Book Review
The Post-Birthday World
As big fans of Lionel Shriver we were really looking forward to getting stuck into this book. And it didn't disappoint - a great for Book of the Month and a must read.
Synopsis: The new novel from the Orange Prize winning author of 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'. It all hinges on one kiss. Whether Irina McGovern does or does not lean in to a specific pair of lips in London will determine whether she stays with her disciplined, intellectual partner Lawrence or runs off with Ramsey, a hard-living snooker player. Using a parallel universe structure, we follow Irena's life as it unfolds under the influence of two drastically different men. Lawrence is Irina's partner of nearly ten years.
Ramsey is the ex-husband of a sometime friend, a once-a-year acquaintance to whom Irina has never paid a great deal of attention. Where Lawrence is supportive and devoted; Ramsey is flighty and spontaneous. Lawrence is emotionally withdrawn to the point of repression; Ramsey is fiery and passionate, but volatile.
The contrasts between the two men have ramifications for Irina's relationships with friends and family, for her career as an illustrator, and more importantly, for the texture of her daily life. This love is about trade-offs. Both men in Irina's dual future are worthy of her affection but deeply flawed.
The answer is that there is no perfect answer: one of the things that draws us to our mates is what is wrong with them. The Post-Birthday World is written with all the subtlety, perceptiveness and drama that made We Need to Talk About Kevin an international bestseller.
And the reviewers rave about it too.
Cosmopolitan
`Shriver gives us another passionate novel...Like Sliding Doors, the tale
splits into two, following the dramatic turns of each choice. Brilliant.'
Tatler
`It's another domestic drama with a compelling twist...the power struggle
between the sexes is spot-on. Shriver chalks her narrative cue with relish
and, once the story gets underway, it's hard to take your eyes off the
green baize.'
Harper's Bazaar
`'The Post-Birthday World' is Lionel Shriver's forthcoming work about the
dilemmas of love - a must if you were gripped by `We Need To Talk About
Kevin'.'
2 comments
Karen34
I loved this. I thought it may be hard to follow the 2 threads but it wasn't at all. A really enthralling read and I was hooked from the first page.
Nikki
I was also hooked from page 1. Lionel Shriver shows such insight into relationships. This was one of those books that I had to finish quickly because I became really grumpy when anyone interrupted me while I was trying to read.