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Bezig met laden... The Art of Losing (origineel 2009; editie 2010)door Rebecca Connell (Auteur)
Informatie over het werkThe Art of Losing door Rebecca Connell (2009)
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FIRST-TIME novelist Rebecca Connell has done a remarkable job of finding not one but two voices that are perfect for this sombre tale of infidelity. The two strands of the novel merge as Louise inveigles her way into Nicholas' home. The ending of this entirely satisfying novel has a poignant twist.
An exceptionally mature and tautly written first novel reminiscent of Josephine Hart's 'Damage'. Haunted by childhood loss, 23-year-old Louise takes on her late mother's name and sets out to find Nicholas, the man she has always held responsible for her mother's death. Now a middle-aged lecturer, husband and father, Nicholas has nevertheless been unable to shake off the events of his past, when he and Louise's mother, Lydia, had a clandestine, destructive and ultimately tragic affair. As Louise infiltrates his life and the lives of his family, she forms close and intimate relationships with both his son and his wife, but her true identity remains unknown to Nicholas himself. Tensions grow and outward appearances begin to crack, as Louise and Nicholas both discover painful truths about their own lives, each other and the woman they both loved. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)823.92Literature English English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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The man, Nicholas, is the novel's second narrator. His narrative begins years earlier as he describes the rekindling of his affair with Louise's mother Lydia over a decade earlier. Nicholas and his wife Naomi meet Lydia and her husband Martin when they move to Oxford to begin careers at the university. Lydia and Nicholas both are aware of the risk they are taking each time they meet, but the passion they feel for each other leads to further meetings. What will happen when Lydia finally asks Nicholas to leave Naomi and marry her?
Louise discovers more information about her mother's affair with Nicholas after she manages to move in with the family for the winter holidays. Ms. Connell builds enough suspense through these twin narratives to give The Art of Losing a thriller element. Because Louise holds Nicholas responsible for her mother's death, there is a dramatic tension in the novel that rises over time as the reader can't help but wonder what she will do to Nicholas, his wife or his son once she has evidence against Nicholas. There is a matching sense of rising tension in Nicholas's narrative since we do not know the circumstances of Lydia's death nor how much was revealed to either Naomi or Martin.
Unfortunately, in the novels closing section, Ms. Connell relies on a dramatic reveal that I found a bit pedestrian, an attempt at a shocking revelation when a much more common one would have better done the job. I couldn't help but think what Iris Murdoch or Georges Simenon would have done with the same material and that maybe Ms. Connell is just young. Give her a few years and a few more books. The Art of Losing is a very promising first novel with a few shortcomings. I'll be interested in reading what Ms. Connell writes next. ( )