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Indiscretion: A Novel
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Indiscretion: A Novel
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Indiscretion: A Novel
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Indiscretion: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

"Every story has a narrator. Someone who writes it down after it's all over. Why am I the narrator of this story? I am because it is the story of my life—and of the people I love most. . . ."

Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is a National Book Award–winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness and serenity belie a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, they share a love that is both envied and admired. The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome thanks to Harry's writing grant, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.

One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy, who are in their early forties, meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows' inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. By Labor Day, it is no longer enough to remain one of their hangers-on.

A story of love, lust, deception, and betrayal as seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy's childhood friend Walter, a narrator akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Indiscretion is a juicy, richly textured novel filled with fascinating, true-to-life characters—an irresistibly sensual page-turner that explores having it all and the consequences of wanting more.

Indiscretion also marks the debut of a remarkably gifted writer and storyteller whose unique voice bears all the hallmarks of an exciting new literary talent.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateFeb 5, 2013
ISBN9780062201072
Author

Charles Dubow

Charles Dubow is the author of the novel Indiscretion, a founding editor of Forbes.com, and was an editor at Businessweek.com. He was educated at Wesleyan University and New York University, and has worked as a roustabout, a lumberjack, a sheepherder in New Zealand, and a congressional aide. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Melinda, and children, William and Isabella.

