My Lover's Lover
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Maggie O'Farrell was heralded as a major new writer with her debut novel, After You'd Gone. And here she is with My Lover's Lover, demonstrating again her extraordinary talent. The coda to the novel's final part is Evelyn Waugh's "To know and love one other human being is the root of all wisdom". It's the choices and chances, the compromises and delusions, made in the search for love that preoccupy O'Farrell's central characters. The setting is 30-something London, New York, and rural China. Lily and Marcus meet at a gallery opening; almost the day after, they're sharing his chic loft, and soon after that, his bed. But if this sounds like chick-lit, any similarities end here. Narrated in four parts, O'Farrell moves adeptly from third to first person, from present to past to future.
Through Lily's account in the first section, a claustrophobic fear pulsates: she is haunted by Marcus's previous lover, Sinead, who seems to be everywhere--"The flat seems sticky with Sinead's fingerprints. [Lily] doesn't know what to do." But according to Marcus, Sinead "is no longer with us". On every page, O'Farrell's transcription of the body as register of the emotions, of fear and desire, is breathtaking. Language dissects and insinuates; revelations unfurl and double back. Sinead's incredulity at Marcus's being "not exactly faithful" and Marcus's old friend Aidan's consternation at his own secret longings are described with such tactility, such spare suggestiveness that these lovers' tales take on a brooding, yet haphazard quality. O'Farrell is an insightful and passionate chronicler of human emotions. It's compulsive and thrilling stuff. --Ruth Petrie --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Elle, April 2002, Read of the Month
'O'Farrell's second novel, written with passion and clarity, beautifully describes how old relationships can haunt new lovers'
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon completely engrossed in this book, and must say I am surprised at some of the reviews on here as I thought it was fantastic!
The story begins with Lily moving in with a man called Marcus who is renting out a room in his converted flat. He is boyish and charming, but deeply affected by the break-up of his relationship with Sinead. Although Lily and Marcus become lovers, Lily cannot escape the presence of Sinead. It is so overpowering that Lily is able to 'see' her and smell her perfume, which makes Lily too nervous to be in the place alone. Although Marcus seems sincere, Lily finds that he is still obsessed by Sinead and this forces Lily's curiosity to grow into a an encompassing quest for the truth.
This is the first of Maggie O'Farrell's books that I have read and I found it to be an absorbing, haunting novel detailing the sometimes destructive power of love and the painful memories tied up with old relationships. Farrell's writing shows a great depth of knowledge into the human psyche. However, I like other readers did find Lily hard work to begin with, I couldn't empaphise with her and found her to be quite shallow and tactless and cringed when she kept putting her foot in it. I felt that Sinead was the most powerful character in the novel, she had real strength and power and I found myself empaphising with her more than Lily. Apart from that small niggle though the novel just kept unraveling in a dreamlike way consistently revealing more facets of this sparkling novel. It is full of twists and turns, many of which I saw coming and others were a surprise.
I cannot wait to buy Maggie O'Farrell's first novel as I have seen excellent reviews of that one...
The story begins with Lily moving in with a man called Marcus who is renting out a room in his converted flat. He is boyish and charming, but deeply affected by the break-up of his relationship with Sinead. Although Lily and Marcus become lovers, Lily cannot escape the presence of Sinead. It is so overpowering that Lily is able to 'see' her and smell her perfume, which makes Lily too nervous to be in the place alone. Although Marcus seems sincere, Lily finds that he is still obsessed by Sinead and this forces Lily's curiosity to grow into a an encompassing quest for the truth.
This is the first of Maggie O'Farrell's books that I have read and I found it to be an absorbing, haunting novel detailing the sometimes destructive power of love and the painful memories tied up with old relationships. Farrell's writing shows a great depth of knowledge into the human psyche. However, I like other readers did find Lily hard work to begin with, I couldn't empaphise with her and found her to be quite shallow and tactless and cringed when she kept putting her foot in it. I felt that Sinead was the most powerful character in the novel, she had real strength and power and I found myself empaphising with her more than Lily. Apart from that small niggle though the novel just kept unraveling in a dreamlike way consistently revealing more facets of this sparkling novel. It is full of twists and turns, many of which I saw coming and others were a surprise.
