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The Party
A gripping story of obsession and betrayal, privilege and hypocrisy, set in the unassailable heart of the British establishment.
As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.
Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn't wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family's estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had.
But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years.
At Ben's 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests—the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich—Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn't do anything to damage their friendship. Would he?
As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.
Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn't wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family's estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had.
But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years.
At Ben's 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests—the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich—Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn't do anything to damage their friendship. Would he?
294 pages, Hardcover
First published July 13, 2017
About the author
Elizabeth Day
22 books1,567 followersElizabeth Day is an English journalist, broadcaster and novelist. She was a feature writer for The Observer from 2007 to 2016 and has written four novels.
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September 23, 2017
I thought this book was spellbinding —�the plot was compulsively stimulating - interesting and captivating!!!! It drew me in with a magnetic force.
Readers who might have read - and enjoyed “Seating Arrangements”,by Maggie Shipstead, or any of Herman Koch books -should feel at home with Elizabeth Day’s “The Party”.....who by the way writes some of the most interesting observations about people ( her characters) that I’ve ever come across.
Who notices - and writes about the flesh between a person’s fingers?
I know ‘many’ friends who - like me - from start to finish - will be completely mesmerized by the plot, crafting, characters, gut wrenching non-politically correct details- the suspense - the police interrogation- and the “WHAT HAPPENED?”
This is a contemporary psychological thriller ( using the word thriller for a lack of a better word), with astute sagacious writing.
Other people will despise this novel. So to be upfront....THIS REVIEW INCLUDES SPOILERS....(not primary spoilers to the GREATER STORY IN ITSELF), but detail WARNINGS about ‘ANIMAL WELFARE’.
THERE IS THE KILLING OF A SPARROW. ( one scene)
THERE is a monologue- expression about hating animals:(one scene):
“I’ve never liked animals. I find it sickening how we fetishise them with tartan dog coats and velvet cat collars with special tins of food with jellied rabbit chunks and how we invite them into our homes, these wild, unthinking things, and expect them to reflect all be human characteristics we most wish to see in ourselves.”
The story begins in a police station. Martin Gilmour, 39 years of age, prime narrator - is being interviewed by the authorities: a Beige hair female cop, Nicky Bridge and a Gray suit male cop, Kevin McPherson.
It’s the second time in Martin’s adult life that he’s been interviewed by the police. On both occasions, it was because of his friend Ben. WHY?
The other ( sorta narrator: Lucy Gilmour )....intersperses diary writings.
The alternating points of view work excellent in this novel.... and I’m picky with this format...but Elizabeth Day ....is very talented at it!
Martin and Ben became friends in boarding school at the age of 13. Martin went out of his way to ‘get’ Ben to notice him when they were in school - doing everything in his power to win him over as his best friend..... taking a strong interest in anything Ben was interested in. Martin was always right behind in Ben’s shadow. So much so that he acquired the name “Little Shadow”.....being called LS for short.
Martin grew up living with his single mother. His father died before he was born. His relationship with is mother gave me the willies. Creepy!
Martin grew up poor - and insecure about himself. His academic scholarship to a boarding school at age 13 looked like an opportunity to reinvent himself from ‘awkward and shy’ to a little more ‘with-it’. Ha!
Ben Fitzmaurice - is the confident cool - natural leader type - classmates usually did anything he said - followed his lead. Ben had charm - personality- was wealthy with easy-going good looks.
The friendship between Martin and Ben allows for much thought from its readers —they were so different. They both got something out of their unbalance - friendship .....but readers will think about them (and their wives) intensely.
The author gets these characters up and under our skin.
By the time I reached the end of this book - the 2nd ending of this story......( it wasn’t quite over where I thought.....making things more interesting)......
I said to myself.....”Geeeee the title of this novel has DOUBLE MEANINGS”.
I’d like to discuss this ending and how it fits with the entire story with others who have read this book..... so email if you’ve read it and want to talk about this novel more in depth.
For those interested....in reading this English author .....
.....Expect to journey in on obsessiveness, anger, jealously, secrets, lies, unlikable characters, sex, manipulation, college life of drinking and drugs, family bribes, over-the top glamorous 40th B day party hosted by the super rich, insincere compliments,
judging and evaluating of others, withheld commications,
the tall blonde and striking dull ditzy wife, ( Serena),
the twenty two year old who just out of university had no faith in her instincts and needed constant affirmation to prove she even existed, ( Lucy) > making for a dialogue book discussion marriage between she and Martin.
Suffocating and psychologically haunting...... but sooooo addicting! I didn’t want it to end.....yet, I felt the creepy ending fit!
Personally.... I love these type of stories! ........and a special treat was a visit to the island of Croatia. I had my little fantasy!
Readers who might have read - and enjoyed “Seating Arrangements”,by Maggie Shipstead, or any of Herman Koch books -should feel at home with Elizabeth Day’s “The Party”.....who by the way writes some of the most interesting observations about people ( her characters) that I’ve ever come across.
Who notices - and writes about the flesh between a person’s fingers?
I know ‘many’ friends who - like me - from start to finish - will be completely mesmerized by the plot, crafting, characters, gut wrenching non-politically correct details- the suspense - the police interrogation- and the “WHAT HAPPENED?”
This is a contemporary psychological thriller ( using the word thriller for a lack of a better word), with astute sagacious writing.
Other people will despise this novel. So to be upfront....THIS REVIEW INCLUDES SPOILERS....(not primary spoilers to the GREATER STORY IN ITSELF), but detail WARNINGS about ‘ANIMAL WELFARE’.
THERE IS THE KILLING OF A SPARROW. ( one scene)
THERE is a monologue- expression about hating animals:(one scene):
“I’ve never liked animals. I find it sickening how we fetishise them with tartan dog coats and velvet cat collars with special tins of food with jellied rabbit chunks and how we invite them into our homes, these wild, unthinking things, and expect them to reflect all be human characteristics we most wish to see in ourselves.”
The story begins in a police station. Martin Gilmour, 39 years of age, prime narrator - is being interviewed by the authorities: a Beige hair female cop, Nicky Bridge and a Gray suit male cop, Kevin McPherson.
It’s the second time in Martin’s adult life that he’s been interviewed by the police. On both occasions, it was because of his friend Ben. WHY?
The other ( sorta narrator: Lucy Gilmour )....intersperses diary writings.
The alternating points of view work excellent in this novel.... and I’m picky with this format...but Elizabeth Day ....is very talented at it!
Martin and Ben became friends in boarding school at the age of 13. Martin went out of his way to ‘get’ Ben to notice him when they were in school - doing everything in his power to win him over as his best friend..... taking a strong interest in anything Ben was interested in. Martin was always right behind in Ben’s shadow. So much so that he acquired the name “Little Shadow”.....being called LS for short.
Martin grew up living with his single mother. His father died before he was born. His relationship with is mother gave me the willies. Creepy!
Martin grew up poor - and insecure about himself. His academic scholarship to a boarding school at age 13 looked like an opportunity to reinvent himself from ‘awkward and shy’ to a little more ‘with-it’. Ha!
Ben Fitzmaurice - is the confident cool - natural leader type - classmates usually did anything he said - followed his lead. Ben had charm - personality- was wealthy with easy-going good looks.
The friendship between Martin and Ben allows for much thought from its readers —they were so different. They both got something out of their unbalance - friendship .....but readers will think about them (and their wives) intensely.
The author gets these characters up and under our skin.
By the time I reached the end of this book - the 2nd ending of this story......( it wasn’t quite over where I thought.....making things more interesting)......
I said to myself.....”Geeeee the title of this novel has DOUBLE MEANINGS”.
I’d like to discuss this ending and how it fits with the entire story with others who have read this book..... so email if you’ve read it and want to talk about this novel more in depth.
For those interested....in reading this English author .....
.....Expect to journey in on obsessiveness, anger, jealously, secrets, lies, unlikable characters, sex, manipulation, college life of drinking and drugs, family bribes, over-the top glamorous 40th B day party hosted by the super rich, insincere compliments,
judging and evaluating of others, withheld commications,
the tall blonde and striking dull ditzy wife, ( Serena),
the twenty two year old who just out of university had no faith in her instincts and needed constant affirmation to prove she even existed, ( Lucy) > making for a dialogue book discussion marriage between she and Martin.
