Customer Reviews

Girl on the Landing

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I thoroughly enjoyed Paul Torday's first novel "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" and therefore looked forward to reading "The Girl on the Landing." I found the characters and setting to be immersive - I found myself just pulled into this world of a British upper-crust couple who are sleep-walking through life until something truly unexpected happens. Without giving the plot away, I will say that the novel surprised me, and left me racing to get to the end, only to be scratching my head and wondering what exactly happened (in a good way). I'm glad that Paul Torday took up writing in his 60s (rather than not at all). He has a fresh, unique style and fascinating characters. This is a book that makes you think, long after you've finished reading the book. For example - the main character Michael is on a prescription drug named Serendipozan that dulls the senses and makes life predictable but boring. The author uses this situation to make the reader pause and think about whether the "daily grind" of modern 21st century life is a bit like being medicated permanently and makes you wonder about your own "identity."

Having read the "Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce" and loved it, I was not disappointed with "Girl on the Landing". It's a fascinating book about what seems on the surface a boring marriage and a boring man. Even from the start, Torday makes you care about these characters, and the first person narrative shared by both main characters really works. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a day and a half. It starts out being about mental illness but then becomes a real exciting thriller. It should be made into a film. GREAT READ!!!