I had high hopes for this book, to the point that I dropped everything to read it. The premise was intriguing, and the beginning had me hooked. Alan Hollinghurst's writing has a great flow, making the characters and situations feel realistic and sound. The story itself set up many unanswered questions, so I plowed through the book in anticipation of an amazing plot twist or revelation. But none of these great things outweigh what I see as the book's biggest flaw: there doesn't seem to be a point. Many loose ends remain untied, leading the reader on an unfulfilled goose chase. And though well written, quite a few of the characters fail to add significance to the story; many characters could have been removed altogether. The length of the book could have been chopped in half, saving the reader wasted effort without compromising the plot.
Stars: 2.5/5
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy flowery writing and "soft" plots
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