Suffocating and psychologically haunting...... but sooooo addicting! I didn’t want it to end.....yet, I felt the creepy ending fit!
Personally.... I love these type of stories! ........and a special treat was a visit to the island of Croatia. I had my little fantasy!
October 9, 2017
The Party by Elizabeth Day is a 2017 Fourth Estate publication.
A Wickedly dark and satirical tale of obsession, misplaced loyalties, and class distinctions.
This book drew me in right away and held me in enthralled suspense from start to finish. The story revolves around Martin and Lucy, a married couple invited to a birthday party for Martin’s best friend, Ben.
It becomes immediately obvious that something sinister occurs at the party, something awful enough to capture the attention of the police, making it imperative to find meaning in every morsel of information doled out.
The first hint that something is slightly off kilter is Lucy’s feeling that she and Martin have been slighted by the Fitzmaurice’s, who, despite having ample room in their enormous home, they have not invited them to stay overnight, forcing them to make a motel reservation at the last minute.
This is where we see Martin begin making his first excuses for Ben, something he continues to do through the entire novel.
The story is presented in four different angles:
1-Martin’s interview with the police. This interview is conducted a full three weeks after the party. Initially, this area interested me only because I was dying to know what went on at the party, and why Martin, and no one else, was being questioned. But, this interview becomes quite interesting as it goes along.
2-Martin’s flashbacks to his time at boarding school where his and Ben’s friendship developed. This portion of the story reveals the vast difference between the two men, Martin comes from a poor background and Ben from great wealth. The longevity of this seemingly unlikely friendship is certainly curious.
3- Lucy’s journals- which gives us a look at her marriage to Martin and the way she sees Ben and Serena, her personal disappointments and unwavering loyalty to Martin, even though he certainly tests her limits. Of course, the location from which these journal entries occur, only packs on more speculation.
3- The night of the party- What happened at that party? The tension at this party is nearly unbearable. There is a lot going on here. The characterizations are very well done, and the dialogue is razor sharp.
While Martin is the main narrator of this story, be a little wary of his spin on things. He’s a bit of an odd duck, and I was never quite sure how honest he was being, or what angle he was working.
Yet, it is clear Martin values his friendship with Ben a great deal, with a pathetic sort of hero worship or neediness, that he doesn’t seem to have nor require from his wife.
While Lucy is far more perceptive than Martin, who is desperate to remain on good terms with Ben, she goes through the charade for her husband. But, don’t underestimate this woman. She may appear ordinary on the surface, but she’s got a little bite to her. I thought of all the characters in this little drama, she was the one I’d want on my team.
The Fitzmaurice family is painted like many well-worn old money types, giving them an air of power and entitlement that appears unshakeable. Upon my first reflections, I thought the author may have gone a little overboard with her depictions of grand wealth, depending too heavily on stereotypes, coming dangerously close to turning the family into caricatures. But, on second thought, they may have been predictable cardboard figures most of the time, but, they played their roles chillingly well.
The author touches on a gamut of topics including obsession, loyalty, power, and class distinctions. The story is darkly humorous at times, with sharp satirical tones.
I thought the story was very clever and while not one hundred percent original, I still enjoyed the pointed sarcasm, the taut suspense, and that deliciously satisfying surprise twist at the end!
A Wickedly dark and satirical tale of obsession, misplaced loyalties, and class distinctions.
This book drew me in right away and held me in enthralled suspense from start to finish. The story revolves around Martin and Lucy, a married couple invited to a birthday party for Martin’s best friend, Ben.
It becomes immediately obvious that something sinister occurs at the party, something awful enough to capture the attention of the police, making it imperative to find meaning in every morsel of information doled out.
The first hint that something is slightly off kilter is Lucy’s feeling that she and Martin have been slighted by the Fitzmaurice’s, who, despite having ample room in their enormous home, they have not invited them to stay overnight, forcing them to make a motel reservation at the last minute.
This is where we see Martin begin making his first excuses for Ben, something he continues to do through the entire novel.
The story is presented in four different angles:
1-Martin’s interview with the police. This interview is conducted a full three weeks after the party. Initially, this area interested me only because I was dying to know what went on at the party, and why Martin, and no one else, was being questioned. But, this interview becomes quite interesting as it goes along.
2-Martin’s flashbacks to his time at boarding school where his and Ben’s friendship developed. This portion of the story reveals the vast difference between the two men, Martin comes from a poor background and Ben from great wealth. The longevity of this seemingly unlikely friendship is certainly curious.
3- Lucy’s journals- which gives us a look at her marriage to Martin and the way she sees Ben and Serena, her personal disappointments and unwavering loyalty to Martin, even though he certainly tests her limits. Of course, the location from which these journal entries occur, only packs on more speculation.
3- The night of the party- What happened at that party? The tension at this party is nearly unbearable. There is a lot going on here. The characterizations are very well done, and the dialogue is razor sharp.
While Martin is the main narrator of this story, be a little wary of his spin on things. He’s a bit of an odd duck, and I was never quite sure how honest he was being, or what angle he was working.
Yet, it is clear Martin values his friendship with Ben a great deal, with a pathetic sort of hero worship or neediness, that he doesn’t seem to have nor require from his wife.
While Lucy is far more perceptive than Martin, who is desperate to remain on good terms with Ben, she goes through the charade for her husband. But, don’t underestimate this woman. She may appear ordinary on the surface, but she’s got a little bite to her. I thought of all the characters in this little drama, she was the one I’d want on my team.
The Fitzmaurice family is painted like many well-worn old money types, giving them an air of power and entitlement that appears unshakeable. Upon my first reflections, I thought the author may have gone a little overboard with her depictions of grand wealth, depending too heavily on stereotypes, coming dangerously close to turning the family into caricatures. But, on second thought, they may have been predictable cardboard figures most of the time, but, they played their roles chillingly well.
The author touches on a gamut of topics including obsession, loyalty, power, and class distinctions. The story is darkly humorous at times, with sharp satirical tones.
I thought the story was very clever and while not one hundred percent original, I still enjoyed the pointed sarcasm, the taut suspense, and that deliciously satisfying surprise twist at the end!
February 1, 2020
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war... while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win - Sun Tzu
This is one entertaining read, although a nasty story really. About a friendship between two boys growing up, ending in a very dark story with two dramatic events which determine the storyline and tragic outcome. Keeps you turning the pages, wanting to know what´s going on exactly and how it will end, very well written, intrigued me from beginning to end. Although I have to say I found the ending not very strong as compared to the rest of the story, but befitting. Very entertaining, great read. New author for me, have to find more of her work. Great start of the year, recommended for those who like psychological dark stories!
This is one entertaining read, although a nasty story really. About a friendship between two boys growing up, ending in a very dark story with two dramatic events which determine the storyline and tragic outcome. Keeps you turning the pages, wanting to know what´s going on exactly and how it will end, very well written, intrigued me from beginning to end. Although I have to say I found the ending not very strong as compared to the rest of the story, but befitting. Very entertaining, great read. New author for me, have to find more of her work. Great start of the year, recommended for those who like psychological dark stories!
November 15, 2017
Elizabeth Day’s first novel, Scissors, Paper, Stone which I really enjoyed won a Betty Trask award So I was really looking forward to her latest book and when I saw it compared to The Dinner by Herman Koch I was really excited about the read.
The Party starts at the end of a story that began in public school some 30 years previously when we meet Martin Gilmour an outsider who wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn’t wear the right attire or speak with the right kind of accent but then he meets the dazzling and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gets a taste of his exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying the high life at the Fitzmaurice family’s estate and becomes an extended family member. Ben's 40th birthday party full of glitz and glamour is the venue to be seen at but things take a nasty turn.
I felt like I had read this novel before as all the characters seemed familiar and similar plot lines have been hashed out many times before in other novels so nothing really new here. The story is told in flashbacks to two different time periods and while this works well but the book just plods along and not a lot happens. I found myself becoming a little distracted and losing interest in the characters as they were a dislikeable bunch apart from Lucy.
An ok read but not a book that I will remember in a year’s time.