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Reviews for Indiscretion

Rating: 3.675532021276596 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is rare that a book can keep you so distanced from the characters while allowing you to become so entangled in their lives, but that is what happens with Indiscretion, and it works perfectly. It's hard to say too much about the plot without giving anything away - the blurb is fairly vague, and I think it is best to start reading without knowing what exactly will happen in the story. Although I might warn that the summary makes the book sound bland in comparison to how lively it really is - the drama draws you in and you don't realize how involved you are until the ending sends your heart soaring and then squeezes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “If you must be indiscrete, be discrete in your indiscretion.”—Mark TwainIt's funny how these iconic tales become a part of our consciousness. It's been decades since I've read The Great Gatsby. I couldn't describe it in but the most general terms. But that was exactly the work that came overwhelmingly to mind as I dived into Charles Dubow's enjoyable debut novel, Indiscretion.Having done a little research in the meanwhile, my conscious now sees the comparisons that my unconscious clearly picked up on. Indiscretion takes place in similar New York environs as the earlier work, deals with issues of class, matrimony, infidelity, and like Gatsby, is narrated by the central characters' friend and next-door-neighbor. Filling the role of Nick Carraway is Walter Gervais, life-long friend of Madeleine Winslow, wife of the National Book Award-winning novelist Harry Winslow. Says Walter:“This is where I come in. Every story has a narrator. Someone who writes it down after it’s all over. Why am I the narrator of this story? I am because it’s the story of my life—and of the people I love most.”And the events that Walter is relating begin the summer that a new acquaintance, Claire, is introduced to the Winslows. “What would her life have been like if she had never met him on the beach? If she had never come to that fateful party?” Much younger and very beautiful, Claire is too great a temptation. This shouldn’t come as too big a shocker in a novel called Indiscretion. Still, Dubow tells a compelling and easily readable tale. It’s a little salacious at times, but it reads like good gossip. The characters are well-drawn, and Dubow does an especially good job of representing the pain these people are in. None of them are villains. The novel moves swiftly, driven by the story. I saw some of the revelations coming, notably the very last, but there were several surprising twists, the biggest of which was handled very cleverly. The latter part of the novel was especially absorbing. Indiscretion is set essentially in the present day, but there is something anachronistic about it. It’s that Gatsby vibe. Every time a cell phone rang it was just the slightest bit jarring. While I would consider it more popular fiction than literary fiction, Indiscretion is a strong debut from a gifted storyteller.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The Great Gatsby is a classic with its unreliable narrator and its old money and its devastation and unavoidable tragedy. In Charles Dubow's debut novel, there are shades of Fitzgerald's masterpiece but the characters are more obvious and the tale and its presentation nothing special. It is no Great Gatsby. I really wanted to be wowed by this clear homage to one of my favorite books of all time, wanted to impressed like almost every other reviewer I've read so far. Instead I was bored and found myself getting angry and annoyed as I read along.Harry and Maddy Winslow are a golden couple with the sort of charisma and glow in which everyone in their orbit wants to bask. Their marriage is perfect and their love for each other comfort in each others' presence, and contentment with their lives is palpable. Until it isn't. Because this is the tale of Harry, former college hockey standout, ace former military pilot, novelist and recent National Book Award Winner; and Maddy, gracious, effortless, extremely beautiful, and monied; and what happens when Harry, wanting more than the perfection he already seems to have, embarks on a completely pedestrian affair and devastates his own, his wife, and his fragile son's lives. Narrated by Maddy's childhood friend, the noble Walter, who has loved Maddy forever but has long settled back and contented himself with the reflected glow of the Winslow's enviable love and family, this is a story told long after the fact, pieced together by information left behind, things written by Harry, secondhand observation, speculations, and confidences made to Walter both at the time and after the events. Even though Walter was in fact one of the spectators of the situation, his relationship and loyalty to Maddy, plus the torch he has carried for her close on to forty some odd years, makes him suspect, obviously biased, in the telling.One summer, twenty-six year old Claire is invited out to the Hamptons to stay with her wealthy, occasional boyfriend, Clive. While there she comes into the Winslows' orbit and falls for both of them, but especially for Harry. Given that she was dissatisfied with Clive, who admittedly is a jerk, when she arrived, it is no surprise that this callous and selfish young woman is eager and willing to be pulled into the Winslow's golden sphere. She ingratiates herself and starts being invited to come out to spend weekends with them, to frolic and play and generally have an enchanted time. Like Maddy, Claire is exceptionally beautiful in the way of youth but unlike Maddy, Claire does not come from money and she is enticed by all its trappings, setting her sights on Harry and even making an overt pass at him that he easily deflects. But because this is a tale of infidelity or "indiscretion," it is clear that Claire will in fact get her way even if it has to be delayed. And from the moment that Harry ends up in bed with this nubile, young thing, it is broadcast loud and clear where this novel is heading. There is no nuance, no surprise, and little anticipation.Claire is a predator from the outset, using Clive and then easily dropping him for the more enticing prey of Harry. It almost makes the reader sorry for the ghastly, boorish Clive and certainly reeks of "come into my parlour said the spider to the fly" once Claire has set her sights on Harry. That is to say the outcome is entirely inevitable. Everything in the novel is completely, expectedly inevitable. It's a cliched situation without enough depth to the characters or the plot to rescue the whole. In fact, there really is no plot at all and as a character study, an anatomy of an affair, or a psychological look at the cost of infidelity, it is nothing special or new. The characters are unsympathetic. The writing is florid and overwrought. The dialogue is clunky and stilted. Harry and Claire's affair is boring to read about and the minute details of their sexual exploits were unappealing. Their overly introspective pillow talk had all the emotional range of giddy, immature teenagers and Claire's constant assertions that she never wanted to hurt Maddy but that she just couldn't give up Harry and Harry's reciprocal agreement would be better suited to high schoolers than to adults, one in her later twenties and one in his early forties.And because I was already not enjoying the novel, every little thing jumped out at me and made me angrier. Dubow uses the metaphor of a dress rehearsal at one point but suggests that the