An intriguing, unusual story, strangely told. I found myself continuously forgetting that the book was meant to be set in the present day. So much of it is written in the style of a turn-of-the-century ghost story; man with inherited wealth owns giant house in the country, belongs to an old-fashioned club called Grouchers, likes whisky and cigars after dinner etc. Occasional references to mobile phones almost jar in this strange, backward world inhabited by the characters.I find myself wondering whether this was intentional, or whether the author simply has a very skewed view of life in the UK in the 21st century. None of it seemed very believable - it felt like it was set in a strange, alternate universe at times. That said, the story had me intrigued right to the end, despite some hilariously bad writing in places (Torday seemed to struggle with the female narrative throughout).This was actually quite surprising. I would be more inclined to blame the editor, since on the whole the writing was pretty solid. It's like the odd duff sentence/paragraph slipped through the net. Overall not a bad effort - certainly worth a look. I went from thinking this was a ghost story, to one about mental health, but by the end decided its open to all sorts of conclusions. The fact that others could see Lamia was perplexing. The tension builds gradually and is sustained during the last part well. This was a pretty gripping read. It was a bit creepy reading last thing at night!While not my favourite of Torday's books (I love the inheritance of Wilberforce book) it was one I enjoyed. I did wonder at giving away so much of the Charlie Summer's story before the (subsequent?) book was published. It all seemed to be there, albeit in the form of a broad outline. I'd like to skim through a copy of Charlie Summers to look for details about Elizabeth's mother and to find out if Elizabeth and Michael are mentioned.
What do You think about La Ragazza Del Ritratto (2009)?
Kertojaratkaisu oli toimiva, mutta jotain jäi puuttumaan. Tunnelma ei imenyt mukaansa.
—Lemont
Second half can't be out down. Provides interesting insight to mental illness
—wbalbuena001
