Friday 15 November 2013

Autumn Regrets, John Atkinson Grimshaw
I've only got to look at a painting by Atkinson Grimshaw to start imagining a Victorian novel full of secrets ...



So there couldn't be a more enticing book jacket than this, Charles Palliser's first novel for a decade which sounds like it has all the ingredients. I remember being completely gripped by The Quincunx which I devoured in three days - all 1200 pages - simply by staying up all night. I had stamina in those days ...
However, I don't think I finished his next book The Unburied, doubtless because it simply couldn't live up to my exceedingly high expectations. It's still on the shelf, so maybe I'll try again.
But I think this new one might be my Christmas present to myself. Has anyone read it yet?

7 comments:

Lucille said...

I'm working my way through the books on my bookshelf. It's like having a bookshop on the premises, there are so many that I haven't the slightest recall of ever having read. Once finished, they go into the charity shop bag unless I want to pass them on, or, very rarely, keep for a third read.
Susan Hill did this didn't she in Howard's End is on the Landing?

mary said...

I felt to inspired by Susan Hill, Lucille! There's books that I read in my 20s and I know I loved them, but I can't recall anything else about them. It's a very slow way of clearing shelf space, though.

Mac n' Janet said...

Thank you for letting me know about Rustication, I loved Quincunx! Immediately ordered Rustication for my Kindle.

mary said...

That was quick, Janet! Hope you'll report back.

Cait O'Connor said...

No I haven't read this one but the cover looks very autumnal and enticing, thanks for posting. I am reading the Snow Child and can recommend that if you haven't read it yet.

Lucille said...

It is slow but this is my follow up cull after making a lot of much quicker and easier decisions to jettison books by the bagful. These are the ones that I kept putting back!

mary said...

The Snow Child gets so many good reviews, Cait. I"ve seen it in the library, and it's on my list!