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Mercury
Donald believes he knows all there is to know about seeing. An optometrist in suburban Boston, he is sure that he and his wife, Viv, who runs the local stables, are both devoted to their two children and to each other. Then Mercury—a gorgeous young thoroughbred with a murky past—arrives at Windy Hill and everything changes.
Mercury’s owner, Hilary, is a newcomer to town who has enrolled her daughter in riding lessons. When she brings Mercury to board at Windy Hill, everyone is struck by his beauty and prowess, particularly Viv. As she rides him, Viv begins to dream of competing again, embracing the ambitions that she had harbored, and relinquished, as a young woman. Her daydreams soon morph into consuming desire, and her infatuation with the thoroughbred escalates to obsession.
Donald may have 20/20 vision but he is slow to notice how profoundly Viv has changed and how these changes threaten their quiet, secure world. By the time he does, it is too late to stop the catastrophic collision of Viv’s ambitions and his own myopia.
At once a tense psychological drama and a taut emotional thriller exploring love, obsession, and the deceits that pull a family apart, Mercury is a riveting tour de force that showcases this “searingly intelligent writer at the height of her powers” (Jennifer Egan).
Mercury’s owner, Hilary, is a newcomer to town who has enrolled her daughter in riding lessons. When she brings Mercury to board at Windy Hill, everyone is struck by his beauty and prowess, particularly Viv. As she rides him, Viv begins to dream of competing again, embracing the ambitions that she had harbored, and relinquished, as a young woman. Her daydreams soon morph into consuming desire, and her infatuation with the thoroughbred escalates to obsession.
Donald may have 20/20 vision but he is slow to notice how profoundly Viv has changed and how these changes threaten their quiet, secure world. By the time he does, it is too late to stop the catastrophic collision of Viv’s ambitions and his own myopia.
At once a tense psychological drama and a taut emotional thriller exploring love, obsession, and the deceits that pull a family apart, Mercury is a riveting tour de force that showcases this “searingly intelligent writer at the height of her powers” (Jennifer Egan).
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2016
121 people are currently reading
2207 people want to read
About the author
Margot Livesey
35 books530 followersMargot grew up in a boys' private school in the Scottish Highlands where her father taught, and her mother, Eva, was the school nurse. After taking a B.A. in English and philosophy at the University of York in England she spent most of her twenties working in restaurants and learning to write. Her first book, a collection of stories called Learning By Heart, was published in Canada in 1986. Since then Margot has published nine novels: Homework, Criminals, The Missing World, Eva Moves the Furniture, Banishing Verona, The House on Fortune Street, The Flight of Gemma Hardy, Mercury and The Boy in the Field. She has also published The Hidden Machinery: Essays on Writing. Her tenth novel, The Road from Belhaven, will be published by Knopf in February, 2024.
Margot has taught at Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Carnegie Mellon, Cleveland State, Emerson College, Tufts University, the University of California at Irvine, the Warren Wilson College MFA program for writers, and Williams College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute, the Guggenheim Foundation, the N.E.A., the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts. Margot currently teaches at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
Margot has taught at Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brandeis University, Carnegie Mellon, Cleveland State, Emerson College, Tufts University, the University of California at Irvine, the Warren Wilson College MFA program for writers, and Williams College. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute, the Guggenheim Foundation, the N.E.A., the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts. Margot currently teaches at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
August 14, 2018
Donald is an ophthalmologist living in the suburbs with his wife Viv and their children. They have a quite life together until a new horse is housed at the local stable were Viv works. The horse, Mercury, is a horse unlike any other, the kind of horse people dream about riding. Mercury is destined to be a competition horse, and Viv becomes more and more obsessed with Mercury and the dreams she has for the two. Mercury's owner inherited him from her brother, who died after being pulled deeper and deeper into his obsession with the horse. Donald watches as the distance between his wife and him continues to grow, unsure how to fix the situation, until everything comes to a climax.
It's not a bad book but I just found it so ridiculous. Maybe it's because I'm not a horse person, and I really don't find horses to be that great, so I can not fathom how anyone could even care one tenth as much as half these people do about this god damn horse. Like wow the horse is fast but who cares its just a horse my god, and if you want to be successful there are so many more things to aim for, being the person who rides a winning horse seems like a pretty lame ambition to have. I may just be biased though because again I don't understand what people enjoy about horses. The writing and everything else was decent but I just could not get how anyone could get so paranoid and insane about a horse. I think I've made it clear enough what bothered me now, so I will just go away.
It's not a bad book but I just found it so ridiculous. Maybe it's because I'm not a horse person, and I really don't find horses to be that great, so I can not fathom how anyone could even care one tenth as much as half these people do about this god damn horse. Like wow the horse is fast but who cares its just a horse my god, and if you want to be successful there are so many more things to aim for, being the person who rides a winning horse seems like a pretty lame ambition to have. I may just be biased though because again I don't understand what people enjoy about horses. The writing and everything else was decent but I just could not get how anyone could get so paranoid and insane about a horse. I think I've made it clear enough what bothered me now, so I will just go away.
March 19, 2017
Mercury by Margot Livesey is a 2016 Harper publication.
