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A review by zefrog
A Sweet Obscurity by Patrick Gale
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Ostensibly, A Sweet Obscurity is a love story, or perhaps more precisely, a story about love; the love its characters fall in and out of for each other. But the way the narrative suddenly seem to soar when it finally arrives there, after a rather ponderous and sterile first quarter, tells me that the book a really a love letter from Gale to Cornwall. It is where he lives and he clearly relishes writing about it.
I almost gave up on the book, which feels barren and lacking a sense of direction during those first 150 pages or so. Even if the plot then suddenly becomes almost too obvious, it, at least, provides the reader's interest with something to hold on to.
Although progress proved slow, the book is easy enough to read with its structure of short chapters (59 of them in total) presenting the opposing points of views of the handful of protagonists, none of whom are that lovable, unfortunately. Of the secondary character, Dido in particular, caused my disbelief some troubles. She feels a good five years older than the nine to ten year old she is supposed to be.
Trying too hard is possibly Gale's main problem here. The coincidences are much too neat and unrealistic, and he takes a lot of trouble in his attempt to give each of his characters "interesting" and, too often, troubled back stories, as if he were worried of boring the reader with too much "normality".
Along the way he raises dark and difficult themes (appearance-altering disease, child abuse, paedophilia, bereavement, abandonment), that he never really explores, and that are not only extraneous to the needs of the plot, but clutter it with distracting and unfulfilled narrative possibilities.
In characteristic Gale fashion, the book doesn't reach what could be called a conclusion. The story stops at crossroad but could just as well have carried on, though it feels already long enough as it is.
I didn't dislike the book (I particularly liked the subplot around the madrigal, and would have liked more to be made of it, although I was rather infuriated by how Gale brought it to a close) but the author's intentions passed me by and I wasn't invested in the characters enough to truly enjoy following them in their trials.
PS: Despite what could be expected from this particular author, and a few hints, this is not what could be considered a "gay-interest" book.
I almost gave up on the book, which feels barren and lacking a sense of direction during those first 150 pages or so. Even if the plot then suddenly becomes almost too obvious, it, at least, provides the reader's interest with something to hold on to.
Although progress proved slow, the book is easy enough to read with its structure of short chapters (59 of them in total) presenting the opposing points of views of the handful of protagonists, none of whom are that lovable, unfortunately. Of the secondary character, Dido in particular, caused my disbelief some troubles. She feels a good five years older than the nine to ten year old she is supposed to be.
Trying too hard is possibly Gale's main problem here. The coincidences are much too neat and unrealistic, and he takes a lot of trouble in his attempt to give each of his characters "interesting" and, too often, troubled back stories, as if he were worried of boring the reader with too much "normality".
Along the way he raises dark and difficult themes (appearance-altering disease, child abuse, paedophilia, bereavement, abandonment), that he never really explores, and that are not only extraneous to the needs of the plot, but clutter it with distracting and unfulfilled narrative possibilities.
In characteristic Gale fashion, the book doesn't reach what could be called a conclusion. The story stops at crossroad but could just as well have carried on, though it feels already long enough as it is.
I didn't dislike the book (I particularly liked the subplot around the madrigal, and would have liked more to be made of it, although I was rather infuriated by how Gale brought it to a close) but the author's intentions passed me by and I wasn't invested in the characters enough to truly enjoy following them in their trials.
PS: Despite what could be expected from this particular author, and a few hints, this is not what could be considered a "gay-interest" book.