Helpful Score: 2
1970's England. Fancy jaguars parked in the garages of upperclass suburban homes. Mothers in dainty white gloves wiping the sugar off their children's mouths. Fathers returning on the weekends with their briefcases in one hand, while expecting a shot of scotch from the bottle in the cabinet, in the other. This is the scene in which the primary portion of Perfect is set.
Upon witnessing a terrible lapse of time and in awareness, Byron Hemmings is caught in between the worlds of childhood and adulthood, as he is reluctantly forced to make a choice: reveal this secret about his precious, faultless mother, Diana, or keep quiet in his own mind forever. When his genius friend, James, excitedly concocts a plan to fix this intangible error, Operation Perfect is born; as the judgment of two adolescent boys goes, the procedure will either go according to plan, just as imagined in their hands... or it will end it utter disaster.
Byron's balmy, yet increasingly paranoiac summer days, are interspersed with Jim's portion of the story, set in a bitter present-day winter. Jim is a middle-aged obsessive-compulsive, who lives in a van, who works as a busboy, and whose condition worsens when reminiscing about his past and his haunting experience at Besley Hill, the sanitarium he was shoved into as a teenager.
The two seemingly unrelated narratives catch up to each other in a collision of time; they swerve together and explode into one another in a fateful, alarming twist that will leave readers breathless. For the majority of the novel, however, the prose ishowever flowery and fancifullanguidly, almost sluggishly, set. I found Joyce's writing enjoyable, but very thick and puzzling, especially in the first half. Almost Ian McEwan-esque, her prose isn't particularly difficult to get through, but at times it was just thoroughly boring, which is why it took me a while to finish.
In characterization, in plot, and in tone, however, Perfect is a masterpiece. Each of the characters, even the ones that only make small appearances, are so vivid and intimately portrayed. Readers will cherish the characters they are meant to like, and loathe the ones they are meant to dislike. The eerily calm but inherently alarming mood sets up a domestically freakish story; while plain and placid in technique and style, the undertones of Perfect not only illuminate upon values of mistakes, redemption, and the human condition, but also bewilder, perplex. This is definitely a book that makes you think hard.
Pros: Substantial, exquisite writing // Contains one of the most elegantly executed, shocking plot twists ever // Deeply meaningful // The way Byron's mind runs in fascinating // All the characters are fabulously depicted; I fell in love with the protagonists and hated the antagonists deeply
Cons: Very confusing at first // Moves extremely slowly, even in the end // I liked the prose but it was a little sludgy
Verdict: The injustices of adulthood and the restrictive bindings of upperclass society are brought to light in Rachel Joyce's newest British novel. Byron Hemmings's brilliantly fleshed, intimately portrayed character will make you think twice about the role of children, the responsibility ofor vindication fromaccidents, and the faults of trustthe faults of humanity. One young boy's naïveté and misplaced guilt, as well as his mother's faultless crime, ignite this slow deterioration of an outwardly immaculate, perfect household. With grand allusions to the philosophy of time and the significance of deep thinking, Perfect questions the disastrous consequences of our every choice.
Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read that will be worth your while; highly recommended.
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Random House and TLC!).
Upon witnessing a terrible lapse of time and in awareness, Byron Hemmings is caught in between the worlds of childhood and adulthood, as he is reluctantly forced to make a choice: reveal this secret about his precious, faultless mother, Diana, or keep quiet in his own mind forever. When his genius friend, James, excitedly concocts a plan to fix this intangible error, Operation Perfect is born; as the judgment of two adolescent boys goes, the procedure will either go according to plan, just as imagined in their hands... or it will end it utter disaster.
Byron's balmy, yet increasingly paranoiac summer days, are interspersed with Jim's portion of the story, set in a bitter present-day winter. Jim is a middle-aged obsessive-compulsive, who lives in a van, who works as a busboy, and whose condition worsens when reminiscing about his past and his haunting experience at Besley Hill, the sanitarium he was shoved into as a teenager.
The two seemingly unrelated narratives catch up to each other in a collision of time; they swerve together and explode into one another in a fateful, alarming twist that will leave readers breathless. For the majority of the novel, however, the prose ishowever flowery and fancifullanguidly, almost sluggishly, set. I found Joyce's writing enjoyable, but very thick and puzzling, especially in the first half. Almost Ian McEwan-esque, her prose isn't particularly difficult to get through, but at times it was just thoroughly boring, which is why it took me a while to finish.