This book has cropped up on my radar several times in the last several weeks. I have so many books in my TBR pile, I really didn’t need to add another library book on top of that, plus readers seemed to have a mixed response to it. Yet, every time I read the blurb, I found myself intrigued more and more, so I relented and checked it out.
The phrase ‘compulsively readable’ came to mind when I started reading this book. Donald’s first person narrative sucked me into the story right away and I just couldn't stop reading.
As the clever cover art hints at, Donald is an optometrist, originally from Scotland, married with two children. But, when his father passes away after a lengthy illness, Donald experiences intense grief, while his wife, Viv, seems to experience relief. Not only that, a new love has entered Viv’s life… no, it’s not another man… it’s a horse.
Viv also get a turn at telling her side of things, but her voice is not as heartfelt, or as poignant as Donald’s and of course by the time she gets her say, I knew things about her that made it hard to sympathize.
While the book is placed in the mystery, crime, thriller category, it’s not just about the crime. It’s about what leads up to it that makes the book hard to put down. Donald is great at dropping little ‘If only I had known then, what I know now’ statements that gives the reader hints and causes much speculation, creating an atmosphere of foreboding.
This is another one of those books, though, that if you are anticipating the usual thriller format, you will find yourself becoming very frustrated. It is not until very deep into the book that the crime is revealed, along with the motive. From there the fallout revolves around the couple's crisis of conscience.
For me, it’s a portrait of a marriage, as much as it is about a crime. The secrets they keep, the complacency and neglect that leads, in no small part to jealousy, obsession, and a need to recapture something lost, and eventually about accountability. While this is interesting if you enjoy breaking down the complexities of marriage, it is a slow moving story, and the ending is not at all satisfying.
I have mixed feelings about the book, overall. It started off strong, but lost significant ground during the last quarter of the book and ended up falling a little flat.
If you are looking for a traditional crime novel, this one might not be exactly what you are looking for, but it's worth a look if you are a fan of this author or you enjoy reading contemporary fiction or literature.
Overall 3 stars
This book has cropped up on my radar several times in the last several weeks. I have so many books in my TBR pile, I really didn’t need to add another library book on top of that, plus readers seemed to have a mixed response to it. Yet, every time I read the blurb, I found myself intrigued more and more, so I relented and checked it out.
The phrase ‘compulsively readable’ came to mind when I started reading this book. Donald’s first person narrative sucked me into the story right away and I just couldn't stop reading.
As the clever cover art hints at, Donald is an optometrist, originally from Scotland, married with two children. But, when his father passes away after a lengthy illness, Donald experiences intense grief, while his wife, Viv, seems to experience relief. Not only that, a new love has entered Viv’s life… no, it’s not another man… it’s a horse.
Viv also get a turn at telling her side of things, but her voice is not as heartfelt, or as poignant as Donald’s and of course by the time she gets her say, I knew things about her that made it hard to sympathize.
While the book is placed in the mystery, crime, thriller category, it’s not just about the crime. It’s about what leads up to it that makes the book hard to put down. Donald is great at dropping little ‘If only I had known then, what I know now’ statements that gives the reader hints and causes much speculation, creating an atmosphere of foreboding.
This is another one of those books, though, that if you are anticipating the usual thriller format, you will find yourself becoming very frustrated. It is not until very deep into the book that the crime is revealed, along with the motive. From there the fallout revolves around the couple's crisis of conscience.
For me, it’s a portrait of a marriage, as much as it is about a crime. The secrets they keep, the complacency and neglect that leads, in no small part to jealousy, obsession, and a need to recapture something lost, and eventually about accountability. While this is interesting if you enjoy breaking down the complexities of marriage, it is a slow moving story, and the ending is not at all satisfying.
I have mixed feelings about the book, overall. It started off strong, but lost significant ground during the last quarter of the book and ended up falling a little flat.
If you are looking for a traditional crime novel, this one might not be exactly what you are looking for, but it's worth a look if you are a fan of this author or you enjoy reading contemporary fiction or literature.
Overall 3 stars
September 28, 2016
Meh. Not for me.
August 22, 2016
If I said this book was about "middle aged passion," you might expect the heroine to fall in love with a younger man, or even an age appropriate one. But the heroine of Margot Livesey's latest finds her midlife passion for . . .a horse. Hers is not a romantic liaison, of course, but it is a truly all consuming, drive-you-mad relationship that causes our heroine to make ill considered decisions, risk other valued relationships and even break with some of her most dearly held political beliefs. I've long been a fan of Margot Livesey for her quiet, wise observances of contemporary life, and Mercury doesn't disappoint. It reminds us that even the most intelligent and careful among us can need to feel connected and committed to the feelings -- and creatures -- that make us feel most alive.
November 5, 2016
When I look through the new book shelf at the library, I always do it in hopes that something will surprise me and end up being exactly the book I want. This almost never happens. But it happened today with MERCURY, which I checked out this afternoon and finished by bedtime.
I am a book person. I read a lot of advance copies of books. I pay attention to buzz. I have heard NOTHING about this book, and yet it grabbed me from the beginning and would not let me go. I don't know how this book flew under the radar but don't let the fact that you haven't heard of it deter you.