similarity is like seeing the seats empty and the actors in their street clothes on stage. Um... That's not a dress rehearsal. And yes, that's a nit-pick on my part but this sort of thing is endemic. In giving birth to their son Johnny, Maddy is whisked away for an emergency episiotomy and a frantic Harry is kept from her because of this procedure. Another um... Having had one of these myself many a year ago, this is emphatically not how they are handled, not even close. Yes, more nit-picking but the devil is in the details. And frankly, I am bothered by the portrayal of Harry as unable and unwilling to stop Claire when she finally does seduce him. The rest of the novel is predicated on the fact that he was as attracted to her from the outset as she was to him but in reality, he was drunk and severely jetlagged when she took him back to her apartment and he does actually protest and try to stop before he is carried away by the wave of passion (which makes him come across as stupid and ruled solely by his penis, a whole new portrayal of him born in that exact moment). This does not absolve him of any guilt, mind you, since he inexplicably wakes up the next day not wracked with guilt but insatiable for Claire and ridiculously, completely smitten especially given his feelings just a day prior but it absolves him of any of the calculatedness in cheating that is assumed as the novel continues; it was never a decision for Harry, only one for Claire. Of course, because this is a novel about a continuing affair and not just a one night stand, we get more sweaty foreplay and slick sex between these two. We get the sloppily covered tracks, the weak and easily uncovered lies, and we get the damaging discovery of truth and the shamed acknowledgement of betrayal. In short, we get the story of every infidelity ever. We recognize the fall-out. And we know that there can be no happy endings.I seem to be alone in my dislike of the book and everyone else is so captivated they never noticed the writing problems or the inconsistencies in the characters or any of the numerous things that got my back up. I'd love for someone I know to read this and tell me what you think. I may just be alone on this one. So far I sure seem to be.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The basics: Indiscretion is the story of Maddy and Harry Winslow. Harry is a National Book Award-winning author, while Maddy is beautiful, smart and kind. They're a couple revered by all who know them, and the two love to entertain at their home in the Hamptons and at their New York City brownstone. Yet as the title indicates, the marriage may not be quite as strong as it appears.My thoughts: Indiscretion is an intelligent vacation read. There are elements of an upper-class soap opera, but there are also elements of high-brow literature. The combination works well and keeps the novel from becoming either too serious or too frivolous. This novel also sits somewhere between thriller and domestic fiction. Adding intrigue to the story, the narrator of this novel is Walter, Maddy's childhood friend. With this choice, Dubow creates a sense of mystery. Why is Walter, a secondary character, telling the story? And how does he know the private details of their lives? Dubow's answers to these questions were incredibly satisfying and elevate this novel above its salaciousness. As much as I enjoyed it and celebrate its release, part of me wishes it were coming out in May, as I loved experiencing this novel as a vacation read, so I recommend you take it on an airplane too. The verdict: Indiscretion is a fun escapist read. It's a window into the life of New York affluence, an admired marriage, and the career of a National Book Award-winning author. Intrigue, salaciousness, scandal, love, and suspense abound in the lives of this couple and their circle of friends. Rating: 4 out of 5
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Charles Dubow's first novel, Indiscretion, is a great story beautifully written. Although the plot will be familiar to most readers from first or second hand experience, the characters' actions defy any preconceived notions. They are fully developed people who make decisions and live through consequences in a realistic, rational, and human way. Readers are drawn into the lives of the characters by a likable narrator, Walter, a partner in a prosperous New York law firm who inherited a fortune from his parents.Walter, in his 40s at the beginning of the story, is a bachelor by circumstances rather than confirmation. During the summer, he lives in his deceased parents' house near the beach in the Hamptons. He lives in his parents' apartment in New York during the winter months. Harry, a best-selling author, and his wife Maddy, a lifelong friend of Walter, and son Johnny live in the summer house next door to Walter. Maddy inherited the house from her parents, and she and Walter share memories and affection from growing up, children to adults, during their summers in the Hamptons.Walter describes Harry and Maddy as a perfect couple, even though he has always wanted a permanent relationship with Maddy. Walter did not measure up to the charisma and talent of Harry that drew Maddy to the author and caused her to marry hiim. With their son, the family seems invulnerable especially with the loving support of many close friends who want to share in their summer lives. Walter learns that people who have everything they ever wanted may try to go beyond the limits of their good fortune risking destruction of their ideal existence, breaking their fragile bonds with one another.The reader will form a bond with Walter and rely on his observations of events in the story. I trusted Walter's reliability as a witness and he kept me informed of his strengths and weaknesses as an observer. Walter continually evaluated himself as a man and showed me that his perceptions were affected by his selfless love for Maddy. Walter reminds me of Archie McNally (son of a wealthy lawyer living in Florida) a character in a series written by one of my favorite authors, Lawrence Sanders. Both characters are likable, intelligent, sensitive, and caring. Archie, a discreet private investigator, has a better sense of humor than Walter and is more of a bon vivant than Dubow's tried and true lawyer. But, I loved Indiscretion as much as I did the novels of Sanders Lawrence Sander's McNally's Folly: An Archy McNally Novel. My guess is that Dubow will continue using Walter as a narrator in future novels because most of character's lifespan is covered in this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a literary tale that will stay in your memory for a long, long while. It is the anatomy of the dissolution of a marriage, which follows a more or less spontaneous act of adultery between one of the two married people and a young friend of the family. The connection between the two proves to be electric; so powerful in its intensity that it leads to a prolonged love affair, that the two naively believe can go indefinitely without discovery.Like so many married people who risk literally everything, for the thrill and pleasures gained from an illicit affair, this husband rationalizes that he doesn't love his family less, he just has added a secret lover to fill a void in his life that he hadn't previously realized was there.The story is told from the perspective of the life long friend of the wronged spouse. A successful lawyer and friend of both the husband Harry and his wife Madeline, he can tell the story of each participant in the love triangle from personal knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. Walter, the