The Party starts at the end of a story that began in public school some 30 years previously when we meet Martin Gilmour an outsider who wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn’t wear the right attire or speak with the right kind of accent but then he meets the dazzling and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gets a taste of his exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying the high life at the Fitzmaurice family’s estate and becomes an extended family member. Ben's 40th birthday party full of glitz and glamour is the venue to be seen at but things take a nasty turn.
I felt like I had read this novel before as all the characters seemed familiar and similar plot lines have been hashed out many times before in other novels so nothing really new here. The story is told in flashbacks to two different time periods and while this works well but the book just plods along and not a lot happens. I found myself becoming a little distracted and losing interest in the characters as they were a dislikeable bunch apart from Lucy.
An ok read but not a book that I will remember in a year’s time.
July 9, 2017
A scrappy outsider accepted, precariously, by a privileged clique; the golden allure of wealth and exclusivity; a terrible and deadly secret. Give me variations on this theme from now until death and I will be perfectly happy. The Party is like The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Secret History and Brideshead Revisited got together and had a beautiful, twisted child. Our narrator, Martin Gilmour, is a bitchy sociopathic narcissist – so naturally, I adored him.
At boarding school, Martin is an outcast. His background doesn't match up to the other boys', and he struggles to understand boundaries and codes of behaviour, which stops him from making his mark by way of charm or humour. Everything changes when he impresses golden boy Ben Fitzmaurice and the two quickly become best friends, so inseparable that Martin spends summers with Ben's family and, eventually, they head to the same Cambridge college together. 25 years later, Ben, now outrageously rich, is hosting a party. The guestlist is star-studded; there are even rumours the Prime Minister will attend. Martin's invited, but he's chagrined that he and his wife, Lucy, have had to make do with a Premier Inn hotel room rather than being asked to stay at the Fitzmaurices' sprawling manor. After all, he and Ben are like brothers. At least, that's how he sees it.
Opening with a scene in which Martin is questioned by the police, The Party bounces between Martin's version of the history of his friendship with Ben, pages from Lucy's notebook, and, of course, the party itself. Along the way, questions are slowly answered – often in ways you wouldn't expect – and new ones are thrown up. What is the secret that has bound obsessed Martin and reluctant Ben together as 'best friends' for a quarter of a century? What lurks behind the facade of Martin and Lucy's marriage? And what happens to lead Martin to that police interview room?
I love stories like this and I love protagonists like Martin, but I've been burned by bad pastiches many times, so it's exhilarating to find a novel in which plot and character are pulled off with such breathtaking skill. It's much harder than it looks to write this kind of narrator successfully: get it wrong and you're left with nothing but shallow nastiness. Here, as calculating and cruel as he may sometimes be, the reader is always on Martin's side. (Well, this reader was, anyway.) There's also Lucy. The unexpected nuance written into her chapters is its own kind of masterstroke. The narrative is so powerful that she could easily be sidelined – the dowdy woman who has to take a back seat to her husband's fixation with Ben, the butt of their friends' jokes, a person with no interior life of her own. Not so here. Her development took me by surprise, and after finishing the book, I find the thing I'm still thinking about the most is the complicated and really quite beautiful relationship between Martin and Lucy.
I loved every page of The Party and I never wanted it to end. It is meticulously structured – tiny clues meted out so you're utterly gripped while the plot always stays a couple of strides ahead of you – and Martin and Lucy are both brilliantly realised characters. Read it on the beach, read it on a rainy day, read it on your way to work, whatever – just read it.
I received an advance review copy of The Party from the publisher through NetGalley.
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At boarding school, Martin is an outcast. His background doesn't match up to the other boys', and he struggles to understand boundaries and codes of behaviour, which stops him from making his mark by way of charm or humour. Everything changes when he impresses golden boy Ben Fitzmaurice and the two quickly become best friends, so inseparable that Martin spends summers with Ben's family and, eventually, they head to the same Cambridge college together. 25 years later, Ben, now outrageously rich, is hosting a party. The guestlist is star-studded; there are even rumours the Prime Minister will attend. Martin's invited, but he's chagrined that he and his wife, Lucy, have had to make do with a Premier Inn hotel room rather than being asked to stay at the Fitzmaurices' sprawling manor. After all, he and Ben are like brothers. At least, that's how he sees it.
Opening with a scene in which Martin is questioned by the police, The Party bounces between Martin's version of the history of his friendship with Ben, pages from Lucy's notebook, and, of course, the party itself. Along the way, questions are slowly answered – often in ways you wouldn't expect – and new ones are thrown up. What is the secret that has bound obsessed Martin and reluctant Ben together as 'best friends' for a quarter of a century? What lurks behind the facade of Martin and Lucy's marriage? And what happens to lead Martin to that police interview room?
I love stories like this and I love protagonists like Martin, but I've been burned by bad pastiches many times, so it's exhilarating to find a novel in which plot and character are pulled off with such breathtaking skill. It's much harder than it looks to write this kind of narrator successfully: get it wrong and you're left with nothing but shallow nastiness. Here, as calculating and cruel as he may sometimes be, the reader is always on Martin's side. (Well, this reader was, anyway.) There's also Lucy. The unexpected nuance written into her chapters is its own kind of masterstroke. The narrative is so powerful that she could easily be sidelined – the dowdy woman who has to take a back seat to her husband's fixation with Ben, the butt of their friends' jokes, a person with no interior life of her own. Not so here. Her development took me by surprise, and after finishing the book, I find the thing I'm still thinking about the most is the complicated and really quite beautiful relationship between Martin and Lucy.
I loved every page of The Party and I never wanted it to end. It is meticulously structured – tiny clues meted out so you're utterly gripped while the plot always stays a couple of strides ahead of you – and Martin and Lucy are both brilliantly realised characters. Read it on the beach, read it on a rainy day, read it on your way to work, whatever – just read it.
I received an advance review copy of The Party from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
October 31, 2017
Review to come.
February 25, 2024
Ta książka jest jak znane piosenki: „Saltburn”, „Tajemna historia”, „Utalentowany pan Ripley”…
Lubię znane, dobre piosenki.
Lubię znane, dobre piosenki.
February 11, 2023
A Goodreads friend recently posted a review of this book and I was so intrigued I got a copy from the library (Thanks Indieflower!). The book was published in 2017 but I don't remember hearing of it previously.
The main focus is Ben Fitzmaurice's 40th birthday party and the story is told mostly by Martin Gilmour, Ben's friend of many years, interspersed with fragments from Martin's wife's journal. We are treated to scenes from the birthday party as well as flashbacks to Ben and Martin's past and an interview currently taking place at the police station. The characters are well developed and I almost felt like I was watching Masterpiece Theatre. The writing kept me engaged throughout and I really enjoyed the story. 3.5 Stars rounded up!
Another loan from the London Public Library.
The main focus is Ben Fitzmaurice's 40th birthday party and the story is told mostly by Martin Gilmour, Ben's friend of many years, interspersed with fragments from Martin's wife's journal. We are treated to scenes from the birthday party as well as flashbacks to Ben and Martin's past and an interview currently taking place at the police station. The characters are well developed and I almost felt like I was watching Masterpiece Theatre. The writing kept me engaged throughout and I really enjoyed the story. 3.5 Stars rounded up!
Another loan from the London Public Library.
October 22, 2017
Bloody brilliant!
May 17, 2018
Personally I am not a fan of books that draw out the reveal of an incident that isn't particularly serious or life threatening.
The characters in the book were a unique blend and being set around the upper class of British society was.... good enough. However I couldn't work out if the author was writing from a place of anger or envy as the main character himself was never quite clear on the point.
Martin - the protagonist was interesting in his slightly creepy devotion, but it would have been nice to get a clear sense of where his motives where coming from. Hints were made one way but reveals went another, and ultimately I couldn't make up my mind about him.
Lucy - Martin's wife, is who I actually would have been more interested in hearing from. We do get her perspective but she seemed the more interesting character, and the one it would have been easier to sympathise with.
I got to the end and thought - Oh. Is that is. - and yet I wasn't surprised in my feeling at all.
The characters in the book were a unique blend and being set around the upper class of British society was.... good enough. However I couldn't work out if the author was writing from a place of anger or envy as the main character himself was never quite clear on the point.
Martin - the protagonist was interesting in his slightly creepy devotion, but it would have been nice to get a clear sense of where his motives where coming from. Hints were made one way but reveals went another, and ultimately I couldn't make up my mind about him.