This book is both my favorite kind of book and my least favorite kind of book. I probably overlooked it seeing its plot about a marriage growing stale. I get bored of books about tedious marriages stuck in middle-aged meditations. But I love books about regular people in normal circumstances who find themselves involved in something they never would have predicted through a series of mostly reasonable steps. I love the way this kind of book builds, I love wondering what is the big thing that is clearly going to happen, I love a narrator that drops just enough hints to keep you going.
Somehow Donald and Viv, the couple at the center of the book, did not bore me. Sure, Donald is the exact kind of character I'm totally tired of. A man who loves his wife and kids, grieving the recent death of his father after a long illness, didn't reach the heights he'd originally hoped in his career because of family obligations, living a comfortable life in a comfortable place. Donald is the kind of character you hate in a lesser writer's hands. And while I can't explain why Donald's narration immediately brought me into the story, it absolutely did. Donald cares very much about people. Donald feels good about the decisions he's made in his life. (Donald's greatest regret is giving up on a youthful penpal.) Donald sees his wife drifting away from him and doesn't understand.
Perhaps what's different about Donald is that eventually he does understand, at least a little. Donald is forced over and over again to see life outside himself, to try to consider someone else's point of view, to let himself be upset by what he sees when he changes his perspective.
Or maybe it's just that Livesey is so good at the subtle dropping of hints here. It's clear quite early that something is going to go bad. The horse, Mercury, will be at the center of whatever this something is. But it's not at all clear what this something will be, even as the hints get larger. It's excellently done. I could not stop reading. And even though the climax comes earlier than I expected (about halfway through) Livesey still keeps the tension up as Donald tries to decide how to respond to the big, terrible thing and what it will mean for everyone going forward.
I have read at least one (maybe two?) of Livesey's novels before and have not had strong feelings about them. So I don't know if this is a typical novel from her or a big leap forward. Regardless, I enjoyed it quite highly. A great domestic drama that you can tear through and also pick apart at length. Definitely recommended for book clubs. There are similar elements to Fates and Furies here, but it's a much more normal and realistic marriage at the center, which may make it more accessible to some who found F&F to be too much.
I am a book person. I read a lot of advance copies of books. I pay attention to buzz. I have heard NOTHING about this book, and yet it grabbed me from the beginning and would not let me go. I don't know how this book flew under the radar but don't let the fact that you haven't heard of it deter you.
This book is both my favorite kind of book and my least favorite kind of book. I probably overlooked it seeing its plot about a marriage growing stale. I get bored of books about tedious marriages stuck in middle-aged meditations. But I love books about regular people in normal circumstances who find themselves involved in something they never would have predicted through a series of mostly reasonable steps. I love the way this kind of book builds, I love wondering what is the big thing that is clearly going to happen, I love a narrator that drops just enough hints to keep you going.
Somehow Donald and Viv, the couple at the center of the book, did not bore me. Sure, Donald is the exact kind of character I'm totally tired of. A man who loves his wife and kids, grieving the recent death of his father after a long illness, didn't reach the heights he'd originally hoped in his career because of family obligations, living a comfortable life in a comfortable place. Donald is the kind of character you hate in a lesser writer's hands. And while I can't explain why Donald's narration immediately brought me into the story, it absolutely did. Donald cares very much about people. Donald feels good about the decisions he's made in his life. (Donald's greatest regret is giving up on a youthful penpal.) Donald sees his wife drifting away from him and doesn't understand.
Perhaps what's different about Donald is that eventually he does understand, at least a little. Donald is forced over and over again to see life outside himself, to try to consider someone else's point of view, to let himself be upset by what he sees when he changes his perspective.
Or maybe it's just that Livesey is so good at the subtle dropping of hints here. It's clear quite early that something is going to go bad. The horse, Mercury, will be at the center of whatever this something is. But it's not at all clear what this something will be, even as the hints get larger. It's excellently done. I could not stop reading. And even though the climax comes earlier than I expected (about halfway through) Livesey still keeps the tension up as Donald tries to decide how to respond to the big, terrible thing and what it will mean for everyone going forward.
I have read at least one (maybe two?) of Livesey's novels before and have not had strong feelings about them. So I don't know if this is a typical novel from her or a big leap forward. Regardless, I enjoyed it quite highly. A great domestic drama that you can tear through and also pick apart at length. Definitely recommended for book clubs. There are similar elements to Fates and Furies here, but it's a much more normal and realistic marriage at the center, which may make it more accessible to some who found F&F to be too much.
August 16, 2017
In a word - nah.
It just seemed like an over exaggeration of events.
We meet Donald and Viv - a couple with two kids living in Massachusetts. Viv works at her best friend's stables when a new horse arrives, Mercury. From there everything spirals. Viv becomes obsessed with Mercury and the life she never had entering competitions and riding. Granted I'm not a big horse person so maybe I just can't relate. Viv's obsession eventually leads to a violent climax.
The story was told from both Donald's perspective and then from Viv's. I didn't really like Viv as a character for a start, then reading all the back and forths just got tedious. It was an interesting premise - but I wasn't gripped, and neither was I satisfied with the ending.
Main positives were its interesting take on gun crime in America and also the grey area when dealing with morality. Is telling the truth always right even if it destroys the lives of others in the process? Or keeping quiet despite knowing the truth to spare others even when the law is involved?
2.5 stars.
