Sasha Thain

I thought this was 700 pages of self indulgent sh*te. Miraculous I made it to the end but part of that was the amusement I gained at each implausible twist. To write a book so long and patient in its build up, but that is so light on detail is frankly ridiculous. It feels like a check list of subjects that should be written about more to explore our understanding. But they are written about so superficially that they do not progress anywhere. For all of the relevance of Jude's ill health throughout the book, would it have taken much to provide some clarity on what exactly his medical problem is? He is treated all his adult life by an orthopaedic surgeon who also happens to be more than capable managing his malnutrition? We are also expected to endure the relentless success of every single character, each of them moving serenely from one beautiful custom built studio to to the next across the globe with very little evidence that they possess underlying talent. They parade from so many extravagant settings I began to find the whole experience obnoxious. At one point, the central character is unwilling to host or be hosted for thanks giving by his parents, so he settles for the logical solution - nip over to London for the weekend! I was recommended this by a friend and I now seriously question their taste in literature!