Stephanie Jane recenzis Disbanded kingdom de Polis Loizou
An excellent London novel
5 steloj
I always love when a book about which I knew almost nothing turns out to be a gem and that is absolutely the case here. Disbanded Kingdom is even a debut novel as well - although its author has experience as a playwright which I believe stood him in good stead for the creation of convincing, snappy dialogue between his cast of Londoners.
On the face of it, Oscar is the sort of character I would usually be irritated by. He is passive, sometimes to the point of inertia yet, instead of muttering at him in exasperation (yes, I do know that fictional characters can't hear me!), I found I could easily empathise with him and enjoyed spending time in his company. I felt he was surprisingly immature for his age, but this is understandable in the context of the novel and Oscar's relationship with his foster-mother, Charlotte, is beautifully …
I always love when a book about which I knew almost nothing turns out to be a gem and that is absolutely the case here. Disbanded Kingdom is even a debut novel as well - although its author has experience as a playwright which I believe stood him in good stead for the creation of convincing, snappy dialogue between his cast of Londoners.
On the face of it, Oscar is the sort of character I would usually be irritated by. He is passive, sometimes to the point of inertia yet, instead of muttering at him in exasperation (yes, I do know that fictional characters can't hear me!), I found I could easily empathise with him and enjoyed spending time in his company. I felt he was surprisingly immature for his age, but this is understandable in the context of the novel and Oscar's relationship with his foster-mother, Charlotte, is beautifully portrayed. His family and friends are equally entertaining and I love Loizou's eye for detail, both in people and places. I recognised the quirks of various London districts even though I don't get to visit as much as I would like.
Disbanded Kingdom is what I would describe as a Slice of Life novel. I think it also has coming-of-age aspects. For me, while I did like discovering Oscar's story and the potential for a relationship with Tim, the real delight was the London life swirling around them. People discuss arts, literature and politics in a genuine way and I particularly loved the variety of attitudes and personalities portrayed. I would happily read more of Loizou's writing and, if the opportunity arose, go to see his theatre work too! An excellent London novel.