It just seemed like an over exaggeration of events.
We meet Donald and Viv - a couple with two kids living in Massachusetts. Viv works at her best friend's stables when a new horse arrives, Mercury. From there everything spirals. Viv becomes obsessed with Mercury and the life she never had entering competitions and riding. Granted I'm not a big horse person so maybe I just can't relate. Viv's obsession eventually leads to a violent climax.
The story was told from both Donald's perspective and then from Viv's. I didn't really like Viv as a character for a start, then reading all the back and forths just got tedious. It was an interesting premise - but I wasn't gripped, and neither was I satisfied with the ending.
Main positives were its interesting take on gun crime in America and also the grey area when dealing with morality. Is telling the truth always right even if it destroys the lives of others in the process? Or keeping quiet despite knowing the truth to spare others even when the law is involved?
2.5 stars.
March 23, 2017
If you are looking for your original everyday thriller, don't look here.
If your looking for a challenging read that starts off kind of interesting, then gets intriguing where you get the hang of the authors style of writing then this maybe for you.
It's put in the Thriller category however, it could easily be in Romantic suspense, as it's about marriage, secrets, lies and uncovering human desire at its raw.
Donald and Viv.
Donald tells us his POV of things and how he sees things.
Viv has her turn too.
Viv owns the local stables where we meet Mercury.
Vic's desires come to the fore as does her obsession. Her infatuation leads her astray.
Donald has 20/20 vision but Viv has changed, he's failed to notice. His life is threatened from a secure life to an unsecure future.
Donald is too late.
Viv s desires are imminent.
This is definitely not my usual read but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
3.5 from my thoughts.
New author to me.
Thank you to Sceptre/ hodder for my copy.
If your looking for a challenging read that starts off kind of interesting, then gets intriguing where you get the hang of the authors style of writing then this maybe for you.
It's put in the Thriller category however, it could easily be in Romantic suspense, as it's about marriage, secrets, lies and uncovering human desire at its raw.
Donald and Viv.
Donald tells us his POV of things and how he sees things.
Viv has her turn too.
Viv owns the local stables where we meet Mercury.
Vic's desires come to the fore as does her obsession. Her infatuation leads her astray.
Donald has 20/20 vision but Viv has changed, he's failed to notice. His life is threatened from a secure life to an unsecure future.
Donald is too late.
Viv s desires are imminent.
This is definitely not my usual read but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
3.5 from my thoughts.
New author to me.
Thank you to Sceptre/ hodder for my copy.
August 10, 2016
I think it was a slow start, and I wasn't sure where it was going. It's not until the end of Donald's first narrative that I started to become interested. And when Viv gave her account, I wanted to stand up and applaud. I love the way she mentioned things that Donald had mentioned, conversations from her point of view. Even old memories. It felt very real to me, they felt very real to me then. And when Donald came back, it was a nice welcome. I had missed him.
Overall I think the book does very well with both perspectives. I can see why it had the ending it had, again it felt very real to me and that's what I thoroughly enjoyed. It was unexpected.
I'm not giving it a five star writing because though the writing was very good, there were a lot of names and I kept having to stop myself and think, okay who is this person? Once that even happened with thier pet. And I've never complained about not being able to keep track of my characters ever before.... It's possible it's just me. But it also doesn't get a five star because it took a long time for it to become a page turner, though it was worth the wait. Just not five stars.
Overall I think the book does very well with both perspectives. I can see why it had the ending it had, again it felt very real to me and that's what I thoroughly enjoyed. It was unexpected.
I'm not giving it a five star writing because though the writing was very good, there were a lot of names and I kept having to stop myself and think, okay who is this person? Once that even happened with thier pet. And I've never complained about not being able to keep track of my characters ever before.... It's possible it's just me. But it also doesn't get a five star because it took a long time for it to become a page turner, though it was worth the wait. Just not five stars.
October 20, 2016
Though there is a horse cover of this novel, the horse doesn't actually factor in as much as one would imagine. I'm OK with this; I'm not really a horse or horse book fan. What I wasn't OK with was the extremely slow plot development, the plethora of characters, or the fact that these two married people seemed to be living in different worlds, neither of them expressing to the other their discontent.
Viv and Donald Stevenson have been married nearly 10 years, have two kids, and vastly different careers. Donald left his surgical career after the death of his father to become an optometrist. Viv left a fast paced job in New York City to work with horses at a friend's stable. What was once a pleasant relationship becomes filled with secrets and comes to feel perfunctory. Viv falls in love with Mercury, a horse that seems to give her a new lease on life and a chance to capture her lost childhood dreams.
The book starts off very, very slowly. To be honest, it didn't ever truly pick up speed. The characters all felt boring to me. The only one who had a modicum of personality, Donald's friend Jack, lost it after he started a relationship with a woman. Even the Stevenson children do nothing to bring levity or humor to this droll story.
One thing that bothered me a lot is the extremely heavy use of foreshadowing. Several times a chapter, the narrator would say something like, "But how could we know what was to come later?" or, "Looking back, I wish I would have known...". It took me way out of the story and I just plain didn't like it. I would like to just experience what is going to happen as it's happening, thanks very much.
