You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian.I read one of Ms. Rendell's earlier works a couple days before. It was called Master of the Moors. I liked her writing abilities but I did not like the story, unfortunately (yes, it was one of those books). However, I had several of her other books on my TBR list with more appealing summaries and so I gave her another shot.I'm so glad I did!Going Wrong is an anti-love story of obsessive, stalkery love. Think Romeo and Juliet or Wuthering Heights in real life. All that, "I will kill for you, or die for you!" business? Yeah, not so fun when it's your family and friends who are on the line.Guy and Leonora were childhood friends and sweethearts and both belonged to the same gang. Guy is a poor Irish guy, and Leonora comes from a wealthier family but was just acting out or whatever. Anyway, Guy is now 29 and Leonora is 26 and he is convinced that she is going to marry him now that he's gotten rich off drug-dealing and gang-banging and owns a series of successful businesses, including mass-produced paintings. But, horror of horrors, Leonora is seeing another man. Worse- they're engaged!One thing I really liked about this book was how well Rendell portrayed the rationalizing of an obsessive mind. The scary thing about Guy is that a lot of the times it's hard to put your finger on how, exactly, he's crazy. We know he's obsessed- particularly when he starts putting "hits" on various friends and family members, stalks the shit out of her, and has a SWORD DUEL TO THE DEATH with her fiance, but a lot of the time he makes an eerie amount of sense.I also liked how Leonora's behavior was also addressed. She did some very cruel things too, and in some ways she was also in the wrong (although not quite as bad as Guy). My favorite character in this book was probably Celeste. She is the woman Guy is sleeping with, and an interracial model. She is beautiful and charming and sweet, and has a similar background to Guy. She's also prettier than Leonora- Guy himself admits this several times- so why is he so stuck on her?This is a question you will ask yourself again and again.I love stories like this. They really go against the grain of all the other pro-stalking romance novels out there. Plus, who doesn't love a good bit of psychological suspense?I know I do!4.5 to 5 stars!
I think I just need to accept the fact that while I LOVED House of Stairs, Tree of Hands, and The Crocodile Bird, the other dozen or so books I've read by Rendell are just fair to good. Or maybe the first three I read just set too high a bar and all the others have disappointingly not reached their level.Anyway, this one was okay, but confusing because I couldn't tell if Guy was delusional/misreading everything or if Leonora really was sending mixed signals. Neither character was particularly likable or compelling either so I wasn't really drawn in and didn't really care what happened to either of them. I guess the characters weren't very well developed or I just didn't connect with them, but they felt flat and fake and the relationship was weird and didn't ring true.Not very memorable but not a TOTAL waste of time. Meh.
What do You think about Going Wrong (1991)?
Years ago my mother gave me this book after she read it, I presume because she thought I'd like it. I can't imagine why she would have thought such a thing. The main character, Guy Curran is an obsessed paranoid delusional madman. The entire book is a repetitive description of his delusional obsession. I nearly became mad myself! Once again, I didn't find any of the characters to be likable. This is my first Ruth Randall book. I have another on my shelf, also passed on to me by my mother. I hope it's better. If not, I may be done with Ruth Rendall.
—Sara
Ruth went wrong with this one. Generally enjoy her mysteries - but this was billed as "a novel of suspense." It was not suspensful. Story of the rather pathetic Guy, who winds up hiring a hit man of accidentally kills the wrong person. Waste of time.
—Sarah
For some reason, I've always tended to avoid British authors. I guess I like to stay in familiar territory, whether in real life or within the pages of a novel. But having heard great things about Rendell/Vine from a friend of mine (thanks Barbara :) I finally gave her a shot. I must confess that I almost put the book down a couple of times for future reading, but then I found myself enjoying it and decided to stick with it. It turned out to be really good!Told in 3rd-person, Rendell brilliantly gets inside the mind of Guy as he obsesses daily over his unattainable love interest, Leonora. Guy and Leonora met as teenagers and dated throughout their younger years. At some point, she moves on, but he never does. Now in their late 20's, Guy is convinced that Leonora will come around, if only he can figure out who among her inner circle turned her against him. She tries over and over to tell him that it's not going to happen, while at the same time accepting his daily phone calls and a standing lunch "date" with him every Saturday. Guy lives in his own fantasy world and is determined that nothing will stand in their way towards eventual togetherness and bliss, especially when he learns she has taken up with a new guy.I would call this novel more of a "psychological observance" than a thriller, though it is definitely suspenseful as you wonder when and if things are going to spiral out of control. It's also kind of humorous in parts. Guy is rich and is a snob about certain things, and he's always trying to lower himself to Leonora's level in order to get in her good favor. You will alternately pity him, understand him, and be annoyed by him. Well worth the read!! :)
—Kelly
