Helpful Score: 1
I listened to Bohjalian's latest book. Sometimes this is a very good thing, and sometimes not so much. Th weight of the story, and your ability to believe it is influenced by the 'readers' of the book. This book was presented by four main characters. Two of the voices rang true with me, and two voices left much to be desired. The story is about domestic abuse which culminates in a murder/suicide. At least that's how it appears at first. The victim of the abuse is not one of the narrators, so you are left to wonder if she actually thought her husband was capable of killing her. But the question we are left to ponder is, 'did he kill himself, or was he murdered?' The last chapter of the book delivers the, to me, surprising answer.
Pat D. (pat0814) reviewed Secrets of Eden: A Novel (Random House Large Print) on + 379 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Once again Chris Bohjalian has written a novel that is difficult to put down. It is a multi-layered book about crises told from different perspectives, which enhances the knowledge we have of the characters. The plot involves a minister who has apparently lost his faith, a physically abusive husband and his wife and daughter, and a woman whose life is centered around angels after her parents died as the result of a murder/suicide. The suspense builds to a stunning conclusion and is told in Bohjalian's characteristic dead-on style.
