Welcome Book Lovers
That sounds so much better than book haters doesn't it! LOL
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my "scoop" (I'm all about the short sweet spoiler free style of reviewing) about a book I've read.
I'd love to hear your thoughts or comments, if you have any, about this novel. I'd also love to hear about your favorite novel by this author (if there is/you have one).
Today's pick:
Oliver Ryan has the perfect life. Elegant and seductive, he wants for nothing, sharing a lovely home with his steadfast wife, Alice, who illustrates the award-winning children’s books that have brought him wealth and fame. Until one evening, after eating the dinner Alice has carefully prepared, Oliver savagely assaults her and leaves her for dead.
But why?
The people who know Oliver can only speculate about the reasons behind his brutal act: his empty-headed mistress Moya, vain and petulant; Veronique, the French chatelaine who tragically lost everything the summer she employed him in her vineyard; Alice’s friend Barney, who has nursed an unrequited love for her since childhood; Oliver’s college pal Michael, struggling with voiceless longings that have shamed him for years. What none of them understands is the dark secret that lies behind his immaculate façade.
The revelations that come to light as the layers of Oliver’s past are peeled away are as brutal as his singular act of violence. His decades of careful deception have masked a life irrevocably marked by abandonment, envy, and shame—and as the details of that life are laid bare, Oliver discovers that outrunning his demons is harder than it looks.
When this book came out last year in hardback it was on my list to buy. For one reason or another, I didn't, however when I saw it in trade format recently I bought it.
First off, this novel wasn't quite (not by far) what I expected. And that's not a bad thing.
This new trade cover fits the tone of the novel perfectly. It's eerie and unsettling just like Oliver.
You know from the get go that Oliver has done a very bad bad thing.
This novel is more of character study than anything- the unraveling of who Oliver is and was- as revealed to us by various people in his life, including narration from Oliver himself. I was sucked in. I can not decide if I loathe Oliver, feel sorry for him, or understand him (in part).
This was a compelling read and I eagerly await more from Ms Nugent.
Today's pick:
Oliver Ryan has the perfect life. Elegant and seductive, he wants for nothing, sharing a lovely home with his steadfast wife, Alice, who illustrates the award-winning children’s books that have brought him wealth and fame. Until one evening, after eating the dinner Alice has carefully prepared, Oliver savagely assaults her and leaves her for dead.
But why?
The people who know Oliver can only speculate about the reasons behind his brutal act: his empty-headed mistress Moya, vain and petulant; Veronique, the French chatelaine who tragically lost everything the summer she employed him in her vineyard; Alice’s friend Barney, who has nursed an unrequited love for her since childhood; Oliver’s college pal Michael, struggling with voiceless longings that have shamed him for years. What none of them understands is the dark secret that lies behind his immaculate façade.
The revelations that come to light as the layers of Oliver’s past are peeled away are as brutal as his singular act of violence. His decades of careful deception have masked a life irrevocably marked by abandonment, envy, and shame—and as the details of that life are laid bare, Oliver discovers that outrunning his demons is harder than it looks.
When this book came out last year in hardback it was on my list to buy. For one reason or another, I didn't, however when I saw it in trade format recently I bought it.
First off, this novel wasn't quite (not by far) what I expected. And that's not a bad thing.
This new trade cover fits the tone of the novel perfectly. It's eerie and unsettling just like Oliver.
You know from the get go that Oliver has done a very bad bad thing.
This novel is more of character study than anything- the unraveling of who Oliver is and was- as revealed to us by various people in his life, including narration from Oliver himself. I was sucked in. I can not decide if I loathe Oliver, feel sorry for him, or understand him (in part).
This was a compelling read and I eagerly await more from Ms Nugent.
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