I cannot wait to buy Maggie O'Farrell's first novel as I have seen excellent reviews of that one...
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really enjoyed this book and am surprised at the mixed reviews it has recieved. I have not read Maggie O Farrell's first book but after reading her second i will search out 'after you'd gone' as i feel hungry for more novels by this author. I admit it seemed a little strange to jump so suddenly half way through the book but i saw it as a chance to get to know the other characters a little more. Personaly i would recommend this book to others as i enjoyed it so much i couldnt put it down.
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really can't agree with those reviwers who criticise this book because I loved it, even to the point of rushing home from work just to read a few more chapters! I have not, however, read the author's first novel, 'After You'd Gone' (which I understand is really good) and so perhaps, because I did not subconciously compare it with this one, I enjoyed for itself. I found the story not to be haunting in a creepy sort of way, but in the sense that it evoked the atmosphere of a love that lingers and refuses to leave, even after one of the lovers has left. Lily moves in with Marcus, who is boyish and irresistable, but he is still deeply affected by the break-up of his 5-year relationship with Sinead. Although Lily and Marcus become lovers, Lily cannot escape the presence of Sinead in the converted warehouse she shares with Marcus. Sinead's presence is so overpowering that Lily is able to 'see' her and smell her perfume, which makes Lily too nervous to be in the place alone. Although Marcus seems sincere, Lily finds that he is still obsessed by Sinead and constantly phones her, asking her to come back. Unable to stand the uncertainty, Lily tracks Sinead down and begs her to tell the truth about why she left Marcus. Upon hearing Sinead's story, Lily begins to see Marcus in a different light, until she is forced to face the truth about their own relationship. This is a story of love, betrayal, friendship and trust and (unlike a previous reviewer) I found the ending to be perfectly clear and also very satisfying. In all, I found this novel to be very tender and thought-provoking and it lingered in my mind for a long time after I had finished it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Haunting
Like many others I loved Maggie O'Farrell's earlier book "After you'd gone" & again this one is beautifully written. Read more
Published 29 days ago by DocE
Disappointing
The book got off to a great start,and hooked me in. However by the end I was disappointed and frustrated. Read more
Published 1 month ago by As Roberts
Disappointing
I recently read The Hand That First Held Mine, which I enjoyed, so I thought I would try some of Maggie O'Farrell's other books. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Carmel
Disappointed
I have already read 2 of this author's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I didn't enjoy this as much. Read more
Published 12 months ago by StMarys
The Reader
This is the first Maggie O'Farrell book I have read - it was given to me and recommended by a good friend. I was gripped at first and enjoyed the way the story was played out. Read more
Published 13 months ago by The Reader
Boring
I am fairly new to Maggie O'Farrell, having only previously read The vanishing act of Esme Lennox after it was recommended to me. Read more
Published 22 months ago by H. NORTH
undecided
I was really looking forward to reading this after reading the blurb on the back, it sounded exciting but after reading it I was left a bit disappointed and wondering if I actually... Read more
Published 23 months ago by booksdingle
big maggie fan but not my favorite book
This was my first maggie book i read, maybe i wasn't used to her style of writing then, i dont know, but although i enjoyed it enough not to put me off her other books ( i'm glad... Read more
Published 23 months ago by teddy
awful, awful book
This is a terrible book. The worst kind of pretentious modern writing, over-describing simple acts, trying to be elliptical and deep but just being tedious. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2010 by D. Marson
Disappointing ending
I enjoyed the style of O'Farrell's writing and was pretty much engrossed in this throughout. The change of narrator was well handled and I liked the twists and turns of the plot. Read more
Published on 17 July 2009 by Alison Mallaghan
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