Definitely not an "airplane" read, but great if you're trying to posh up your reading habits. Similar to Virginia Woolfe's "Mrs. Dalloway" in the way the story focuses on a character's internal life - in this case, the very proper and reclusive English widow Dorothea May (who the author keeps even more remote by referring to her as "Mrs. May" throughout) and how she changes after a young visitor is foisted upon her for a spell. Thanks to Brookner's elegant writing, "Visitors" held my attention for the first half to 3/4 of the book. It's kind of like literary cod liver oil; while it might not go down as easily as junkfood (ahem, Dan Brown), it's actually good for you.

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