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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (view source)
Revision as of 07:33, 4 September 2020
, 07:33, 4 September 2020no edit summary
Perhaps the most interesting characters were the doctor and his family, who were much better delineated. The somewhat enigmatic and inventive doctor (a case of the lunatic running the asylum?), brings a welcome breath of fresh air and originality to the narrative. He appears as a kindly man, dedicated to his patients and his radical ideas and inventions. His daughter's attempts to ensnare the unsuspecting Tennyson are also handled well - the author does well at describing the young girl's confusion and embarrassment, and this facet gives the novel an interesting twist.
The author is clearly happiest and most confident in descriptive mode. The countryside truly came alive, was well detailed, and there was more than a little poetry in his very atmospheric descriptions. But the amalgam of fact/fiction, didn't really work terribly well - it felt rather contrived, which is a huge pity. The plot is sparse, but that in itself is not too huge a problem, as the strength of the novel lies elsewhere. In the description of the countryside, the evocation of Clare's tortuous suffering, we attain a glimpse into the troubled mind of a poet, whose work embraced so much more than the Romantic Movement.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of [[In The Wolf's Mouth by Adam Foulds]].
If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy [[Regeneration by Pat Barker]].
