Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Review The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

In this book Enright takes us firmly into the heart (and possibly the soul?) of a love affair, into the depths of the marriages and families of the two lovers, and into the economic fervour of the setting. She writes with wit, passion and an urgency that makes this book a page-turner for about 2/3rds of its 230 pages.

The narrator is centre stage in the story, her emotions, highs, lows, and their compelling complexity are in charge … we read it all from her perspective, and mostly she feels reliable. The discovery by ‘others’ of the affair turns the story, not unexpectedly, but not as much as one might think.

Thereafter I found the change of pace rather slow, it was almost as if this turned into a different book, as if we were at the beginning of something else rather than sliding towards an ending.


That said, I read on, enjoying the way Enright provides solutions to the key matter of the book, to the significance of the child who saw them kissing. This is a good read, it captures turmoil and tenderness, sexual passions and family powers in a compelling way.   

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