Lucy - Martin's wife, is who I actually would have been more interested in hearing from. We do get her perspective but she seemed the more interesting character, and the one it would have been easier to sympathise with.
I got to the end and thought - Oh. Is that is. - and yet I wasn't surprised in my feeling at all.
March 23, 2017
Martin Gilmour is being interviewed by the police when we first meet him. The thirty nine year old art critic had recently attended a party at the home of his best friend, Ben Fitzmaurice. The party was to celebrate Ben’s fortieth birthday, as well as being a house warming party for Ben, and his wife Serena’s, new home - the beautiful Tipworth Priory.
This novel tells the story of what happened at the party from various viewpoints. There is the background of how Martin, the poor son of a domineering mother, managed to achieve a scholarship to a minor public school, where he meets Ben. Ben is from an aristocratic family and has everything that Martin yearns for – confidence, wealth and class. From the very beginning, Martin is smitten by Ben and does everything he can to insinuate himself into his life; both at school and later at Cambridge.
As well as the relationship between Martin and Ben, we also hear of how Martin met his wife, Lucy. Although Lucy appears plain when presented next to the stunning Serena, for me she was the most interesting character in the novel. Struggling always as second place in Martin’s affections, after Ben, Lucy is not keen to attend the party at all and is unwilling to see the wealthy Fitzmaurice’s in the same rosy tinted glow as Martin seems to view them. Lastly, of course, gradually we learn what actually happened on the night of the party and of the consequences of those events.
This is a book about the outward glamour of wealth and class, and the reality underneath the glossy surface. Indeed, much of the substance of this novel exists as undercurrents – with secrets, rumours, hidden emotions and loyalties. I have never read anything by Elizabeth Day before, but I really found this an interesting portrait of the desperate desire to belong, of the pain of unrequited love and of the complex relationships between the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and of exploring her past work.
This novel tells the story of what happened at the party from various viewpoints. There is the background of how Martin, the poor son of a domineering mother, managed to achieve a scholarship to a minor public school, where he meets Ben. Ben is from an aristocratic family and has everything that Martin yearns for – confidence, wealth and class. From the very beginning, Martin is smitten by Ben and does everything he can to insinuate himself into his life; both at school and later at Cambridge.
As well as the relationship between Martin and Ben, we also hear of how Martin met his wife, Lucy. Although Lucy appears plain when presented next to the stunning Serena, for me she was the most interesting character in the novel. Struggling always as second place in Martin’s affections, after Ben, Lucy is not keen to attend the party at all and is unwilling to see the wealthy Fitzmaurice’s in the same rosy tinted glow as Martin seems to view them. Lastly, of course, gradually we learn what actually happened on the night of the party and of the consequences of those events.
This is a book about the outward glamour of wealth and class, and the reality underneath the glossy surface. Indeed, much of the substance of this novel exists as undercurrents – with secrets, rumours, hidden emotions and loyalties. I have never read anything by Elizabeth Day before, but I really found this an interesting portrait of the desperate desire to belong, of the pain of unrequited love and of the complex relationships between the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and of exploring her past work.
September 3, 2017
Was this pastiche? Or was it just bad? Either way, I'm not bothered as what it was, frankly, was a waste of time. I didn't like the thinly veiled references to real people (just change a letter in the name, they'll never know!). I didn't like the whole closet gay turns out to be snidey horrible man thing. I didn't like the pointless 'suspense' plot that was neither deft nor actually suspenseful. Come to think of it, I didn't like anything. Except finishing it.
December 30, 2017
I read this very quickly and it was mildly enjoyable but I found myself expecting a twist or something *big* to happen and it never did. I also hated all the characters, which I assume was intentional on the author's behalf but it meant I just didn't care about the ending (and the ending was pretty unsatisfactory anyway).
July 13, 2018
Another 5 ⭐️read. I'm on a roll! Thanks to Elyse for recommending this book.
July 30, 2020
Vaya por delante que este libro me ha sorprendido muy gratamente.
Ágil, ameno, con un análisis psicológico de los personajes espectacular.
Todo gira en torno a 3 personas, dos hombres que son amigos desde la infancia, pero que provienen de clases sociales totalmente opuestas, uno es un vástago de la aristocracia, Ben, y otro proveniente de una familia muy humilde, Martin, que ha ido sobreviviendo como ha podido, gracias a su valía en los estudios, ayudas de distintos tipos.... el triángulo se completa con la mujer de Martin, Lucy.
La historia comienza en una comisaría tras la fiesta del 40 cumpleaños de Ben. Están interrogando a Martin ¿qué ha sucedido? A partir de aquí Martin y Lucy analizan de forma retrospectiva su relación con los otros dos protagonistas principales, así como los hechos que han ido sucediendo en la fiesta y que han llevado a que todo salte por los aires ¿Qué hay detrás de esa amistad entre Ben y Martin, que parecía indestructible? ¿Qué pasa con Martin, qué esconde? ¿Qué falla en el carácter de Lucy?.
Todo se irá desgranando en el libro de forma magistral, intercalando narración y diálogos.
El libro también es una crítica feroz a los privilegios, prepotencia y poder que todavía impera en la sociedad Británica, y en la nuestra, y que lleva a los miembros de las clases dirigentes, políticos, aristócratas y gente rica a manejar los distintos resortes del poder en su beneficio y a creerse con la potestad de manipular a su antojo las vidas y bienes de aquellos que no han tenido la suerte de nacer en su misma clase social.
Al final, las motivaciones subyacentes que guían el comportamiento de nuestros tres personajes principales se pueden intuir de forma bastante clara a medida que avanza el libro. Esto ha hecho, a mi entender, que el nivel de la parte final del libro haya bajado un poquito. Por eso no le doy las 5 estrellas
En cualquier caso, es un libro estupendo y espero que traduzcan al castellano más libros de la autora. Yo me los apuntaré inmediatamente.
Recomendable
Ágil, ameno, con un análisis psicológico de los personajes espectacular.
Todo gira en torno a 3 personas, dos hombres que son amigos desde la infancia, pero que provienen de clases sociales totalmente opuestas, uno es un vástago de la aristocracia, Ben, y otro proveniente de una familia muy humilde, Martin, que ha ido sobreviviendo como ha podido, gracias a su valía en los estudios, ayudas de distintos tipos.... el triángulo se completa con la mujer de Martin, Lucy.
La historia comienza en una comisaría tras la fiesta del 40 cumpleaños de Ben. Están interrogando a Martin ¿qué ha sucedido? A partir de aquí Martin y Lucy analizan de forma retrospectiva su relación con los otros dos protagonistas principales, así como los hechos que han ido sucediendo en la fiesta y que han llevado a que todo salte por los aires ¿Qué hay detrás de esa amistad entre Ben y Martin, que parecía indestructible? ¿Qué pasa con Martin, qué esconde? ¿Qué falla en el carácter de Lucy?.
Todo se irá desgranando en el libro de forma magistral, intercalando narración y diálogos.
El libro también es una crítica feroz a los privilegios, prepotencia y poder que todavía impera en la sociedad Británica, y en la nuestra, y que lleva a los miembros de las clases dirigentes, políticos, aristócratas y gente rica a manejar los distintos resortes del poder en su beneficio y a creerse con la potestad de manipular a su antojo las vidas y bienes de aquellos que no han tenido la suerte de nacer en su misma clase social.
Al final, las motivaciones subyacentes que guían el comportamiento de nuestros tres personajes principales se pueden intuir de forma bastante clara a medida que avanza el libro. Esto ha hecho, a mi entender, que el nivel de la parte final del libro haya bajado un poquito. Por eso no le doy las 5 estrellas
En cualquier caso, es un libro estupendo y espero que traduzcan al castellano más libros de la autora. Yo me los apuntaré inmediatamente.
