In fact I was very much intrigued and read on, curious what the writer has in store for them.
The final part of the novel described Ruth in her widowhood and when she found love for the first time. Eddie ? Well he got what he wish for ( no ending spoiler here ).
Although the book basically gave both characters happy ending but I was unhappy for Eddie. Here is this decent guy who is beautiful ( I imagined beauty like Tobey Maguire, the non-threatening like gorgeousness because Eddie is a decent guy and who is more decent that Spidey ? ) inside and out ( his character flaw is his nervousness and lack of confidence .. kinda weak really ) but his entire life is wasted on pinning for Marion. He doesn’t have children and none of his relationships lasted … well because by the time he was fifty. All his lovers were geriatrics !!
I like it because again the plot is different and yet the same. Different because it gave me a glimpse of a life without children ( by choice because they terrified Eddie and Hannah, Ruth’s best friend, just didn’t want them ) and without close family ties. It is also about a kind-hearted egomaniacal pervert cum adulterer ( yup.. that is how I describe Ted ), making me think.. WOW ! Not all perverts cum adulterers are all bad … ha ha…Well… not funny…. It has murder, love, right amount of tragedy and happy ending.
What a guy book. Anyway… read it…
PS :- I finally found the book I had been coveting for years !! I am reading it carefully, savouring every word and details, trying to make it last as long as I could. What a literary genius !! The review coming up next !