As a married person, I can see how the tedium of everyday life can cause stress on a marriage. But if you want to make it work, why not talk it out? Viv and Donald ignore each other, speak under their breath, and do nothing to make the other aware of how they're feeling in any way. Instead of trying to talk to each other, they hide in their work and confide in others. I guess this does happen, but as a happily married person I found it very sad and immature.
I finished only about half of Mercury and couldn't complete the rest. It just didn't grab my attention on any level.
Viv and Donald Stevenson have been married nearly 10 years, have two kids, and vastly different careers. Donald left his surgical career after the death of his father to become an optometrist. Viv left a fast paced job in New York City to work with horses at a friend's stable. What was once a pleasant relationship becomes filled with secrets and comes to feel perfunctory. Viv falls in love with Mercury, a horse that seems to give her a new lease on life and a chance to capture her lost childhood dreams.
The book starts off very, very slowly. To be honest, it didn't ever truly pick up speed. The characters all felt boring to me. The only one who had a modicum of personality, Donald's friend Jack, lost it after he started a relationship with a woman. Even the Stevenson children do nothing to bring levity or humor to this droll story.
One thing that bothered me a lot is the extremely heavy use of foreshadowing. Several times a chapter, the narrator would say something like, "But how could we know what was to come later?" or, "Looking back, I wish I would have known...". It took me way out of the story and I just plain didn't like it. I would like to just experience what is going to happen as it's happening, thanks very much.
As a married person, I can see how the tedium of everyday life can cause stress on a marriage. But if you want to make it work, why not talk it out? Viv and Donald ignore each other, speak under their breath, and do nothing to make the other aware of how they're feeling in any way. Instead of trying to talk to each other, they hide in their work and confide in others. I guess this does happen, but as a happily married person I found it very sad and immature.
I finished only about half of Mercury and couldn't complete the rest. It just didn't grab my attention on any level.
November 21, 2016
Several things about this book stretched my tolerance, not least the fact that the author knows nothing about guns except that she thinks they're scary and dangerous. The characterizations were weak, people I was supposed to deem important to the story caused me to thumb back to figure out why, and I was out of patience with virtually everyone by the time I closed the book. Tiresome.
October 24, 2017
I'm not a horse person. I didn't grow up wishing for a pony in my backyard, or even reading elementary chapter books about horse clubs. I suspect my toddler is a horse person - the look of complete delight when she rode her first pony just a few weeks ago, all but gives it away - but I'm not. So it was very hard for me to understand why Viv did what she did. We get an account from her, but filtered through Donald's perspective, which makes it even harder, at least for me, to get to the heart of this book.
I kept thinking: but it's just a horse!!
It's a slow, measured book, fitting for Donald, a measured, reasonable protagonist. I've read other novels by Margot Livesey, and enjoy her writing style, but Donald was a tad too ... colorless for me. It's also not a traditional mystery, which is unfortunate, because it's been marketed as one. More than anything, it's one man's struggle to understand the world around him, and his place in it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that sort of novel; I just wasn't expecting it.
I kept thinking: but it's just a horse!!
It's a slow, measured book, fitting for Donald, a measured, reasonable protagonist. I've read other novels by Margot Livesey, and enjoy her writing style, but Donald was a tad too ... colorless for me. It's also not a traditional mystery, which is unfortunate, because it's been marketed as one. More than anything, it's one man's struggle to understand the world around him, and his place in it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that sort of novel; I just wasn't expecting it.
October 19, 2016
My book group read Eva Moves the Furniture and, more recently, The Flight of Gemma Hardy (which was a retelling of Jane Eyre), both of which I enjoyed. I was pleased to be invited to read Livesey's newest novel, especially because it is set near Boston where I live. Here is a link to my review, which also includes a photo of a delicious dessert I had last November 24th:
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/201...
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/201...
March 12, 2019
Goddamn, I ate that. Couldn’t put it down. First book I’ve read by this author. Won’t be the last.
October 12, 2016
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
Donald and Vivian are living the American dream. They're married with two adorable children, in a loving and committed relationship, and have a close circle of family and friends nearby. Sadly, their dream relationship begins to take a wrong turn and things go from bad to worse in Margot Livesey's latest, the psychological thriller Mercury.
Donald was born in Scotland and came to the United States with his family as a child. He went back to Scotland as an adult and studied medicine before returning to the US to work as an ophthalmologist. He enjoyed his career and serendipitously meets and falls in love with Vivian (Viv). Soon they have two lovely children, a boy and girl, get married, move to the suburbs, and restructure their lives to suit their families needs. Fast forward a few years and Donald is working as an optometrist and Viv is no longer working in high finance but is now a horse trainer working at a local stable with her childhood best friend. Viv seems happy with her life as a trainer, mother, and wife until a new horse is brought to board at the stables. Soon she is spending all of her time at the stables, obsessing over training with this horse, obsessing over possible danger to this horse, and just obsessing. She's no longer the woman Donald married and Donald isn't quite sure when things went wrong, how to fix it, or whether he even wants to fix his marriage.