Recomendable
January 25, 2023
Boarding school boys Martin Gilmore and Ben Fitzmaurice make an unlikely twosome, Ben is confident, popular and extremely rich, Martin is the polar opposite, awkward, disliked and poor. To Ben, Martin is just a friend, but to Martin, Ben is everything, the centre of his world. Beginning with Martin being interviewed by the police concerning an undisclosed incident at Ben's glittering, celebrity laden 40th birthday party, the gradual unfolding of this almost thirty year friendship had me completely engaged. Extremely well constructed, told in both the present day and the past, this was an intriguing tale with equally intriguing characters, giving off vibes of both The Talented Mr Ripley and Brideshead Revisited. I loved being party to sociopathic Martin's narcissistic, condescending, bitchy thoughts, and also those of his long suffering, but equally interesting wife Lucy. I enjoyed how the story highlights the casual self-assurance of the well connected rich, able to smooth even humongous bumps in the road using their connections and wealth, and how the "old boy network" is indeed, very much a thing.
A quietly compelling 5 stars.
A quietly compelling 5 stars.
August 31, 2017
The real problem with this novel of obsession, friendship, power and privilege is that it’s all been done before, and it all felt very derivative. It’s not badly written – although there are rather too many clichés for my liking – and it’s well-paced, even if the framing device feels hackneyed, but it adds very little to the rather banal trope of a poor but clever misfit who desperately wants to fit in with the rich and privileged, and falls in love with the rather shallow object of his desire, a wealthy “toff” who seems to have it all. As a satire of the rich and privileged it’s heavy-handed. The set piece party of the title is peopled with characters who are all stereotypes to a greater or lesser degree and who add nothing to the storyline. The jovial Prime Minister is all too obvious. There’s little that’s original here, but having said that I found it readable and reasonably compelling and certainly wanted to find out how it all panned out. Although I didn’t really care.
August 5, 2019
Ci sono quelle amicizie così, da ragazzi.
Viscerali, e forse pure un po’ morbose, tanto da pensare che l’altro sia il nostro unico faro nella nebbia.
Solitamente questi rapporti finiscono col finire dell’adolescenza.
E se non terminano è perché, probabilmente, dietro c’è altro.
Questa è la storia di un’amicizia così, di quelle dove dietro c’è altro.
Cosa è il fascino? Quale oscuro potere esercita su ciascuno di noi la ricchezza e la bellezza?
Quanto siamo consapevoli del nostro lato oscuro?
Quanto siamo in ascolto di quelli che sono i reali bisogni dei nostri interlocutori?
“Tutti sono cosí presi da se stessi, oggigiorno. Nessuna attenzione viene mai concessa a come altre persone potrebbero voler esistere. Niente limiti. Tutto il rumore che cancella quello che resta del silenzio; tutta quell’attività frenetica, incessante, che colma ogni spazio disponibile con brulicante assurdità. Lo status. I like. I tweet. I filtri. I cursori. L’update. I feed. Feed. Feed. Il mondo ridotto a spazi di attenzione della dimensione di un bite, del piú piccolo minimo comun denominatore.”
Era tempo che non mi capitava di far tardi al lavoro al mattino perché dovevo finire di leggere il libro per capire che cavolo fosse successo nella Prioria di Tipoworth tra Lucy, Serena, Ben e Martin.
Viscerali, e forse pure un po’ morbose, tanto da pensare che l’altro sia il nostro unico faro nella nebbia.
Solitamente questi rapporti finiscono col finire dell’adolescenza.
E se non terminano è perché, probabilmente, dietro c’è altro.
Questa è la storia di un’amicizia così, di quelle dove dietro c’è altro.
Cosa è il fascino? Quale oscuro potere esercita su ciascuno di noi la ricchezza e la bellezza?
Quanto siamo consapevoli del nostro lato oscuro?
Quanto siamo in ascolto di quelli che sono i reali bisogni dei nostri interlocutori?
“Tutti sono cosí presi da se stessi, oggigiorno. Nessuna attenzione viene mai concessa a come altre persone potrebbero voler esistere. Niente limiti. Tutto il rumore che cancella quello che resta del silenzio; tutta quell’attività frenetica, incessante, che colma ogni spazio disponibile con brulicante assurdità. Lo status. I like. I tweet. I filtri. I cursori. L’update. I feed. Feed. Feed. Il mondo ridotto a spazi di attenzione della dimensione di un bite, del piú piccolo minimo comun denominatore.”
Era tempo che non mi capitava di far tardi al lavoro al mattino perché dovevo finire di leggere il libro per capire che cavolo fosse successo nella Prioria di Tipoworth tra Lucy, Serena, Ben e Martin.
August 3, 2020
"-Martin, qué estúpido eres-, oigo decir a mi madre. Siempre se te olvida quién está al mando. Siempre te crees que eres mejor de lo que en realidad eres."
He disfrutado mucho de esta novela, que es de este tipo de lecturas que la vas saboreando porque te gusta el estilo en el que se desenvuelve la autora, inteligente e irónica, y al mismo tiempo te mantiene enganchada, pero enganchada no de una forma tramposa, sino que Elizabeth Day mantiene el ritmo con una destreza poco habitual, ya que lo habitual es que los autores mantengan el enganche del lector con trampas varias y estiramientos de chicle, pero éste no es el caso.
El titulo original The Party en la edición de Duomo se cambia a El Invitado, que me parece bastante acertado. El invitado en este caso es Martin y su esposa Lucy, que acuden a la fiesta por todo lo alto del cuarenta cumpleaños de Ben Fitzmaurice, el mejor amigo de Martin desde sus tiempos de internado. Sin embargo, en esta fiesta ocurre algo que obligará a los personajes que forman parte de esta historia a revisar todo un pasado de amistad entre Ben y Martin y la autora decide hacerlo bajo varios puntos de vista paralelos y diferentes: el punto de vista de Martin revisando su pasado desde que conoce a Ben, los diarios de Lucy Gilmour, la esposa de Martin, el interrogatorio a Martin en la comisaria de policia y finalmente la fiesta en si que es donde reside de alguna forma la culminación de todo. La clave de la historia es Martin, que es el invitado y para entender esta fiesta, hay que conocer antes, de dónde viene Martin.
"¿Por qué otro motivo habrían querido tenerme cerca tan a menudo cuando éramos jóvenes? La razón no era otra que ese deseo innato de tener un observador exterior, un inadaptado que pudiera dar fe de su pedantería. Yo era su espejo, colocado en el ángulo preciso para devolverles el reflejo que resultaba más halagador".
Martin que gracias a una beca para estudiar en una prestigiosa escuela privada conoce a Ben y por ende, se relaciona en un ambiente social al que no estaba acostumbrado, se convierte desde entonces en la sombra de Ben (PS, pequeña sombra como le llaman socarronamente los compañeros de internado). Cuando Martin llega al internado es una especie de bicho raro, no es su ambiente ni puede estar a la altura del resto de los estudiantes, ni su acento es el adecuado ni sus modales. Sin embargo, desde el momento en que conoce y se convierte en amigo de Ben Fitzmaurice que es justo lo contrario a él, encantador, sofisticado, rico y seductor, se le abren las puertas de la élite social e incluso se convierte en parte de la familia Fitzmaurice. A partir de ahí conoceremos más de cerca esta amistad desde esta escuela privada pasando por Cambridge hasta que ya adultos y ambos casados, se reencuentran en la fiesta.
"A veces tu vida entera puede cambiar en un único segundo, porque ese único segundo no existe aislado: está conectado con una cadena infiníta de minutos, días, semanas, meses y años que lo preceden. Pero es el segundo deformado el que lo desata todo. Como si te saltaras un punto y con ello arruinaras una bufanda tejida a mano."
Elizabeth Day se las arregla de maravilla para construir toda esta historia en torno a una amistad desde la adolescencia y al mismo tiempo es una reflexión sobre el arribísmo, las diferencias de clases, la hipocresia y la identidad personal. Desde el momento en que Ben llega a la vida de Martin, éste se obsesiona no solo con Ben sino con formar parte de su mundo, de sus relaciones sociales: no se conforma con el mundo del que viene sino que prácticamente lo olvida para convertirse en la sombra de Ben Fitzmaurice.
"Estar rodeado de gente así, gente rica, privilegiada, guapa, egoísta, no es bueno para el alma. Piensan en sí mismos todo al tiempo que fingen ser todo generosidad. El resto de nosotros no les importamos. No es una maldad consciente, tan solo la incapacidad de imaginar cómo son las vidas de los demás".