narrator, and Maddy grew up on adjacent properties in the Hamptons, both children of wealthy and privileged families. Maddy and Walter went to Yale, where Maddy and Harry, a popular athlete met and eventually married.Maddy has become a charming hostess. She loves cooking and often entertains weekend guests at the family's summer home in the Hamptons. Harry, just as charming as Maddy, is a gregarious host who genuinely loves his wife and nine year old son. Walter, who still lives in the home where he was raised on the adjacent property, is a frequent guest and observer of the Winslows and their house guests. In their early 40's, Harry and Madeline are happy, secure in their wealth and talents. Harry is a respected prize winning author. Maddy's family money provides a steady income which compensates for the uneven income flow from writing and publishing.But one summer one of their acquaintances brings a winsome young woman as his date to one of the Winslow parties. Both Harry and Maddy are captivated by her youth and confidence and enthusiasm for life. She soon breaks off with the man who had brought her into the Winslow circle, but she manages to become a part of their summer entourage, fitting in very comfortably in spite of the age difference. Clare is a writer too, and is gradually drawn to make a play for Harry. He does not immediately succumb to the temptation, but when he does, he is a wholehearted participant.Dubow has created a superb story teller in Walter, who is excellent at telegraphing the motives of Claire, contrasting them to the nuances and responses of Harry and eventually Maddy's reaction when she comes to know of the affair. Though Walter admits (to us) that he has always loved Maddy, he tries to help salvage the marriage, which he knows has been a good one.There is much to enjoy in this tale, but it in essence is a tragedy, as consequences few could have foreseen develop from a betrayal meant to be forever secret, and thus harmless in its effect on Harry's loved ones. This book reminds me of House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, another tragic story so very well told.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's an idyllic summer in the Hamptons when Claire meets the Winslow family: Harry, Maddy, and their young son, Johnny. Harry is a National Book Award-winning author whose story-telling prowess makes him a favorite in their social circle. His wife, Maddy, is a beautiful woman from a rich family who has a generous soul despite her family's harshness. In their cottage near the beach, the family throws parties, plays tennis, and is nearly universally loved by everyone, especially Claire.Claire met a man in the city who invited her out to his house in the Hamptons for the weekend, where she discovers that the two aren't having a weekend to themselves, but a weekend with a few of Clive's irritating clients. When the group attends a party at the Winslows' house, Claire quickly becomes enamored of the family and the life that they live. When things go bad with Clive, Harry and Maddy adopt Claire into their circle of friends for the summer. The summer passes in a perfect series of cook-outs and tennis matches and parties, but when it ends, and Claire learns that Harry, Maddy, and Johnny will be leaving for Rome for a year, things begin to unravel. What follows is a slow unfolding of deception and tragedy that will change all of their lives forever.The first thing I noticed about Indiscretion is that it has tons of great, believable dialogue. I don't remember that I love good dialogue, and I rarely think to miss it in books that are a little quieter, but when it shows up, I always appreciate how it breathes life into a story and seems to move it along at a quicker pace. Even better is when dialogue brings out aspects of characters so that readers don't have to be told that Harry tells great stories that draw people into his orbit or that Maddy's innate decency is put into practice as she welcomes Claire into her life. Dubow's novel is filled with just such excellent dialogue, but just the same it doesn't rely on it too heavily. Rather, it provides just another window into the house where Walter's narration has opened the door.Walter is Maddy's best friend from childhood who has only grown closer to Maddy and her family with time. As such, Walter makes for a great narrator. Certainly, he might be a little biased, but as the stalwart family friend and perennial bachelor, he has a unique perspective on the events at hand. He tells the story of his friends' downfall with unique insight and the wisdom of an observer that is both a part of the story, yet not so involved as to lose all perspective. Drawing together the things he experiences first-hand with the things he learns over time, Walter collects a complete picture of events, and his recollection is vivid and lightly seasoned with, at times, philosophical reflection on the tragic events that come to pass in his friends' lives.Indiscretion is a dark and unnerving story of a seemingly perfect family falling from grace, told with such flare that it's impossible to look away until the last page is turned.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    There was occasional language that redeemed the book, but for me it was another story about a man having an extramarital affair that verged on melodrama.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    the story of a marriage coming apart told by a close family friend. Interesting viewpoint and characters. Surprise ending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While the story kept me turning the pages, I wasn't crazy about the narration -- it's told from an outsider's perspective, which is fine, it just didn't always work for me. There were times when I was taken out of the story because I thought, "How in the world could Walter know THAT?!" By the end of the book, I had my answer which is why this is a 4-star instead of 3-star rating.[spoiler]The end of the book is devastating. We are given a false ending -- a happy ever after -- and then it's ripped away. That was just Walter's dream. It was truly heartbreaking to read about Maddy's last years. [end spoiler]
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Whoa ho ho! What a read! So much glamour, money, and good food. So many horrible decisions! I ate this baby up in a single day. I'll admit to having a few teary moments along the way. I also have to admit that I wanted to punch one of these characters in the throat. If you want to read a book that makes you FEEL you can't go wrong with this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a great read. The picture pefect family is put through the test of lies and betrayal. The stoy as told through the voice of Maddy's childhood friend, an godfather to her son, sets an intimate story of family, friendship, love and betrayal, devotion and survival of a broken marriage. Is it possible to have a happy ever after ending? Character development was superb. The perfect couple with the perfect marriage that was jeopardized for lust and selfishness.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've found that most of the time, I can actually judge a book by its cover. I almost bypassed this book because I didn't particularly like the cover but almost as an afterthought, I agreed to read Indiscretion and review it as part of a book tour. I am so glad that I did! Charles Dubow's writing really surprised me. His words are thoughtful and well-meaning. His characters well-developed. And although the storyline has been done before, his settings makes it new.

