Very big apologies to author Mary Cavanagh. I thought I'd published this review of her The Crowded Bed ages ago. I knew I'd written it up, but it turns out I'd saved it in draft mode then neglected to actually publish it to the blog.
I think this must be the first time I've been quite this addled about a book review, at least as far as I know, so a quick run back through my published posts will be very high on my agenda of things to do PRONTO.
Here is my very belated review, with my sincerest apologies:
The Crowded Bed surprised me. It wasn't that I hadn't expected it to be a great read, because I'd peeked at enough other reviews by people I respect to know this was very much worth the time.
What I didn't expect was how complexly woven the writing actually was. I'm not one to throw out a lot of comparisons between modern writers and standards in the western canon, because that one thing can make me very wary of reviewers, but there were times I was reading this novel I thought the prose was so inwardly complex I thought of Woolf's novels. I know, that's a pretty high claim, but if it hadn't happened I wouldn't be claiming it. There were times I got so caught up in the prose style of The Crowded Bed, a style bordering on stream of consciousness, I forgot where I was or which author I was reading. I only knew that it was very, very good.
The plot of the book is shocking, in that way books written by people with anger verging on psychosis can be. In this case there's no doubt the anger is entirely justified. There is such a thing as unpardonable offenses. It's just the fact the resolution to the situation involves a threatened murder that gives pause.
Joe Fortune, the main male character in the book, has been in love with Anna for nearly his entire life. She is his idea of perfection, his soulmate, and he in turn is all of that to her, as well. However, Anna's controlling, manipulative father, Gordon, despises Joe, largely because he is Jewish and not good enough for his daughter. Never mind the pain this causes her. Gordon couldn't have cared less about that. There was almost nothing so low he wouldn't stoop to it in order to keep Joe away from Anna. Joe, in turn, nurses such a deep hatred toward Gordon he imagines he could murder him. Beneath it all there's even more betrayal than Joe could have imagined, and ultimately the question becomes not "how could he consider murder," but "how could he not."
Where it all leads I won't tell you. It's not a simple story, and doesn't have a simple resolution. The Crowded Bed is deeply psychological, and often quite dark. At times the prose verges on obscure, but it does so with a point. The mind is not simple territory, especially when such strong passions are at stake. Mary Cavanagh does a superb job venturing into the heart of all this turmoil, and she handles it all with an assured hand. This is a thoroughly impressive debut.
The Crowded Bed by Mary Cavanagh
ISBN: 978-1905175314
Published: January 2007
Mary, you're such an angel! You're so welcome, and I'm glad you're pleased. I did feel very badly but thankfully now it's resolved.
And I'm another who can't wait for book #2!
Posted by: Bluestalking Reader | March 30, 2007 at 05:10 PM
Yippeeeeee so glad to read this review Lisa. You all know by now that I read this in manuscript form actually on the very first day of the dreaded illness last year and despite being in excruciating agony from my arm I managed to turn one A4 sheet at a time all through the day because I just couldn't stop reading!This book shouldn't disappear without trace and so far we're all doing a good honest job of helping it along.Looking forward to the next one too Mary and if this is the one I've already read half of then please hurry up:-)
Posted by: dovegreyreader | March 30, 2007 at 01:47 PM
I have thanked Lisa off-line, but I would just like to say what a privilege it is to receive such a fantastic review. A huge thank you for such a careful, detailed and thoughtful write-up that makes me (a first time novelist)feel like a 'real' writer.
I'm hoping that TCB will be available to purchase easily State-side soon, but currently the most reasonable mail ordering site to buy in the UK is www.bookdepository.co.uk. £5.89 plus FREE delivery anywhere worldwide.
Just hope one day that you will be reading my second novel that is fully completed . . .
Posted by: Mary Cavanagh | March 30, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Sounds as if David Baddiel missed out, then! (Did you see Dovegreyreader's post about that?)
Posted by: Maxine | March 30, 2007 at 11:08 AM
Jenclair, this one will probably have to be ordered from the U.K. but it's very much worth it.
I still have Flannery beside my bed, the letters and a bio. I haven't dipped in for a while and I miss her. She has the most wonderful voice, doesn't she? I very much want to get to her home at some point. It looks wonderfully atmospheric. But when, is the question...
Posted by: Bluestalking Reader | March 30, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Elaine, I'm also looking forward to her next offering. Entirely agreed on the POV issue, too. It's not always seamless when an author takes on the persona of the opposite sex. It can ring false, but not in this case.
Posted by: Bluestalking Reader | March 30, 2007 at 09:29 AM
Great review, Lisa. I'm adding this one to my list!
I'm still poking through The Habit of Being, a little at a time, and getting such a kick out of Flannery's comments. Such a confined world to be so full.
Posted by: jenclair | March 30, 2007 at 07:33 AM
I, too, thought this was an excellent book. The opening lines certainly grab the reader's attention and I found I was totally involved with Joe immediately. Always the sign of a good book when you can engage with the main protagonist. Also, being told from a man's point of view was a very interesting thing to do, another reason for finding this story intriguing. I look forward to Mary's next book which I hope will not be too long.
Posted by: Elaine Simpson-Long | March 30, 2007 at 03:37 AM