Elizabeth Day disecciona las diferencias de clases tan acartonadas y rígidas, sobre todo lo intocable que se hace poder siquiera acercarse a la élite; la condescendencia de los de arriba que miran por encima del hombro a los de abajo usando y sirviéndose incluso de las personas para conseguir sus objetivos, es algo que aquí la autora maneja muy bien, porque esta no es solo la historia de una amistad, de una obsesión, sino también la historia del ascenso social de un chico humilde qué siempre deseó formar parte de la élite y se avergonzaba de sus orígenes. Los personajes están llenos de matices, de claroscuros y el lector se implíca con ellos precisamente porque están magníficamente descritos, con un fino trazo de ironía, y un mucho de inteligencia emocional. A ratos divertida, a ratos complejísima, y en otros momentos todo un tratado sobre una vida de obsesión, me ha parecido una novela magnífica, que no sé como no es más conocida porque Elizabeth Day se las arregla muy bien para hablar de los tiempos que vivimos, del estrés por agradar, de las apariencias y de cómo ser popular puede convertirse en toda una obsesión y pasar desapercibido en toda una tragedia.
"Hoy día todo el mundo es tan egocéntrico. (...) No hay límites. Todo ese ruido que se cuela en los silencios ocasionales; toda esa actividad frenética e incesante que llena cualquier espacio disponible con un torrente de tonterías. Estado. Favorito. Tuit. Filtro. Pantalla. Me gusta. Actualización. Feed. Feed. Feed. El mundo reducido a destellos de atención del tamaño de un bit que responden al denominador común más bajo."
https://kansasbooks.blogspot.com/2020...
He disfrutado mucho de esta novela, que es de este tipo de lecturas que la vas saboreando porque te gusta el estilo en el que se desenvuelve la autora, inteligente e irónica, y al mismo tiempo te mantiene enganchada, pero enganchada no de una forma tramposa, sino que Elizabeth Day mantiene el ritmo con una destreza poco habitual, ya que lo habitual es que los autores mantengan el enganche del lector con trampas varias y estiramientos de chicle, pero éste no es el caso.
El titulo original The Party en la edición de Duomo se cambia a El Invitado, que me parece bastante acertado. El invitado en este caso es Martin y su esposa Lucy, que acuden a la fiesta por todo lo alto del cuarenta cumpleaños de Ben Fitzmaurice, el mejor amigo de Martin desde sus tiempos de internado. Sin embargo, en esta fiesta ocurre algo que obligará a los personajes que forman parte de esta historia a revisar todo un pasado de amistad entre Ben y Martin y la autora decide hacerlo bajo varios puntos de vista paralelos y diferentes: el punto de vista de Martin revisando su pasado desde que conoce a Ben, los diarios de Lucy Gilmour, la esposa de Martin, el interrogatorio a Martin en la comisaria de policia y finalmente la fiesta en si que es donde reside de alguna forma la culminación de todo. La clave de la historia es Martin, que es el invitado y para entender esta fiesta, hay que conocer antes, de dónde viene Martin.
"¿Por qué otro motivo habrían querido tenerme cerca tan a menudo cuando éramos jóvenes? La razón no era otra que ese deseo innato de tener un observador exterior, un inadaptado que pudiera dar fe de su pedantería. Yo era su espejo, colocado en el ángulo preciso para devolverles el reflejo que resultaba más halagador".
Martin que gracias a una beca para estudiar en una prestigiosa escuela privada conoce a Ben y por ende, se relaciona en un ambiente social al que no estaba acostumbrado, se convierte desde entonces en la sombra de Ben (PS, pequeña sombra como le llaman socarronamente los compañeros de internado). Cuando Martin llega al internado es una especie de bicho raro, no es su ambiente ni puede estar a la altura del resto de los estudiantes, ni su acento es el adecuado ni sus modales. Sin embargo, desde el momento en que conoce y se convierte en amigo de Ben Fitzmaurice que es justo lo contrario a él, encantador, sofisticado, rico y seductor, se le abren las puertas de la élite social e incluso se convierte en parte de la familia Fitzmaurice. A partir de ahí conoceremos más de cerca esta amistad desde esta escuela privada pasando por Cambridge hasta que ya adultos y ambos casados, se reencuentran en la fiesta.
"A veces tu vida entera puede cambiar en un único segundo, porque ese único segundo no existe aislado: está conectado con una cadena infiníta de minutos, días, semanas, meses y años que lo preceden. Pero es el segundo deformado el que lo desata todo. Como si te saltaras un punto y con ello arruinaras una bufanda tejida a mano."
Elizabeth Day se las arregla de maravilla para construir toda esta historia en torno a una amistad desde la adolescencia y al mismo tiempo es una reflexión sobre el arribísmo, las diferencias de clases, la hipocresia y la identidad personal. Desde el momento en que Ben llega a la vida de Martin, éste se obsesiona no solo con Ben sino con formar parte de su mundo, de sus relaciones sociales: no se conforma con el mundo del que viene sino que prácticamente lo olvida para convertirse en la sombra de Ben Fitzmaurice.
"Estar rodeado de gente así, gente rica, privilegiada, guapa, egoísta, no es bueno para el alma. Piensan en sí mismos todo al tiempo que fingen ser todo generosidad. El resto de nosotros no les importamos. No es una maldad consciente, tan solo la incapacidad de imaginar cómo son las vidas de los demás".
Elizabeth Day disecciona las diferencias de clases tan acartonadas y rígidas, sobre todo lo intocable que se hace poder siquiera acercarse a la élite; la condescendencia de los de arriba que miran por encima del hombro a los de abajo usando y sirviéndose incluso de las personas para conseguir sus objetivos, es algo que aquí la autora maneja muy bien, porque esta no es solo la historia de una amistad, de una obsesión, sino también la historia del ascenso social de un chico humilde qué siempre deseó formar parte de la élite y se avergonzaba de sus orígenes. Los personajes están llenos de matices, de claroscuros y el lector se implíca con ellos precisamente porque están magníficamente descritos, con un fino trazo de ironía, y un mucho de inteligencia emocional. A ratos divertida, a ratos complejísima, y en otros momentos todo un tratado sobre una vida de obsesión, me ha parecido una novela magnífica, que no sé como no es más conocida porque Elizabeth Day se las arregla muy bien para hablar de los tiempos que vivimos, del estrés por agradar, de las apariencias y de cómo ser popular puede convertirse en toda una obsesión y pasar desapercibido en toda una tragedia.
"Hoy día todo el mundo es tan egocéntrico. (...) No hay límites. Todo ese ruido que se cuela en los silencios ocasionales; toda esa actividad frenética e incesante que llena cualquier espacio disponible con un torrente de tonterías. Estado. Favorito. Tuit. Filtro. Pantalla. Me gusta. Actualización. Feed. Feed. Feed. El mundo reducido a destellos de atención del tamaño de un bit que responden al denominador común más bajo."
https://kansasbooks.blogspot.com/2020...
December 11, 2021
Sabemos que ha habido una fiesta y durante la misma algo terrible ha sucedido. A través de los relatos alternados de Martin Gilmour y su esposa Lucy, alternando con flashbacks de la juventud de Martin, iremos conociendo los hechos. Yo no lo calificaría de thriller, aunque hay elementos de intriga y muerte, sino que es más bien un retrato de la sociedad de clases actual en Inglaterra y de cómo los ‘ridiculously rich’ siguen constituyendo una oligarquía poderosa y que ejerce su fascinación sobre el resto.
Martin Gilmour proviene de un entorno desfavorecido, pero gracias a su amistad con Ben Fitzmaurice tiene un pie dentro de un mundo donde el dinero y el poder ancestrales fluyen entre familias con apellidos sonoros. Martin queda hechizado por Ben y su entorno, y confiesa:
Estaba tan desesperado por ser uno de ellos. Desesperado de un modo tan demencial y letal.
Esta obsesión es el centro de la vida de Martin y la que finalmente desencadena el drama. Él es consciente de que su devoción no es correspondida del mismo modo y que la familia Fitzmaurice tiene diferentes motivos para aceptarlo en su seno:
¿Por qué otro motivo habrían querido tenerme cerca tan a menudo cuando éramos jóvenes? La razón no era otra que ese deseo innato de tener un observador exterior, un inadaptado que pudiera dar fe de su pedantería. Yo era su espejo, colocado en el ángulo preciso para devolverles el reflejo que resultaba más halagador.
