*** 1/2 - An interesting story and a well-written one, but it was a touch too 'literary' for my tastes. I never really understood WHY anyone was acting the way they were. And I didn't really feel emotional satisfaction at the resolution of the story and the 'Jim situation'.
I received a free review copy of Darling Jim from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
The story begins with three deaths - two sisters and their aunt are found dead in their suburban home, locked in a vicious struggle amongst themselves. A young mailman, Niall, finds a diary explaining part of their story and how their deaths are linked to the arrival of a travelling Irish storyteller whose macabre tales intertwine with his life and theirs. Sucked into the story, Niall sets off on a quest to discover how the story ends - both theirs and his own.
I'm not sure I was quite the right audience for this book. I like a good psychological thriller, but here the emphasis is far more on the literary rather than the suspense. The book is about the odd draw of dangerous 'darling' Jim and how it works its destructive magic on family ties. In that sense its a book about dangerous, unhealthy and even unwanted attraction and even obsession. Part of my problem, I think, was that I didn't really 'feel' Jim's attraction. I didn't see it. And his supposedly spell-binding stories were just...kind of weird rather than magnetic on the page. I just wasn't convinced by the 'ties' between Jim's stories and his real life, either.
I know this can be a problem. I knew a guy once who told utterly ridiculous stories. Something no one would believe. Except that when you were there with him, he somehow shut off everything that measured credibility. But it would never work on paper. And I'm not sure Jim works on paper, either. To me, he came across as pretty ordinary bad news. Well, make that REALLY bad news. But I wasn't convinced as to the seductive draw - and that was the whole key to the story.
To add to that, despite Jim's being absolutely horrible - I didn't think he got his comeuppance. At least not real comeuppance, and that left me feeling unsatisfied. I wanted there to be more of a vindication.
So if you're looking for a thriller or a crime novel, Darling Jim may not be your cup of tea.
But if something more character-driven and literary is your style? You may very well enjoy this story.
Interested in other opinions?
1 comments:
You won (well, 2nd...but still) over on me blog. Go on over. Danke!
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