I found Mercury to be an engrossing read that hooked me from the very beginning. Although I read this book in one day, it is quite possible (and highly probable) that I would have finished it in a few hours if I weren't dealing with a migraine that progressed from moderate to severe throughout the day. Even with the multiple breaks I was forced to take, I couldn't wait to return to this story to find out what happens next. Ms. Livesey has crafted an incredible story with amazingly real and realistically flawed characters that made me believe the action was really happening rather than mere words on a page. I was intrigued by this book's synopsis and the cover image and smiled when I got to the point where the image layout made sense (read the book and you'll understand). I also enjoyed reading about a character with my first name, Vivian (even though I didn't really care for the abbreviated Viv). I could tell you more about what happens in the story but I won't (okay, there is a parrot that you'll enjoy reading about). It is sufficient to say that Mercury includes family angst and drama, marital discord (not knock-down drag-em-out fights or anything but discord nonetheless), obsessions, lying to family and friends, cover-ups, and more. If you enjoy reading books about family drama, psychological suspense, or just want a good book to read, then I strongly urge you to grab a copy of Mercury to read. Trust me, this is one must-read book you'll want to read sooner rather than later. I also recommend you make sure you have sufficient time set aside to read this book (like a weekend) because you probably won't want to put it down once you start.
Original review posted on 10/12/2016 on www.thebookdivasreads.com/2016/10/201....
Donald and Vivian are living the American dream. They're married with two adorable children, in a loving and committed relationship, and have a close circle of family and friends nearby. Sadly, their dream relationship begins to take a wrong turn and things go from bad to worse in Margot Livesey's latest, the psychological thriller Mercury.
Donald was born in Scotland and came to the United States with his family as a child. He went back to Scotland as an adult and studied medicine before returning to the US to work as an ophthalmologist. He enjoyed his career and serendipitously meets and falls in love with Vivian (Viv). Soon they have two lovely children, a boy and girl, get married, move to the suburbs, and restructure their lives to suit their families needs. Fast forward a few years and Donald is working as an optometrist and Viv is no longer working in high finance but is now a horse trainer working at a local stable with her childhood best friend. Viv seems happy with her life as a trainer, mother, and wife until a new horse is brought to board at the stables. Soon she is spending all of her time at the stables, obsessing over training with this horse, obsessing over possible danger to this horse, and just obsessing. She's no longer the woman Donald married and Donald isn't quite sure when things went wrong, how to fix it, or whether he even wants to fix his marriage.
I found Mercury to be an engrossing read that hooked me from the very beginning. Although I read this book in one day, it is quite possible (and highly probable) that I would have finished it in a few hours if I weren't dealing with a migraine that progressed from moderate to severe throughout the day. Even with the multiple breaks I was forced to take, I couldn't wait to return to this story to find out what happens next. Ms. Livesey has crafted an incredible story with amazingly real and realistically flawed characters that made me believe the action was really happening rather than mere words on a page. I was intrigued by this book's synopsis and the cover image and smiled when I got to the point where the image layout made sense (read the book and you'll understand). I also enjoyed reading about a character with my first name, Vivian (even though I didn't really care for the abbreviated Viv). I could tell you more about what happens in the story but I won't (okay, there is a parrot that you'll enjoy reading about). It is sufficient to say that Mercury includes family angst and drama, marital discord (not knock-down drag-em-out fights or anything but discord nonetheless), obsessions, lying to family and friends, cover-ups, and more. If you enjoy reading books about family drama, psychological suspense, or just want a good book to read, then I strongly urge you to grab a copy of Mercury to read. Trust me, this is one must-read book you'll want to read sooner rather than later. I also recommend you make sure you have sufficient time set aside to read this book (like a weekend) because you probably won't want to put it down once you start.
Original review posted on 10/12/2016 on www.thebookdivasreads.com/2016/10/201....
April 9, 2017
There is much in this book: horses, obsession, marriage and family, friendship, grief, gun rights, and vision, or the lack of it. It is in 3 sections, the first narrated by Donald, an optometrist from Scotland. The second section is narrated by his wife, Viv, who is obsessed with a magnificent horse named Mercury, and the last is narrated again by Donald. Donald has been distant since the death of his father. His wife becomes totally obsessed with the horse Mercury and goes to great lengths to care for and ride the horse that does not belong to her. These lead to a tragic event that alters the lives of various people.
There are also subplots that involve friends and coworkers and passion and temptations. But the story really revolves around Donald's inability to really "see" his wife and her subsequent turning to fulfilling a childhood dream of riding a horse in competitions. This obviously puts a great strain on the relationship and does lead to some damaging behaviors, to say the least.
I was actually between 4 and 5 stars in this one, for I felt that the novel did drag for just a bit in the 3rd section. However, there was so much there and the author did her research and was able to write intelligently about some very important issues.
There are also subplots that involve friends and coworkers and passion and temptations. But the story really revolves around Donald's inability to really "see" his wife and her subsequent turning to fulfilling a childhood dream of riding a horse in competitions. This obviously puts a great strain on the relationship and does lead to some damaging behaviors, to say the least.
I was actually between 4 and 5 stars in this one, for I felt that the novel did drag for just a bit in the 3rd section. However, there was so much there and the author did her research and was able to write intelligently about some very important issues.
