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26th out of 70 books
—
49 voters
The Art of Losing
Louise must come to terms with the loss of her mother when she was ten, which she partly blames on her mother's former lover.
Paperback, 236 pages
Published
2010
by Europa Editions
(first published March 5th 2009)
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For a first novel ‘The Art of Losing’ is quite a stunning achievement. A murder mystery of sorts, the plot produces a few twists and builds to a climax where the revenge factor became more muted and the ‘end-end’ was an up. Towards that ultimate point the author’s language became increasingly overcooked and for a while this reader feared disappointment. This was averted and relief ensued.
The three main protagonists were all flawed individuals for whom it was possible to develop a modicum of symp...more
The three main protagonists were all flawed individuals for whom it was possible to develop a modicum of symp...more
I need to stop borrowing books by theme. In this case, I alternated reading The Art of Losing with Elena Ferrante's Troubling Love for the theme of grieving a mother's death. Unfortunately these books neither have particularly grieving mothers, nor are they brought to best advantage by alternating the two. In fact, they have such similar conceits that they're almost impossible to tell apart. Mother is dead, mother's adultery has devastated the family, daughter follows mother's lover around, dau...more
Maybe 3.5 stars. I liked the way the book was written, I just found it slightly implausible. That implausibility isn't revealed till near the end, which means that you get about 150 pages of great prose and building suspense. And that's all for the good.
I guess I just found myself disagreeing with some of the choices the author made in terms of how characters acted and reacted. I'm not sure I found them all that convincing, and I think it would have been totally possible to carry through with t...more
I guess I just found myself disagreeing with some of the choices the author made in terms of how characters acted and reacted. I'm not sure I found them all that convincing, and I think it would have been totally possible to carry through with t...more
I saw someone refer to this book as MFA fiction, which makes perfect sense to me. It's a very competent, nicely written book that contained no jarring language or strange characters or plot twists that were terribly unrealistic.
Unfortunately I don't have much else to say about it. I found the passages about adultery and its affects on the other family members rather sad and also pretty believable, and they definitely tugged at my heart a bit.
I guess the best word I can come up with (which I've a...more
Unfortunately I don't have much else to say about it. I found the passages about adultery and its affects on the other family members rather sad and also pretty believable, and they definitely tugged at my heart a bit.
I guess the best word I can come up with (which I've a...more
Well-written, if at times a little implausible. Still it was suspenseful, and the alternating POV chapters unravelled the story at the perfect pace. I was surprised and yet not surprised by the [spoiler]incest. Felt that Adam might be her brother but once they consummated, I figured that wasn't the case because this didn't feel like "that kind" of book. Still, it was more of a "Hmmm, she went through with it" rahter than a gasp inducing surprise [/spoiler]. Nicholas was not the demon that Louise...more
I am reading the final chapters now and feeling a little dismayed at the way this story has deteriorated towards the end. The incest, I felt unneccessary as it didn't add anything to the story and it left a nasty taste for the reader. I found it impossible to believe that a five year old Louise would have any understanding whatsoever of the letter she found after her mother's death. To comprehend this child carrying the contents of that letter through her life into adulthood is ridiculous as is...more
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Mesmerizing prose exists in the beginning chapters of The Art of Losing. This young, proficient writer produces a beautiful, heartrending narrative that ends predictably. Knowing the outcome doesn’t take away from the enjoyment or one’s admiration of the young novelist’s first publication. I had the same thoughts and sentiments when I read Zadie Smith’s White Teeth years ago. Here’ a young author that I should follow closely.
A well written modern tale of what can happen if you go searching for answers that would sometimes be better left unanswered.
A 23 year old woman goes searching for her late mother's lover and meets his family with emotional trauma not only caused to herself but to everyone concerned.
The age old story of falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time and the consequences that follow, but with a twist.
A 23 year old woman goes searching for her late mother's lover and meets his family with emotional trauma not only caused to herself but to everyone concerned.
The age old story of falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time and the consequences that follow, but with a twist.
