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Antigua Luz (2012)

by John Banville(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Alfaguara

review 1: Who knew that this was the third book of Banville's trilogy? Not me. However, the book does stand alone - But I wouldn't read the other two now that I have read this one. Banville is a lyrical writer. I enjoyed reading many of his descriptions. The guy knows how to write scenes! There is no doubt about that. At one point I even asked myself if he was just showing off his expressive writing skill. There is so much of it. (Oh, and did I mention the dozens of obscure words I had never, ever heard of he peppers throughout the story that made me want to put the book down and run to the dictionary?) However, some of the lengthy scenes are so long two things happened to me: 1) I lost track of the story line, and, 2) I lost interest in what I am reading and race ahead to try t... moreo find something to grasp on to that leads back to the story. Banville surely had a message to deliver through Cleave's reflections about life and death, about living, or about values. Unfortunately, I was unable to resurrect it from the myriad of words and couldn't muster the energy to spend the time it would take to dig into it further to find out what he intended with his atypical, unusual characters: Cleave, Dawn, Cass, and Mrs. Gray. Although, I have to admit I was almost tempted.
review 2: We are supposed to find literary authors wonderful, and some of the language in this book is indeed lovely.The plot however is scant and the content should occupy a short story. The author has padded it out by telling us the same events several times, from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old boy who is seduced by his best pal's mother, and has a secret affair with her, then retelling as an adult. The adult is an uninteresting man who has lost his own daughter to suicide and eventually decides to retrace her steps to the holiday island she had visited, along with a young woman he barely knows. Nothing really comes of either thread except that the mature man decides he didn't always see things with wisdom when he was a boy and his memories may have been altered by time. I think we've had that already in The Go-Between by Hartley. I didn't really enjoy this book but I suppose it is good to highlight that not all sexual misconduct with minors conforms with stereotypes. less

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