    I really enjoyed Indiscretion. I loved the ring side seat that Dubow gives us as we watch so many lives unravel because of one chance meeting. I loved how he slowly unveiled the relationships between characters, letting us understand histories and presents and even guess at futures.

    In some ways, this was a difficult book to read. Dubow's characters are multi-faceted with complicated reasons for their choices in the story. He shows us that we are not always good and do not always make our decisions with the best intentions in mind. And, that sometimes, those decisions, as innocuous as they may seem, have lasting effects on all those around us.

    As, I said, I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I'm also surprised that it has not gotten more interest in the book media. It is a surprisingly well-written debut. My only complaint is an obvious literary technique thrown in near the end of the book that I feel was unnecessary but it was only a minor bump in the road, just a page or two of nothingness that didn't need to be there. Once I got past it, I was swallowed up by the story again until I turned the last page.

    I recommend this book to anyone looking for a serious read that tackles tough topics. Indiscretion is not a light read. It takes a deep look at marriage and at friendships and at fate. It might make you angry and it might even make you cry.

    One thing that I found interesting about the author, Charles Dubow, is that he stutters. The thought of speaking in front of people terrifies me so I can only imagine how much more terrifying it would be with a speech impediment like stuttering. Mr. Dubow wrote an article for Newsweek, discussing his experiences growing up with a stutter and what it is like for him now as he promotes his novel through speaking engagements: The Newsweek Article

    *Thanks again to Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours for my copy of Indiscretion. I received the free copy in return for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have to tell you that Indiscretion is the perfect Summer novel. It grabbed my attention from the first page. It's a deliciously salacious novel that features rich folks behaving badly. The story opens as Claire, a beautiful young and broke New Yorker heads off to the Hamptons for a weekend romp.

