Synopsis: It is in 1950’s Brighton that Marion first catches sight of Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier and Marion is smitten – determined her love will be enough for them both. A few years later in Brighton Museum Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world. Tom is a policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.
*Spoiler Alert Ahead*
I decided to do a different form of review for this book. Normally I talk about a theme or motif that a book contains and the larger questions or implications it raises. However, for reasons I will elaborate later, I don’t feel that that form of review is necessary for this book. Instead, I will do a good “old-fashion” review on my opinions and thoughts about the story of Marion, Patrick, and Tom.
Roberts decides to break the book into sections, alternating between the perspective of Marion and Patrick. She details the trials and tribulations each of them faces in loving Tom. This was an awesome idea. However, she never gives the perspective of Tom. Honestly, this was quite bothersome. She paints Tom as a mysterious character in which both Marion and Patrick can only guess his thoughts. Quite candidly, I believe that last chapter should have been the perspective of Tom as to provide the reader with more of a conclusion and some illumination.
Additionally, the reader finds, through the perspective of Marion, that Patrick has suffered a stroke. But the cause of the stroke or the decision to have Patrick moved into Marion and Tom’s home is never mentioned. While I do find this minor, as compared to never learning Tom’s perspective, my curiosity often got the better of me as a reader. Thus, I was unable to focus on the events unfolding. I do have to mention, as Robert’s sets the novel in 1950’s Brighton that she perfectly captured the subtleties of internalized homophobia and societal homophobia. This can be demonstrated in Patrick constantly judging and comparing those who wish to outwardly display their gender and sexual non-conformity with his own conformity. Furthermore, there are often lines by random characters expressing their distain for the “invert” lifestyle. 1
Overall, there was little problem with the plot, although, it was not quite as gripping as one would hope. The book is primarily focused on Marion and Patrick competing for Patrick’s love and attention. But there were no events that kept me turning the page. Instead, I was able to put the book down for about a week with only two chapters left and no desire to pick it back up. Rather, it was the sheer fact that I wanted to finish the book so that I could move on to another that made me finish. There was an interesting plot-twist (if one could even call it that) when Patrick is arrested for “invert” acts with a man that he had never slept with. But the plot twist was far from gripping or compelling. I simply raised my eyebrows and continued to read.
While I could talk about the underlying motif of forbidden love, angst, or heartbreak, I don’t think this book warrants such. Quite simply, it was an easy read to break up the mundanities of life. The practical plot has no real consequences. It would be interesting with regards to those (for whatever reason) choose to marry and continue the societal accepted lifestyle rather than live and love those whom they truly do. Such a lifestyle is still prominent today. But to explore these would be to give the book more credit than it is due. If you are looking for a book that is an easy read or that you wish to see the film (when it is released) then I recommend the book. If you are looking for the strain of secret love then I think there are better books. In other words, the book was eh.
If you like this form of review better than the ones that I have been posting, be sure to leave a comment and let me know!
— Yours Truly
Michael A. Westbrook
Footnotes:
- I use the term invert because that was the term used in the book. I would by no means use that term because I think it is degrading to those of the LGBTQIA + community as well as the scientific fact that if one is born that way one cannot be inverted as understood in science.
Ivory Tower 