La novela es breve, está bien escrita (aunque muy mal traducida) y se lee bien; ofrece una buena descripción de ambientes y personajes sociales y un protagonista interesante, que es el atormentado Martin Gilmour. Sin embargo, la trama me ha resultado algo previsible y algunos de los personajes, por ejemplo la familia Fitzmaurice, un poco tópicos. Hay exceso de obviedades que no añaden mucho a la historia:
No se puede atrapar a un hombre con amigos tan poderosos. Es imposible enfrentarse al poder del statu quo. Reputación. Encanto. Riqueza. El conocimiento de cómo funcionan las cosas.
En conjunto es una buena lectura, aunque la traducción te puede sacar de la historia con momentos como:
Ben, que es un capullo – repuso Fliss, amotinándose.
…huevos duros que habían puesto las dos gallinas domesticadas de Katherine.
…la alfombra estampada tambaleaba bajo mis pies.
…asados regulares para cenar…
Si papá y yo nos preocupamos, nunca fue porque no tengamos tiempo para ti o porque no te queramos muchísimo. Eiin??
Bueno, ya sabes que Ben me cae bien, pero tienes que admitir que es bastante divertido. Claro ejemplo de ‘funny’ mal traducido, de primero de Traducción.
And so on, and so forth…
Martin Gilmour proviene de un entorno desfavorecido, pero gracias a su amistad con Ben Fitzmaurice tiene un pie dentro de un mundo donde el dinero y el poder ancestrales fluyen entre familias con apellidos sonoros. Martin queda hechizado por Ben y su entorno, y confiesa:
Estaba tan desesperado por ser uno de ellos. Desesperado de un modo tan demencial y letal.
Esta obsesión es el centro de la vida de Martin y la que finalmente desencadena el drama. Él es consciente de que su devoción no es correspondida del mismo modo y que la familia Fitzmaurice tiene diferentes motivos para aceptarlo en su seno:
¿Por qué otro motivo habrían querido tenerme cerca tan a menudo cuando éramos jóvenes? La razón no era otra que ese deseo innato de tener un observador exterior, un inadaptado que pudiera dar fe de su pedantería. Yo era su espejo, colocado en el ángulo preciso para devolverles el reflejo que resultaba más halagador.
La novela es breve, está bien escrita (aunque muy mal traducida) y se lee bien; ofrece una buena descripción de ambientes y personajes sociales y un protagonista interesante, que es el atormentado Martin Gilmour. Sin embargo, la trama me ha resultado algo previsible y algunos de los personajes, por ejemplo la familia Fitzmaurice, un poco tópicos. Hay exceso de obviedades que no añaden mucho a la historia:
No se puede atrapar a un hombre con amigos tan poderosos. Es imposible enfrentarse al poder del statu quo. Reputación. Encanto. Riqueza. El conocimiento de cómo funcionan las cosas.
En conjunto es una buena lectura, aunque la traducción te puede sacar de la historia con momentos como:
Ben, que es un capullo – repuso Fliss, amotinándose.
…huevos duros que habían puesto las dos gallinas domesticadas de Katherine.
…la alfombra estampada tambaleaba bajo mis pies.
…asados regulares para cenar…
Si papá y yo nos preocupamos, nunca fue porque no tengamos tiempo para ti o porque no te queramos muchísimo. Eiin??
Bueno, ya sabes que Ben me cae bien, pero tienes que admitir que es bastante divertido. Claro ejemplo de ‘funny’ mal traducido, de primero de Traducción.
And so on, and so forth…
April 28, 2018
When I read the reviews for this I wonder if I was reading the same novel as everyone else ?
I mean what happened ? I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone so I am purposely keeping the review vague in terms of plot details. But I felt like what was the point I read it as quick as poss to get it over with and move on to an interesting book. The plot just flounders for a few hundred pages and came to a halt. Boring uninteresting characters .
I honestly can’t recommend this book and if I’m ask as part of my work I will be advising that your turning pages with no interest . Sorry
November 3, 2017
Wow! What a fantastic story!
This is the story of Martin and his best friend and school chum Ben. We have alternating chapters between Martin & Ben's school days, the night of The Party, Lucy (Martin's wife) journal entries, and Martin being questioned at the police dept. You know that something terrible has happened at the party but Elizabeth Day slowly lays out the puzzle pieces for you to follow and follow you will. I couldn't stop turning the pages.
I won't deny that Martin is a bit of a despicable character but I also felt sorry for him in some respects.
Most of the characters here are unlikable. Except Lucy. She really grew on me and her blunt comments and witticisms would give me a chuckle. The ending of her story in this did truly make me happy because I liked her so much.
As far as the ending to Martin and Ben's story line I found it abrupt and it leaves you to wonder what actually happened. I can't help but to wish there was another chapter to explain but I refuse to dock a star because this was so freaking good, so 5 stars it is even if I was a bit unsatisfied with the ending.
This is the story of Martin and his best friend and school chum Ben. We have alternating chapters between Martin & Ben's school days, the night of The Party, Lucy (Martin's wife) journal entries, and Martin being questioned at the police dept. You know that something terrible has happened at the party but Elizabeth Day slowly lays out the puzzle pieces for you to follow and follow you will. I couldn't stop turning the pages.
I won't deny that Martin is a bit of a despicable character but I also felt sorry for him in some respects.
Most of the characters here are unlikable. Except Lucy. She really grew on me and her blunt comments and witticisms would give me a chuckle. The ending of her story in this did truly make me happy because I liked her so much.
As far as the ending to Martin and Ben's story line I found it abrupt and it leaves you to wonder what actually happened. I can't help but to wish there was another chapter to explain but I refuse to dock a star because this was so freaking good, so 5 stars it is even if I was a bit unsatisfied with the ending.
July 20, 2017
2.5 Stars rounded up
There were more than a few times that I wanted to stop reading this book, relegate it to my DNF list, and move on, but I often feel a need to finish books that I've received thanks to NetGalley and each book's publisher.
There is nothing to like about any of the characters in this book, and while most are not meant to be likable people, the broad strokes of poor behavior were enough to make most of them boring as well.
It's teased out early on in the story that someone from the party, Ben's 40th birthday party, is either dead or seriously injured and the police want to know how that came to happen. This hint of mystery did help keep me reading, but what a slog.
Martin is full of unending jealous disdain for everything and everyone, especially those whom he so desperately wants to be, and its hinted that maybe he's a sociopath. His own mother stands by her assertion that there's always been something wrong with him.
Mild spoiler, and I say mild because hints are introduced fairly early on-
Martin's inability to accept that he's gay, and his unrequited love for Ben is a frustrating catalyst for me. All these cruel people who would seemingly make Martin's life worse for daring to be who he really is feels so grossly sad.
I don't enjoy spending time with characters who kill animals, who hate the people who have things they don't, who get so mired down in their own self-loathing that they can't find a way to live a real life.
It's just not for me.
There were more than a few times that I wanted to stop reading this book, relegate it to my DNF list, and move on, but I often feel a need to finish books that I've received thanks to NetGalley and each book's publisher.
There is nothing to like about any of the characters in this book, and while most are not meant to be likable people, the broad strokes of poor behavior were enough to make most of them boring as well.
It's teased out early on in the story that someone from the party, Ben's 40th birthday party, is either dead or seriously injured and the police want to know how that came to happen. This hint of mystery did help keep me reading, but what a slog.
Martin is full of unending jealous disdain for everything and everyone, especially those whom he so desperately wants to be, and its hinted that maybe he's a sociopath. His own mother stands by her assertion that there's always been something wrong with him.
Mild spoiler, and I say mild because hints are introduced fairly early on-
Martin's inability to accept that he's gay, and his unrequited love for Ben is a frustrating catalyst for me. All these cruel people who would seemingly make Martin's life worse for daring to be who he really is feels so grossly sad.
I don't enjoy spending time with characters who kill animals, who hate the people who have things they don't, who get so mired down in their own self-loathing that they can't find a way to live a real life.
It's just not for me.
September 29, 2022
A 40 year old minor art critic is being questioned by police about a party where something awful(?) may have happened? That's the book! Mostly via two of the characters (suspects) in the present looking back year by year at life living in the building; the forging of friendships and alliances; the loves, the conniving, jealousies, scheming, game-playing that brought them to where there were at the party in question.
