Categories: books
Date: 18 March 2008 21:49:47
I have been reading Suite française (below) and Asta's book (recommended by truthsign) over the same period of time. This has possibly resulted in an unfair comparison. Whereas I loved Suite française, I cannot say the same for Asta's book. Barbara Vine is Ruth Rendell - and she always spins a good yarn. Her pivotal characters, in true detective style, are always connected to each other in the most unlikely and surprising ways - supplying the motive for the murder.
In this tale, although there is a murder, it is not the central theme. This revolves around a woman's quest to find out her identity. Asta is a Danish woman living in London at the turn of the 20th century. She keeps a diary which later in the century is published but some pages are missing and these, of course, are the key to the whole plot.
I found that I could not really feel any sympathy for any of the characters. The plot seemed to lose momentum at one point and I was quite tempted to give up as I wasn't that interested in finding out the truth concerning Asta's daughter's true identity by this stage. I persevered (for truthsign's sake!) and the momentum picked up again, becoming quite exciting.
One of the characters talks at some length about needing a family tree - and I couldn't agree more. It might have helped if there had been a family tree in the book for although the family is not that large or complicated, Vine starts some chapters off without the reader knowing that the narrator has changed (confusing!) or allows her characters to refer to family members by the name of their relationship (aunt, grandmother, uncle) where the reader has known them by their Christian name. Again, this is confusing as you have to keep reminding yourself who is whose aunt/uncle/sister, etc.
Thank you truthsign for the recommendation. I was pleased with the neat dénouement with all the ends tied up but felt the author could perhaps have got there a little more quickly and/or with a few more enticements along the way to keep me wanting to read.