This is the sequel to "Gentleman and Players" that I read over ten years ago. On occasions I had to refresh my memory of what happened there by dipping into that earlier novel. Very little time has passed since those events and memories are still quite raw. I wondered if certain characters from that first book would appear here. I was not disappointed. Again we have two alternate narrators as we dash between 1981 and 2005. The main character again is Roy Straitley is our venerable Latin master, but the other is a mysterious pupil who I got wrong at first. Not being a great fan of thrillers, I am always impressed by the prose of Joanne Harris and that keeps me interested.
"At St Oswalds, all of life can be found in microcosm. Tragedy and Comedy pursue each other down the halls, great friendships are forged and forgotten; impossible dreams pursued; tears shed. These may not be the happiest days of our lives, but they are surely the keenest; days when everything cuts like a knife; days when the future seems infinite." I'm sure we know what that means.
The construction of this book is a wonder Although the thrills are actually saved for the last third. The author writes so well about the male species and all their funny ways, both masters and boys.
The ending was not totally satisfactory, although the last few lines before the Epilogue are brilliant.
This is what I wrote about the earlier book:
"Gentlemen and Players" is a highly original novel by Joanne Harris. The setting of an old boy's grammar school and the eruption of a long harboured grudge appealed to me. What we have is a black comedy, told in alternate chapters by two highly engaging characters. Roy Straitley is nearing retirement, but his wit and experience are legendary. We are happy in his warm and funny company. The new teacher is Chris Keane, but he tells his story with growing malice. The other teachers and pupils are well described, but I could have done with a who's-who list beside me. As the story unfolds with twists and turns of the plot (both current and in the past), the story darkens to it's gripping climax. And I couldn't wait to see what happens at the end.
This was a recommendation from Greg James on the "Between the Covers" programme as a light Christmas read. I should have looked at my review of my only other book by this author "Something Fresh" where I said "I wont be reading any others". Although I did find the first half quite amusing. It was a shame that the story lost all momentum and became repetitively boring. Why do newts play such a big part?
One rainy day in The Trossachs. Six families in cabins close to each other and next to a loch. One rainy day. The story is told by twelve characters, each from one of the families. Well, lovebirds Josh and Milly are not really a family and David and Mary's are grown up. I loved the first twenty pages when forty-something Justine goes out running at the crack of dawn (maybe it stays light at this time of year in Scotland?).
The retired David sees her running before he and Mary take the ferry to their favourite cafe. Then Milly, Lola, Alex, Claire, Mary, Becky, Josh, Izzie, Steve and Jack, all sorts of ages. All written cleverly in the third person, but inside the heads of each character. One rainy day in The Trossachs. Some of the chapters are better than others, occasionally I was bored.
There is that underlying sense of dread as one of the cabins is inhabited by some Eastern Europeans. They have no respect. The ending (that wasn't) is disturbing and seemed thrown in for dramatic purposes. When nothing else happens. Well, it is just one rainy day in The Trossachs.
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