Book Count (since 1 January 2012)

Book Count (since 1 January 2014): 30

Sunday 22 January 2012

At Last by Edward St Aubyn


The story in this novel takes place over about 5 hours during the main character's mother's funeral.  The funeral is attended by various friends, relatives and acquaintances from the deceased's past and the novel describes the event from many of their point's of view.  There are some quite dark recollections but the novel as a whole is intended to be an acerbically witty observation of the upper classes.  To be fair there are three quite funny bits.
 
I found this very difficult to engage with.  I kept drifting off and couldn't concentrate on the narrative.  At one point I was seriously worried that I had something wrong with me and googled "severe lack of concentration".  But then, somewhere between Moorgate and Bank it hit me like a tourist's rucksack - this book is not very good.  It was a huge relief.  But not as big a relief as when I finished this book.  I did indeed sigh, "at last".
 
As a caveat - this is the last in a trilogy and I am semi-reliably (Amazon) informed that this book is better if you have read the first two.  On your head be it.

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