Book Review: Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn

About Dunbar from the publisher:

Henry Dunbar, the once all-powerful head of a global media corporation, is not having a good day. In his dotage he hands over care of the corporation to his two eldest daughters, Abby and Megan, but as relations sour he starts to doubt the wisdom of past decisions.

Now imprisoned in Meadowmeade, an upscale sanatorium in rural England, with only a demented alcoholic comedian as company, Dunbar starts planning his escape. As he flees into the hills, his family is hot on his heels. But who will find him first, his beloved youngest daughter, Florence, or the tigresses Abby and Megan, so keen to divest him of his estate?

Edward St Aubyn is renowned for his masterwork, the five Melrose novels, which dissect with savage and beautiful precision the agonies of family life. His take on King Lear, Shakespeare’s most devastating family story, is an excoriating novel for and of our times – an examination of power, money and the value of forgiveness.

My Review

When I saw the cover for Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn, I knew I had to read it. The cover has a mysterious feel to it. The resolute silhouette walking through the snow depicts the plot of the book perfectly.

I found this book to be humorous while still dropping bits of knowledge along the journey to the end. The supporting characters have unique personalities. The “alcoholic comedian” adds a great deal of comedy and made me genuinely laugh out loud.

Dunbar loves his daughters dearly and refuses to give in to his circumstances. The ending of the book is surprising. It was a great read and Dunbar is one of those characters that I find myself discussing well after reading the book.

*I received this book complimentary from Blogging for Books for this review.

 

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