Confidence

We all enjoyed Confidence by Ben Richards and found it very readable but we could see faults.

The book was very thought provoking and had a strong theme - what is right and what is wrong, what about all these grey areas... We were not all entirely convinced by the character of Evan but found him attractive and could see why Kerenza was drawn to him. We liked the twist with the ring.

Vanessa described the end of the book as all being tied up with a pretty bow and we agreed. A house, an audition, a new man asking Kerena for a drink! Some of us didn't like the Gay Bergerac screenplay extracts but I liked those a lot myself. I didn't like the letters and diary extract in the Grace sections - I didn't think the diary was very convincing or well written. We were not sure about the whole Grace friendship, it was more about getting in another part of the plot, but we were very moved by her friend Anna's illness and their relationship.

To sum up, this from an email Julian sent me:

"I think "Confidence" is one of our most perplexing books - I was
alternately moved and rather infuriated. Some of the dialogue was very
clunky - the whole thing rather overstretched beyond what it could
contain. Some of the writing at times reminiscent of the worst kind of
woman's magazine ie all that crass irritating stuff about collared
doves cooing in the background - also the falconry episodes.

Having said that the moral choice aspect was strangely compelling - how
none of us are blameless etc. ie there were some really good themes in
there. Also Evan although perhaps a little clumsily portrayed was also
interesting - I was drawn to his nihilism - perhaps that's just me."

Some more thoughts

Have recently read The Night Watch by Sarah Waters, Metroland by Julian Barnes and A Voice through a Cloud by Denton Welch. All in their own way had something to offer. Now nearing the end of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Am coming to the conclusion that the most peculiarly affecting moments in novels tend to come either at the very beginning or the very end. Endings and beginnings are among the most challenging moments for writers. Taking you into their world and ultimately releasing you at the end offer the best opportunities for working on your feelings. Perhaps it is something deep down in all of us which relates to beginning a journey and reaching the end of it. Its like the end of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde - where the singer gently repeats the word "Ewig" again and again as the voice almost disappears into the orchestral texture around it. Such moments occur also in the best writing - so that the effect lingers still after closing the book