    Wait. I think I'm making this novel sound trite and it's not. What happens as a result of Claire's weekend will change the lives of those she encounters forever. Oops, there I go again. Vague, yes, but I will leave it at that because one of my favorite things about this book was not being sure where things were going for Claire, or anyone else. I highly caution you about reading too many reviews of this book for that very reason. I suggest you save those reading eyes for the book itself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Harry and Maddy are a happily married middle-aged couple with a young son who has health issues. Harry is a famous author, Maddy the party hostess and friend everyone adores. They have a social circle that includes Walter, a lonely man who is our narrator. A beautiful young woman named Claire enters their lives and they take her under their wing, and all is well until their happy little world is shattered by an indiscretion.Most of these type of novels are about the woman wronged, but I found this look at adultery from the male perspective intriguing. Walter, the friend, is the narrator and given that this takes place mostly on a summer place in the Hamptons and is about an obsessive love affair, it echoes The Great Gatsby. The characters are interesting, especially Maddy, and the plot keeps the reader invested in the story. The last few chapters are incredibly sad and devastating, and I found myself impressed with Dubrow's ability to move the reader so deeply in his debut novel. There are some explicit (and well written) sex scenes, so if that offends you, this book may not be for you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    'Carelessness is the handmaiden to tragedy. Cataclysmic events often have their origins in the mundane. We turn left when we had meant to go right, and the world changes forever.'Harry and Madeleine (Maddy) Winslow are a beautiful, charming couple in their forties living an enviable and very comfortable life. Harry is a successful, award-winning writer and Madeleine is his charismatic, warm and admired wife, and attentive mother to their fragile son, Johnny. We meet them in their home in the Hamptons, but they also spend time abroad in Rome and at their home in Manhattan. Everything speaks of ease, wealth, and a good life. They attract others who enjoy being in their company and basking in the glow that seems to emanate around them. One weekend, a woman in her twenties named Claire travels over from New York City to the Hamptons, invited by a boyfriend, and meets Harry and Maddy whilst there. Having met them, she is entranced by the couple and their lives and world. 'It's hard not be caught up in the beauty of life from a summer lawn in the Hamptons', we are told. It is when this attraction and excitement becomes a stronger sort of desire that danger starts to loom on the horizon, and then one night, there is a conversation, nothing more, but Walter warns us that the 'wax seal of a secret letter has been broken. Nothing can make it whole again.'There are four main characters here though, and the fourth of them is the one who is telling this story. Walter Gervais grew up next door to Maddy and has always loved her; to Maddy they are the best of friends but nothing more. 'Every story has a narrator. Someone who writes it down after it's all over. Why am I the narrator of this story? I am because it is the story of my life - and of the people I love most. I have tried to be as scrupulous as possible in my telling of it. I wasn't a participant in everything that happened, but after I knew the ending, I had to fill in the missing pieces...'In Walter, a very memorable narrator has been created. He guides us through the story that he himself is so intricately involved in. For me, he made it a compelling read. Despite his words above though, I was reminded of the words of the novel's prologue, how we can be guilty of 'casting a roseate glow over our memories. Some memories burn brighter, whether because they meant more or because they have assumed greater importance in our minds...' and he goes on to advise that 'I have forgotten so much ...and to fill in the gaps, I conflate the past or make it up entirely...After a while it becomes real.'This distinctive, involved and biased omniscient narrator had my attention throughout, and had my belief despite my reasons to doubt his reliability sometimes. It's been mentioned that 'the narrator is akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby', and I feel this is a fair comparison in some ways. The author sets the scene, illustrating the established friendships and allowing the newcomer Claire to gradually become part of their lives. As the narrative progresses, the suspense increases and I began to feel an impending sense of the sadness that was surely to come as a result of what happens, but like a voyeur I couldn't look away; I was too engrossed by this tangle of lives which was becoming increasingly, inextricably messy. I formed pictures of the main four characters in my mind's eye from the rich way they were described; they became fully formed, human and deeply flawed. At times I found these creations attractive and enviable, but I also despaired of them and judged them harshly. Through them the writer cleverly spins an entrancing yet cautionary tale of the different ways in which humans love. It's an emotional read, with lives that are ostensibly full, with much wealth and successful careers, a feeling of looking in, via Walter, on how the other half lives (including him), yet in Walter's case there is such emotional emptiness. For Claire there is the eagerness of youth seeking out new experiences; the author really captures the urge to be part of something, and the sense that feelings and desire are everything, dominating the life and thoughts of someone at that stage of their life, with no responsibilities and only a short-term outlook. There is a marriage between two golden people, and a friendship and trust that seems so strong. Their marriage is at the heart of this tale throughout. There are passionate, sexy episodes that were convincing; human desire that rises above all sensible, rational reason. The novel speaks of the contentment that we think we have in life, or even actually have, and yet that element of human nature, the flaw that means we experience a nagging greed for something else that seems to be missing, that is different and appealing, and yet it often leaves us unhappy even if we reach for it, and we realise the true value and worth of what we already had; 'We want what we want. The bitter truth is that it rarely makes us happy once we get it.' I can't write about what happens here without including a spoiler, but you'll see, when you read. I read this story very quickly, gulping down the story and swiftly turning the pages. I had to know how it would all end. I was sad at how it all ended, in fact I felt quite drained after all the emotion. Part of me wonders at a different ending but perhaps what happened was what had to happen.I thought this was a brilliant, captivating and addictive debut novel, about beautiful people with seemingly perfect lives, and what results when an outsider breaks in on all this and exposes the weakness, changing it irrevocably. It made me think a lot about people and how they behave. It's about love and families, contentment versus temptation, friendship and unrequited love, wealth and envy, greed and lust, fate, guilt and tragedy. I enjoyed it very much indeed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    slow to start but FANTASTIC once the action gets going. I thought I saw the ending coming....then I didn't...then it was over and I was amazed. Great read, that makes you think.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
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