A really good MFA novel. Everything was good, characters and plot unfolded at a nice pace...which made it disappointingly predictable. No passion or surprises, even the intended surprises feel obvious and easy. Not bad, per se, just not very noteworthy. Clearly Connell is a talented and promising writer; let's hope she finds a stronger story for her next novel.
I read this book in one night. I started it around 8 at night and read until 3 in the morning! It was really good! The plot got a little dramatic in the end and I could have written the end to be more realistic and statisfying but it didn't totally disappoint...it was just a little too predictable. I am interested to see what Connell does next.
This novel had a very compelling beginning with a character who assumes a fales identity so that she might shadow her mother's killer. Unfortunately, what starts out as a very intriguing novel turns very melodramatic 3/4 of the way through, and the answers to the reader's questions about the story become somewhat formulaic.
That said, the writer is very gifted, giving her separate characters strong points of view and her novel a structure that keeps the reader interested. Hopefully, she learns th...more
That said, the writer is very gifted, giving her separate characters strong points of view and her novel a structure that keeps the reader interested. Hopefully, she learns th...more
I'm at a bit of a loss. This was a great look into infidelity, first maddening love, and complacent marriages. It was off kilter, especially with the Adam relationship (gasp!). But more than anything it was just really sorrowful. A novel of two couples and a byproduct stumbling through life trying to make happiness out of what they know won't yield. A tragedy. My happiest parts of the book are between Nicholas and Adam as an infant then, this hurts in regards to Louise.
Very thought provoking an...more
Very thought provoking an...more
I read the first five pages and then I had to work so I put it down for a few days. Last night I began reading it and I could not stop, it was so good. It doesn't have a complicated plot or a story that is hard to follow. The book doesn't even have very many characters, but it was so interesting and it kept me reading until I was done.
Wonderful little book that is part character study, part thriller (though that may be stretching it). Connell, who wrote this in her 20s, does an excellent job of capturing motivations and psychological insight of the main characters. You might not like all of them by the end of the book, but you certainly understand them. Highly recommended.
This book, told in alternating voices and alternating timeframes by two of the main characters, was well-paced and even tense at times. Other reviewers have said the outcome was a foregone conclusion, but for me that wasn't the case. I felt the story building to a crescendo, and in the process, I grew to care about each character. A very good read.
Riveting and cinematic, the tension in this book built steadily all the way to the last page. I was forced to read slowly and carefully and to love surrendering to Connell's pacing. Consider me gobsmacked.
Well written debut of a London author. The story is one of infidelity...nothing new, there. But the writing makes it compelling and the ending is very satisfying. A short, quick read. I do recommend!
I really enjoyed this book. The story and passion amongst the characters sucked me right in and I found myself craving more and more as the chapters alternated from past and present.
I couldn't get enough and I ended up reading the novel a second time soon after it was done.
I'm looking forward to more of Rebecca Connell's work!
I couldn't get enough and I ended up reading the novel a second time soon after it was done.
I'm looking forward to more of Rebecca Connell's work!
Sneaks up on you. I usually don't enjoy novels that switch narrators or PoV--they feel too MFAish to me. But this one worked: artful and haunting.
Loved this story of love and obsession. I liked the structure of alternate chapters, and I thought the tension and emotions were superbly done. A good story well told, and it gets points from me too for being kept as long as it needed to be, but no longer.
Wow -- a totally random selection from the bookstore, and I couldn't have been more engaged. Gorgoeous character development, engrossing plot. Normally I don't like it when books that change narration with every other chapter, but in this case, it adds suspense. I found myself rooting for both characters even though they're totally at odds. I highly recommend it.
This was way too predictable. It was a quick easy read but i guessed the ending in the first few pages.
I really liked this. A quick read.
Great easy read. I loved it.
I really liked the suspense of this book.
Three and a half stars.
Wow! What a beautifully written book. I read this book in two days. Explores the consequences of adultery, infidelity and deception perfectly.
More of a 3.5. Kind of strange and creepy!
non c'è arte nel dirsi addio
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![The Art Of Losing [Pb,2010]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347368215s/7895890.jpg)
