Mary Cavanagh (1)Recensioni

Cleverly written, this book starts with a murder and then takes us back into the past lives of the main characters. Very thought-provoking. An impressive debut novel.

What an amazing book. Four people react very differently to the death of Marina Proudfood; we also learn about her own past through some letters she wrote, and build up a good picture of her priest and lover, Father Ewan. Very well written, and although I found the ending a bit frustrating, on further thought I'm not sure how else it could have been done. Four and a half stars, really - my only quibble is with the amount of bad language, which seems a bit excessive in places.

I really wanted to like this book, but...
On the positive side, it's very readable and accessible; the plot zips along and the dual timescale is well managed. Characters are clearly defined and distinctive and the beginning and end neatly tie up all of the ends of the plot.
On the negative side
While the characters are clearly defined, they are simplistic and unnuanced. There are the impossibly good and the implausibly evil, mixed up with a stock Jewish family and simple rustics (with accents to match). And Joe, the hero, is a Barbara Trapido character without the wit and bravura.
A lot of the dialogue is lifeless and clunking and impossible to read out with a straight face.
The plot is pretty predictable and the surprises are heavily signposted.

It's really difficult to write domestic middle class drama, because it's been done so often, and so well. This one slips down easily enough, but doesn't leave much of a taste...

The term that kept percolating in my mind as I read this novel was "Victorian Modern." There are elements of phrasing and vocabulary that suggest butlers, drawing rooms, and curtsies. Yet, the novel opens in "The Present" on a Thursday in June of 2006 with the act of Dr. Joe Fortune administering a fatal dose of some poison to his father-in-law as he sleeps, and ends on the following Tuesday. The "Present" story, told in first person, is interwoven with "The Past" story, told in third person, that spans several decades and describes the the lives and the love story of Joe Fortune and Anna Moore. The constantly shifting terrain of the narrative sometimes feels like a tennis match as the reader bounces between past and present, between first and third persons, and between Joe and Anna. It's a technique that certainly should keep readers attentive.

Ultimately, I found Joe's story both gritty and realistic. Some of his observations on family and society are quite humorous. However, I found Anna's story less believable. The revelations of her tortured childhood and the details of her earlier marriage to Oliver Frockton toward the end of the book seem inconsistent with her almost saintly behavior as a mature woman. I also found the perfection of Joe's adult son, Daniel, from an earlier violent, unloving marriage unbelievable as well. It was almost as if Anna and Daniel were created more to fulfill the author's wish to have them come through such wrenching circumstances undamaged than to create real people whose personalities and souls should have left them less than angelic.

That said, I did enjoy the book. There are scenes from this story I will not forget. It's not a book for everyone but if you're looking for something off the beaten path then give "The Crowded Bed" a chance.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous page-turner! Need more books by this author!, 13 Sep 2008
By Molyneux (Oxfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews
Father Ewan McEwan - catholic priest, but a `man like any other' - this is his story, and as it gradually unfolds we discover the man developing from a 5 year old boy to the present man who is trying to come to terms with the death of Marina with whom he has has a long passionate love affair.

It is also the story of Marina, whose life has had overriding influences over the people and the events which take place. Her story too is revealed to the reader through her written confession `The Tales from the Purple Handbag' Marina, Lady Proudfoot is on the surface a perfect angel - but as her story is told we discover she was anything but the lady she appears to be with some shocking revelations. Each character has in some way had their lives affected by Marina. This is a story about relationships and secret lives.

Tim is grieving for his adored mother, he is delicate and breaks down in what I can only describe as Ophelia-like. He cannot live without his mother, and needs the support of the other love of his life, the selfish Roger who continuously lets him down.

Roger is an absolute cad - I took an instant dislike to this character! - selfish and behaving without any care for others around him. He has had 2 true loves in his life - his wife Sarah and a lifelong love for Tim for whom he leaves Sarah on the death of Marina. Those around him see him as charming - only the reader sees him for what he truly is.

The tale is told skilfully, interweaving the lives of the characters and their relationships, the drama gradually builds to a crescendo, never faltering, a fantastic page turner and thankfully with a very satisfying end! I have just finished the book but I know these characters will remain with me for some time yet - and I have the urge to pick up the book and go back to the beginning to read it all again. A fabulous must-read, this book will remain on my permanent bookshelf although I'll be buying more copies for friends!

The story focuses on Father Ewan McEwan, a somewhat unconventional and at times controversial priest who specializes in grief counseling. Little does he know how much he will need his counseling skills when Marina, his secret lover of 25 years, succumbs to cancer. Marina's death sets into motion a series of events that will forever change the lives not only of Father McEwan but an entire circle of people surrounding him. It forces each of them to come to terms with who they truly are as well as who and how they love.
Some may find this book a little uncomfortable. But isn't it in those uncomfortable moments when we must wrestle with ourselves? Good literature makes us think, and rethink, about who we are and what we believe via a fascinating story you cannot put down. (Trust me - once you start, you will not want to put this book down!)
I highly recommend this book and encourage you to order it or ask your library to order it.

A jewish GP has long nurtured a desire to kill his father in law.

signed copy½