In characterization, in plot, and in tone, however, Perfect is a masterpiece. Each of the characters, even the ones that only make small appearances, are so vivid and intimately portrayed. Readers will cherish the characters they are meant to like, and loathe the ones they are meant to dislike. The eerily calm but inherently alarming mood sets up a domestically freakish story; while plain and placid in technique and style, the undertones of Perfect not only illuminate upon values of mistakes, redemption, and the human condition, but also bewilder, perplex. This is definitely a book that makes you think hard.
Pros: Substantial, exquisite writing // Contains one of the most elegantly executed, shocking plot twists ever // Deeply meaningful // The way Byron's mind runs in fascinating // All the characters are fabulously depicted; I fell in love with the protagonists and hated the antagonists deeply
Cons: Very confusing at first // Moves extremely slowly, even in the end // I liked the prose but it was a little sludgy
Verdict: The injustices of adulthood and the restrictive bindings of upperclass society are brought to light in Rachel Joyce's newest British novel. Byron Hemmings's brilliantly fleshed, intimately portrayed character will make you think twice about the role of children, the responsibility ofor vindication fromaccidents, and the faults of trustthe faults of humanity. One young boy's naïveté and misplaced guilt, as well as his mother's faultless crime, ignite this slow deterioration of an outwardly immaculate, perfect household. With grand allusions to the philosophy of time and the significance of deep thinking, Perfect questions the disastrous consequences of our every choice.
Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read that will be worth your while; highly recommended.
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Random House and TLC!).
A very different story! Quite strange at times, but the writing is excellent and the characters believable. D.
So many times I love a book but don't like the ending. This book is just the opposite.
The story is interesting but very depressing. There are two stories running side by side forty some years apart. The story told by the 13 year old boy was extremely depressing and sometimes I wondered if things were as bad as he said or if it was just in his mind. The mom of the 13 year old boy seemed to be clueless about life around her which seemed a bit off since it is hinted that she was not this way when she was a younger gal. Perhaps there was some mental illness there but that was never brought up in the story. The other story is told by a man in his fifties who has struggled with life pretty much his whole adult life.
So, a depressing story with a superb ending. The VERY end talks about hope and that however slight it may be at least it is there for a moment. The ending pushed the star rating up a bit for me.
The story is interesting but very depressing. There are two stories running side by side forty some years apart. The story told by the 13 year old boy was extremely depressing and sometimes I wondered if things were as bad as he said or if it was just in his mind. The mom of the 13 year old boy seemed to be clueless about life around her which seemed a bit off since it is hinted that she was not this way when she was a younger gal. Perhaps there was some mental illness there but that was never brought up in the story. The other story is told by a man in his fifties who has struggled with life pretty much his whole adult life.
So, a depressing story with a superb ending. The VERY end talks about hope and that however slight it may be at least it is there for a moment. The ending pushed the star rating up a bit for me.
Told in chapters alternating between Jim in the present and James Lowe and the Hemmings family in 1972, Perfect has an intriguing premise when two seconds are added to the clock in order to correct the rotational force of the earth. It goes unnoticed by most, but for 11-year old friends, Byron Hemmings and James Lowe, it is a perceived correction that alters the course of their lives.
Byron's mother, Diana, is married to the ultra-controlling Seymour, who directs the family's life despite commuting home only on weekends. When Diana is seemingly involved in an accident during the two second correction, a chain of events is set in motion that results in "Operation Perfect'" by the two boys. Diana is the "perfect" foil for the conniving Beverley, who is able to ingratiate herself into the Hemmings' lives despite the boys' efforts to avert her manipulations of the fragile Diana.
This is a very well-written book with several layers and a final message about the depth of meaningful friendships. I am grateful to Random House for the opportunity to review it.
Byron's mother, Diana, is married to the ultra-controlling Seymour, who directs the family's life despite commuting home only on weekends. When Diana is seemingly involved in an accident during the two second correction, a chain of events is set in motion that results in "Operation Perfect'" by the two boys. Diana is the "perfect" foil for the conniving Beverley, who is able to ingratiate herself into the Hemmings' lives despite the boys' efforts to avert her manipulations of the fragile Diana.
This is a very well-written book with several layers and a final message about the depth of meaningful friendships. I am grateful to Random House for the opportunity to review it.