Not only do we get a compelling storytelling device with the main protagonist in their current challenging positions, we also have them both being possibly unreliable and biassed narrators! Day, a very good writer, does a superb job differentiating between the main voices in this story and taking us along from two distinct viewpoints. A book that is pretty hard on privilege (nice one!) and mayhaps not really give them any substance? A book, that once I started, I just had to know what happened at that party. Do we find out? You'll have to read it and see yourself :). 8 out of 12 for this innovative psychological mystery thriller.
2019 read
Not only do we get a compelling storytelling device with the main protagonist in their current challenging positions, we also have them both being possibly unreliable and biassed narrators! Day, a very good writer, does a superb job differentiating between the main voices in this story and taking us along from two distinct viewpoints. A book that is pretty hard on privilege (nice one!) and mayhaps not really give them any substance? A book, that once I started, I just had to know what happened at that party. Do we find out? You'll have to read it and see yourself :). 8 out of 12 for this innovative psychological mystery thriller.
2019 read
October 24, 2017
As subtle as a car wreck, this novel which purports to be about social class in Britain builds to a climax and then fizzles. The male characters are thin cut-outs, and the male protagonist is a closeted gay man who is a stereotypical type I associate with fiction of a generation ago. The cut-glass characters of this novel reflect more on the author than the people or social class she is trying to portray. I have not read a novel which has as little understanding of the human condition as this one in a long time.
December 31, 2017
Descriptive similes and metaphors, but slow and flat.
Warning: There are two very graphic, gratuitous descriptions of animal cruelty in this book. I jumped past both of them.
Critics are raving about this book, comparing this to the brilliant classic, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Yes, they have some similar themes: Popularity vs Outcast, Old money vs disadvantaged poor, privilege, unrequited love, identity, and sociopaths. Both books are dark, psychological suspense novels. But the writing here is not on the same level as Patricia Highsmith's book. Even though "The Party" is a character study, the characters remain hollow and flat. The biggest difference for me was how Patricia Highsmith was able to make Ripley into a sympathetic character, to the point that readers find themselves rooting for him. I felt no such sympathy for any of the characters in this book, just the opposite. The writing has some nice metaphors but the detailed descriptions of violence, especially against helpless animals, felt exploitive.
Warning: There are two very graphic, gratuitous descriptions of animal cruelty in this book. I jumped past both of them.
Critics are raving about this book, comparing this to the brilliant classic, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Yes, they have some similar themes: Popularity vs Outcast, Old money vs disadvantaged poor, privilege, unrequited love, identity, and sociopaths. Both books are dark, psychological suspense novels. But the writing here is not on the same level as Patricia Highsmith's book. Even though "The Party" is a character study, the characters remain hollow and flat. The biggest difference for me was how Patricia Highsmith was able to make Ripley into a sympathetic character, to the point that readers find themselves rooting for him. I felt no such sympathy for any of the characters in this book, just the opposite. The writing has some nice metaphors but the detailed descriptions of violence, especially against helpless animals, felt exploitive.
April 17, 2019
Yeesh, I feel kind of filthy. A book with a sociopathic narrator will do that. (Shudder)
July 29, 2017
The word party has several meanings as the first page brings to one's attention. This is the party you'll want to check out. But then again what might you be a party to? And who will be the guilty parties? I loved Day's Paradise City, so when I saw this one available on Netgalley I didn't even read about it too much, immediately requesting it. And, awesomely enough, Day doesn't disappoint. The Party is a very different book (where Paradise City was optimistic, this book is extremely dark), but it does employ some of the similar narrative techniques, mainly the shifting perspectives, of which Day is a master. No event is isolated, it is observed and changes accordingly. So when a violent bust up occurs at a posh party, we the readers are given a panopticon view of the occurrence and all that lead up to it, the slow simmer that eventually came to a boil, the inevitability of it, like a car crash in slow motion, terrible, impossible to look away. Actually maybe not the panopticon view per se, but there are at least two very differing perspectives, two spouses, two sides of a love triangle of sorts, as the narrative alternates between present and past done just right to sustain the maximum suspense. It has the pacing of a mystery thriller with the quality of a terrific psychological dramatic fiction. What might have been a mere tale of an unrequited love turns into an exploration of class differences, the impossible disparity between the social strata, the desperation it produces and the abyss at the end of that road. Martin is a fascinating protagonist (or is he an antagonist?), a sort of a sociopath and yet his flaws are all too recognizable, his desires all too relatable. Driven by the singular obsessive pursuit of social acceptance and an impossible love he's an embodiment of desperation, bound for a lifelong disappointment of never knowing a security and comfort that comes from being happy or at least content with yourself and your lot in life. There's some terrific meditation here on the deleterious power of money and moneyed as they coast the waves others get buried under. Day does a great job of exposing the charm and callousness and thoughtless cruelty of the upper classes, but also at times the secrets so well protected, the basic nature that lurks underneath the glamor. It's a very clever book and works on so many levels, particularly as far as social psychology goes. Sort of a modern spin on the timeless motif or several timeless motifs and a completely engaging read, read in one day. I've recently been told by my dearly beloved that I seem to be really into books with likeable characters, well, here's the proof of my range. This book doesn't have a particularly likeable cast by any means (fascinating and complicated and interesting as they are) and I loved it. Enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
August 1, 2020
No sé la razón de incluir esta historia en el genero de novela negra ya que de eso no tiene nada, para mí es un estudio psicológico de dos amigos, Martin y Ben, que proceden de clases sociales antagónicas, mientras Martin viene de un entorno humilde y una familia desestructurada, con una madre viuda muy joven que a penas se ocupa de su hijo, Ben pertenece a la alta sociedad inglesa, aristócrata y muy bien relacionado, por circunstancias de la vida se encuentran en un internado y se hacen buenos amigos, amistad que durará y crecerá durante todos esos años, incluso cuando llegan a la universidad.
Pero un hecho que traerá consecuencias años después les pasará factura y pondrá a ambos en el lugar que ocupan, hay un tercer personaje, Lucy, la mujer de Martin que tiene un papel importante en la narración.
La historia está contada en capítulos alternos con las voces de Martin y Lucy, es muy ágil y de lectura adictiva, con una critica muy acerada a las clases altas británicas que tratan a los miembros de otras clases inferiores como meros comparsas o utilizándolos para sus intereses.
La narración comienza con un interrogatorio en la comisaria por un supuesto accidente en la fiesta de cumpleaños de Ben, a partir de ahí se va desgranando toda la vida de los tres personajes y conocemos mejor a los tres, sus deseos, sus intereses, esa amistad que parecía superar todos los obstáculos y que resulta ser solo una pantalla.
Me ha gustado mucho como está escrita y como va desgranando los recuerdos de los protagonistas y sus familias, lo que menos me ha gustado ha sido el final, que ni siquiera es abierto y se merecía un final más cerrado, al menos para Martin.
Pero un hecho que traerá consecuencias años después les pasará factura y pondrá a ambos en el lugar que ocupan, hay un tercer personaje, Lucy, la mujer de Martin que tiene un papel importante en la narración.
La historia está contada en capítulos alternos con las voces de Martin y Lucy, es muy ágil y de lectura adictiva, con una critica muy acerada a las clases altas británicas que tratan a los miembros de otras clases inferiores como meros comparsas o utilizándolos para sus intereses.
La narración comienza con un interrogatorio en la comisaria por un supuesto accidente en la fiesta de cumpleaños de Ben, a partir de ahí se va desgranando toda la vida de los tres personajes y conocemos mejor a los tres, sus deseos, sus intereses, esa amistad que parecía superar todos los obstáculos y que resulta ser solo una pantalla.
Me ha gustado mucho como está escrita y como va desgranando los recuerdos de los protagonistas y sus familias, lo que menos me ha gustado ha sido el final, que ni siquiera es abierto y se merecía un final más cerrado, al menos para Martin.
June 24, 2018
I'm not sure how much I enjoyed this. The ~reveal~ was disappointing, , everyone was kind of annoying. I know they live in a different world but is being gay seriously so shameful? Martin is an art critic for god's sake, I reckon there's more than a few other gays in the village.
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