Haunting me still
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Like a previous reviewer I thought this book was one of 2 halves with the second half stepping up the pace so much that I was una ble to put it down until I reached the end. It reduced me to tears as I read of his struggles, not just for him but also his wife and children. Now even days after finishing it I am still haunted by the story which even in the 'good times' were also a terrible struggle and which only those of incredibly strong character could possibly endure. Not fantastically written, but non the less a story certain worth telling and even more worth reading.
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A Mediterannean Idyll Goes Wrong
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It was the Bogarde name that drew me first, the author being the nephew of the late, great Dirk Bogarde. From such inconsequential associations are great discoveries made. A powerful book, and a 'schizophrenic' one too (no pun intended with regard to the subject matter): the first half starts as the usual, Brits-emigrate-and-build-a-home-and-aren't-the-locals-funny sort of travelogue, with only occasional glimpses of the horror to come, and once the second half kicked in, I was hooked. Not the best written book I've read, but certainly the most honest and heartfelt book I've had the pleasure of reading for a long time. Thoroughly recommended.
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Thought provoking tale of dreams and realities.
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I can't find the right words to express this book. Only that the cover was what initially caught my eye whilst looking for something new to read having read just about everything by all the authors I admire.
I read the fly leaf and bought it thinking that it was "A Year in Provence" meets some kind of mystery thriller. It wasn't quite but it opens your eyes to how hard it is to deal with mental illness, not just in your own language but also from trying to gain support in another country and a totally foreign language. I felt a complete mix of emotions reading the book, from happiness to anger and sadness mixed in.
The book has a way that it pulls you in and won't let you go until you've finished the last page. I'd just have to say Read it and form your own opinion of it, it's a good book.
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