October 9, 2016
I loved with Margot Livesey had to say about this book during a reading at Harvard Bookstore - an examination of the marital infidelities that don't involve sex but, rather, an infidelity of beliefs. this book examines more - the difference between a lie and withheld information, the effect of not seeing/not being seen in human relationships, the difference between ambition and obsession, and the role of shame, apology, and forgiveness. All sounded very promising until Viv goes from a blindly ambitious woman to one who seems mentally unstable. At that point, the book slips for me because missing the fact that your spouse has lost track of reality in a dangerous way is very different from two spouses wheeling into different orbits. Livesey also succumbs, at times, to soapbox diatribes against Americans and their guns. I agree with her politics, but I think messages of this sort in fiction should be allowed to emerge through theme rather than being broadcast through the mouths of characters acting as mouthpieces for their creators. The subplot involving Robert, and the role it plays in the final resolution of the book, also struck a discordant note for me.
May 5, 2020
*Spoiler alert
If it hadn't been for my library being closed due to COVID, I probably wouldn't have soldiered on with this book.
A middle aged Scottish opthalmologist and his American wife. She gets obsessed with this horse--Mercury. And because of her obsession starts to neglect her kids, etc. She then illegally buys a gun and accidentally shoots one of her husband's best friends in the stable one night when they are visiting the horse.
She thinks they are intruders out to get her precious horse.
I did NOT care about the characters, I found the husband dull as paint. I found the wife annoying and whiney. (They both get a chance to narrate their side of the story) (I listened to the audiobook).
I supposed Livesey wrote it because she wanted to talk about our gun problem here in America. But I do feel there was something very essential missing from this book and I wouldn't be surprised if she was just as bored writing it as I was reading it. (listening to it).
I'm relieved it's over and I have something else to imbibe whilst commuting to work.
If it hadn't been for my library being closed due to COVID, I probably wouldn't have soldiered on with this book.
A middle aged Scottish opthalmologist and his American wife. She gets obsessed with this horse--Mercury. And because of her obsession starts to neglect her kids, etc. She then illegally buys a gun and accidentally shoots one of her husband's best friends in the stable one night when they are visiting the horse.
She thinks they are intruders out to get her precious horse.
I did NOT care about the characters, I found the husband dull as paint. I found the wife annoying and whiney. (They both get a chance to narrate their side of the story) (I listened to the audiobook).
I supposed Livesey wrote it because she wanted to talk about our gun problem here in America. But I do feel there was something very essential missing from this book and I wouldn't be surprised if she was just as bored writing it as I was reading it. (listening to it).
I'm relieved it's over and I have something else to imbibe whilst commuting to work.
November 16, 2016
A husband and wife in early middle age keep secrets from each other--some small, some not so small. Within the last year, the husband's beloved father died, and the wife has rediscovered the passion of her youth: horses. Because of the secrets, a serious, quite avoidable "accident" occurs. Livesey explores themes of secrecy, blindness-- literal and metaphorical, knowledge of self and intimate other, and responsibility in a somewhat flawed but still engrossing novel.
April 14, 2017
Mixed feelings. Maybe my biggest problem is that I cannot relate to Viv's horse obsession, nor all of her bad choices relating to that obsession. I liked Donald's voice better (the story is told from both of their points of view).
That aside, I look forward to hearing the author in real life in a couple of weeks at the Newburyport Literary Festival. I may come back with a whole new take on the book. Who knows?
That aside, I look forward to hearing the author in real life in a couple of weeks at the Newburyport Literary Festival. I may come back with a whole new take on the book. Who knows?
March 13, 2017
Newburyport author
Full of moral dilemmas
Full of moral dilemmas
October 12, 2016
Margot Livesey has a proven knack for writing literary page-turners, and she does it again in her latest novel, about the challenges a marriage goes through when the wife becomes obsessed with a horse. The husband, an optometrist born in Scotland, shares more emotions with the reader than he does with his spouse, which is one of their problems. However, despite the fact that the couple both get to tell their story in their own point of view, he is clearly the more sympathetic character, even though he too has a tendency to tell lies that severely complicate the situation of the family and their friends. Livesey is Scottish, and in the wife, Viv, she draws on that perspective to create one of those classically American characters so desperate to prove her own specialness that she is willing to risk her marriage, her reputation, even her family. Livesey is adept at dropping hints of things to come, which is one of the things that keep the pages turning, but she also makes sharp, well-informed observations about so many things -- keeping parrots for pets, the human eye, what it's like to go blind in adulthood, and horsey people and their love of those large, four-legged creatures. In a Livesey novel, it's about both the journey and the destination.
October 16, 2016
Mercury
By
Margot Livesy
What it's all about...
I can reasonably say that this book is about a girl and a horse. But to better put it it's about a woman...Viv...and a horse...Mercury...and what her love and infatuation with a horse that doesn't even belong to her...did to her life! What her obsession did to her family...husband Don...and her two young children...was strange and unordinary.
Why I wanted to read it...
I was enthralled with this book's cover and the quirky yet fascinating dysfunction of these characters. What seemed totally harmless in the beginning grew to be a very dangerous obsession!
What made me truly enjoy this book...
I loved the characters when they were normal. Viv and Don...seemed totally normal...well...almost normal...at first. I loved the way the book was written through their alternating voices.
Why you should read it, too...
I think if you are a reader who enjoys reading about relatively normal characters who make choices that leave them open to changes in their lives that have the potential to make awful changes to their lives...well...that's the kind of reader who will really get into this book. I read this book slowly because there were so many character traits to think about.
