Book Review #55--Alys, Always
As anyone who has worked in the publishing business will tell you, no matter which branch, it is a cut-throat business. And no one knows this better than Frances Thorpe, an under-appreciated proof-reader at the English newspaper, Questioner. But everything changes when, by pure chance, Frances is the sole witness to a young woman's last words while driving home on an icy road one night. Much to Frances's surprise, this woman turns out to be the wife of the famed author, Laurence Kyte. And like any good reporter, this is an opportunity Frances simply can't pass up. Determined to get ahead in the literacy world, Frances goes to great lengths to use her new connection with the It-Man of modern literature as a foot hold. In Frances's world, any information is an advantage and fair game, including private information on family affairs. But where does one draw the line between "resourceful" and "abusive"? Where will Thorpe's game end?
I was absolutely amazed by the complexity of this novel, in addition to the fabulous writing skills demonstrated. Lane has such a beautiful flow to her writing, one both cunning and sleek. There is a quality to it distinctive of a newspaper article, which is befitting, considering the novel's subject matter. Arguably, there were too many characters introduced to explore them beyond their very shallow motives. I do acknowledge, however, that each of these characters were nessacary, even if they seem a bit flimsy. Aside from all that, the author's choice in portrayal of Frances was utterly fascinating. Where as most authors will do what it takes to make their character likable, we see very little of that in regards to our anti-protagonist. Frances never attempts to hide her true intentions from the reader. There are even moments when the best way to describe her is "monstrous". True enough, the plot is fairly straight forward, with only a few unpredictable instances. Even these though, were transitioned into smoothly. Overall, this book held my attention unwaveringly and I was always on edge, eager to discover what happened next.
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