Wednesday 10 April 2013

The Memory Cage

Only a very small group this month, so not a very broad spectrum of opinion to represent.

Overall the book was considered an average read, which contradicts every review currently on amazon. Cynical bunch or what?

The story was felt to be too obviously constructed, and the narrative implausible and unconvincing. There were groans about a 'Hollywood Ending'.

Given the big themes of adoption, ageing, war, and the impact of the past on the present, we might have expected a meatier read. But in this case the author's light touch makes the themes accessible to a younger audience. The principle relationship between the grandfather and Alex is very worthwhile, but we felt the cast of characters around them were generally painted too lightly.