Fondly...Patty
By
Margot Livesy
What it's all about...
I can reasonably say that this book is about a girl and a horse. But to better put it it's about a woman...Viv...and a horse...Mercury...and what her love and infatuation with a horse that doesn't even belong to her...did to her life! What her obsession did to her family...husband Don...and her two young children...was strange and unordinary.
Why I wanted to read it...
I was enthralled with this book's cover and the quirky yet fascinating dysfunction of these characters. What seemed totally harmless in the beginning grew to be a very dangerous obsession!
What made me truly enjoy this book...
I loved the characters when they were normal. Viv and Don...seemed totally normal...well...almost normal...at first. I loved the way the book was written through their alternating voices.
Why you should read it, too...
I think if you are a reader who enjoys reading about relatively normal characters who make choices that leave them open to changes in their lives that have the potential to make awful changes to their lives...well...that's the kind of reader who will really get into this book. I read this book slowly because there were so many character traits to think about.
Fondly...Patty
July 24, 2016
I would actually rate this a 3.5. Well written marital drama that centers around the lies and secrets that poison a relationship.
December 1, 2016
Impeccable writing and a character-driven plot. This would be a good book club selection--the characters are flawed and their choices compromised, so there's lots to think about and no real heroes.
October 13, 2016
Emotional and Heartfelt. Mercury is the story of love, obsession, and the choices that can lead to events one never thought possible.
This book is the journey of two people who have stopped paying attention to one and other. Where they are at the beginning of the book with not be where they are at the end. As cryptic as that is, it is the truth. At start, these two are the parents of two and live their lives just as they have for years. Donald goes to work in his small practice as an optometrist even though he is starting to miss surgery. While, Viv is working at a stable after quitting her more corporate job to pursue a bit of what she thinks she has lost.
Each of these two is missing something in their life. They want more, but don’t seem to know how to get it. However it is not until Mercury, a horse that Viv becomes obsessed with, enters the picture that their world turns upside down. From this point on, these two as well as their friends will head down a path that none of them thought they would. It appears that having 20/20 vision isn’t as helpful as Donald thinks.
What pulled me in with this book is the self-reflective moments that the author was able to capture within the characters' minds. Written with such grace, the entire book flows from one narrator to the other without effort, but it is the realizations of the characters as they are telling their story that really resonated with me.
If you love stories about real people and drama that can be created through relationships, then I would pick up this book. It is well worth being added to your to read pile.
Highly Caffeinated Rating of...
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March 8, 2018
This is the story of a woman’s obsession with a race horse and how the obsession changes her life, her family’s lives, and the lives of their friends. I felt was trying to be two things and didn’t quite succeed as either. First, it was trying to be a thriller. It had the pretty common format of letting you know something terrible had happened straight up front. Then it built up to that event for the first half of the book and followed with the aftermath. There was some suspense, but the big reveal was unsurprising and anticlimactic. The second thing this author seemed be trying to do was to write something literary. The writing was good, up there with the interesting commentary on married life and the secrets people keep as my favorite part of the book. However, perhaps in an attempt to be more literary, there lots of strange references. Some word-play around the horse’s name, Mercury, and repeated references to Greek mythology, for example. They didn’t add much to the book. They didn’t provide extra insight into the characters or add depth to the story. This was a decent character study and thriller, but it was too average for me to recommend it strongly when there are so many other books out there that achieve more.
This review first posted on Doing Dewey.
This review first posted on Doing Dewey.
December 3, 2018
This is a book that I picked up on a whim, one I judged by cover and title. It took me about the first 50 pages or so to really find my rhythm with it. And it's a fascinating deep dive into a major turning point in a man's life - a self-reckoning with himself and his marriage and the changes of being in the middle of his life. It's character study and post-mortem all in one. I think the depths of obsession with Mercury are expressed perhaps too peripherally, too small (the limitations of the perspectives used and the characterization given). It makes the pre-reactions (the fallout we are primed for from the beginning), after, seem almost overdramatic. But, for all that, worthwhile for the dissections, the contradictions and the questioning that can exist for whom you believe yourself to be and who you are - and then again as others know you.
September 24, 2020
#26/50 A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision)
Mercury – Margot Livesey - #popsugarreadingchallenge2020
An ARC that has been on my shelves for too long –
#readwhatyouown - September Challenge - @anovelfamily @readingenvy
A Mix of Optometry, Horse Enthusiasm and complicated Adult Friendships/Marriages
Mercury – Margot Livesey - #popsugarreadingchallenge2020
An ARC that has been on my shelves for too long –
#readwhatyouown - September Challenge - @anovelfamily @readingenvy
A Mix of Optometry, Horse Enthusiasm and complicated Adult Friendships/Marriages
June 2, 2018
Part mystery, part contemporary literary fiction, all riveting -- compelling the reader to move along to reveal what exactly did happen. Enjoyed getting the story from both sides, each filling in details not fully covered by the other. Definitely a good read, especially for those who love horses.
June 5, 2018
This book was better than I thought it would be considering that it centered on a horse. It was about a horse and the effects that horse had on everyone associated with it. I still have mixed feelings about the book though. I don’t know how I should rate it.
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