Customer Reviews

The Bloodstone Papers

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book in a Books A Million store on a clearance rack for $2. And I'm glad that's all I spent. When I read the blurb on the book jacket, it sounded great. It sounded like it would be a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging read. However, I found that it really seems to be poorly executed. The transition from past to present to past is abrupt and rough, there are things that need more details but don't have them, and thing with tons of unnecessary details. It seems to be rather slow most of the time.

Personally, I would not recommend this book to others. I see some have enjoyed it, but I was not one of them.

I've been a fan of Glen Duncan for years and was really looking forward to a new book. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as some of his others. I learned a lot about the Anglo-Indian culture, and Duncan's prose was as lovely as ever, but the book lacked the raw emotionality of some of his earlier works. That may not be a bad thing. I still haven't recovered from reading _Hope_ and _Love Remains_. Altogether I'd recommend this book with the caveat that it differs from Duncan's usual style.

There are a few books that I am willing to read more than once, but this is one of those few. It's one of the few contemporary books that has depth, edginess, and charm. The main characters have a sweet vulnerability and a tenderness toward each other, and are so well drawn that it's like a close friend telling you the family story. Glen Duncan's touch is light, gentle, and human, so that even disturbing scenes (that in other books might have made me feel repulsed or angered) evoked compassion and a sad sense of intimacy, rather than revulsion. Not, by any means, a book for everyone - certainly not for anyone who views the world with a conventional or conservative moral outlook. Its morality is beyond convention in many ways - thoughtful, humane, and profoundly forgiving.