I have been rereading old favourites during the lockdown. This is one I have read a couple of times in the distant past. (Maybe 25 years ago for the last reread) I liked it a lot then. It has remained on my ‘old favourites book shelf’.
But oh dear!!!! What was I thinking. While the story is good ( man unhappy in love takes a job on a remote Greek island. He encounters a rich man living an isolated life in a villa at the far end of the island, and becomes embroiled in a strange world where reality, the past and the unreal become entangled in his mind).. the story itself is excellently told but Nicholas, the protagonist is hateful!!!

So the good bits are that it is excellent, really very excellent story telling (if in need of serious editing, in my opinion, at the beginning and end...obsessive navel gazing that seemed more an outpouring of self indulgence by the author than necessary for the story) ....still trying to be positive ...so the writing is largely really captivating in many places. If reading it for the first time, the mystery surrounding the Conchis storyline is really interesting, engrossing g and exciting...I felt I was on a hot and beautiful Greek island. Even tho it was driving me a bit crazy this past week, I still read it to the bitter end.

BUT!

I don’t know if it is just dated regarding the overwhelming attitude to women and race or I just didn’t notice before...both probably. It is hugely misogynistic, patronising and dismissive of women. I understand that this is Nicholas Urfes story and about his views... but actually I think it is often more than that. I feel it is the authors too. It would be ok if Nicholas grew in the course of the story.. this is something that is supposed to be being described...but he remains a total ***** to the very end.. thinking that slapping girls he professes to love is acceptable behaviour. There is a near rape scene in a hotel room...which is described without a blink of a contemplative eye.... And women are continuously described totally on looks and age (quote ‘ tanned skin,clear blue eyes and a body that had not conspicuously run to seed made her forgivable’!!!!! What!). At parties, apparently, all the ugly girls turn up first so it is best to wait and turn up later if you want to meet pretty girls!
And all these things are told with the expectation that Nicholas will realise later he has been thoughtless in these views...but no!

And racist!!! A very nasty thread of that!

I continually wondered what Nicholas could possibly have had going for him that he would have had ANY success with women. He actually needed to grow up..and step down off his egotistical, over self-indulgent pedestal...and much as the book tries to show that he does...he totally does not.

I won’t spoil the end...but wow! My husband had to keep looking over at me as I growled and sighed and fought my way through that!
It is such a shame because the writing and story telling are so good for a good part of the book...but the book is ultimately flawed...I don’t know whether to say it is a book to be enjoyed while you are young ...but if you did enjoy it, maybe give it another read later and spot the differences in your opinion of it.
arrrgghhhhh this book has diminished to a nasty blot on my reading landscape.