Becoming Strangers (Hardcover)

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This Human Season by Louise Dean 4.3 out of 5 stars (6)  £5.99

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Review
Louise Dean's debut novel is about death - the imminent physical death of Jan, who is suffering from terminal cancer and who has only a matter of weeks to live, and the slow death of two relationships. Yet out of this sombre material, Dean has produced a sparkling novel, full of wit and gentle humour, shot through with tender, compassionate observations of the minute details of human existence. Jan and Annamieke are slowly suffocating in a deeply unhappy marriage. Jan has been dying for six years, when their sons treat them to a Caribbean holiday; a last holiday together and a chance make a final attempt to salvage something from the wreckage of their relationship before it is too late. George and Dorothy, a staid, elderly couple terrified of change and addicted to routine, also find themselves in the same resort, thanks to the generosity of their granddaughter. Out of their depth in the rarefied atmosphere of the resort, they gravitate towards the gentle Jan and his sophisticated wife, and an unlikely friendship is born. This tropical idyll is shattered when Dorothy disappears, and George is forced to confront the truth about his wife's mental state. Jan too must face up to some harsh realities about Annamieke and her needs: her veneer of sophistication begins to crumble and it seems that the end of the marriage is inevitable. Becoming Strangers is an acutely observed portrayal of the horrors which lurk beneath the surface of each ordinary life, and the deep desire of every human being to be loved. (Kirkus UK)

Tourists at a fancy hotel on an unidentified Caribbean island find their vacation package includes the specter of death as well as skinny-dipping and anonymous sex. Among the vacationing couples in Dean's debut novel, which was long-listed for the 2004 Man Booker Prize, are Belgians Jan and Annemieke. Jan has been fighting cancer for six years; it is now terminal. He's hoping for a reconciliation with his wife at the end of their long, rocky marriage, but Annemieke is more interested in self-gratification. She initiates sex with an unattractive guy named Bill in the massage room and later offers Adam, an English staff member, $150 for sex in her bedroom; she's 49 and feels opportunity slipping away. The British George and Dorothy Davis are much older; he's 79, she's 82. The old-timers bicker constantly, so it's a surprise when George later says Dorothy is "a good 'un. A pal," and more of a surprise to learn that she has Alzheimer's. In one of the novel's two main episodes, she wanders off dazedly into the countryside. After she's retrieved, she still manages to pull off plenty of one-liners. The other episode concerns Adam, Annemieke's stud. After he's serviced her, she cries rape, and things look bad for the Brit until her earlier fling is revealed. That's the action, such as it is, but Dean squeezes in several monologues. George confesses to cheating on Dorothy; Jan reveals "a brush with evil" in Belize; and Bill talks of his alcoholism and how it drove his wife to suicide before he turned to God. These monologues are more convincing than are the minor characters, especially the beautiful Chinese woman who wants Jan to elope with her to Paris (where else?) and swear unconditional love as he dies in her arms. Dean's grasp of the material is shaky and her voice erratic. (Kirkus Reviews)

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8 Reviews 5 star:  (5) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   24 of 29 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, unexpected and compelling...I want more!, 1 Mar 2004 By  "donaghadee" - See all my reviews It's hard to ignore a book when the first lines read "Before he had cancer he'd been bored by life. Since he'd taken dying seriously, he'd been busy". It's an opening to rank with Tolstoy's "All happy families resemble one another.." and Jane Austen's "It's a truth generally acknowledged...." I found this story utterly compelling and unexpected. Compelling because I couldn't put the thing down and unexpected because I didn't think I'd care so much about 2 outwardly mundane couples at the beginning of the end of their lives together. Even more unexpected because just as you think you know where you are, Dean drops a startling and, once you've recovered from the shock, extemely funny line. All of which forces you to reconsider your reactions to both the tale unfolding on the page and the story of your own life. The synopsis does no favours to this brilliant novel: in following the story of the elderly George and Dorothy from Bexhill-on-Sea and middle-aged Annemieke and Jan from Belgium on their once in a life time holiday in the Carribbean, you will reflect on your own life and that of your parents and grandparents with a new and searching light. Read it, and then tell your friends. Is there more from where this came from? Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   18 of 23 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Memories Locked In Each Other, 9 Sep 2004 By  Eric Anderson (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    Louise Dean's first novel focuses on the stories of two couples who travel to a holiday resort in the Caribbean as a treat from their children. None of the four individuals particularly want to go on this holiday, but they feel obligated to because both couples realise that it might be the last one that they have together. Both couples are struggling to deal with illness. A middle-aged Belgian couple named Annemieke and Jan go on this holiday with the knowledge that Jan is suffering from a terminal cancer. The older English couple named George and Dorothy realise that Dorothy is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease. Despite the depressing idea of couples going on a final holiday while facing their own mortality may seem terribly depressing, Dean is able to suffuse the narrative with comic touches that gives it a great deal of humanity and makes it a rewarding, moving read. This thirty-four year old writer has unusual insight into the complex way a long term marriage can develop a significance beyond the mere routines which come with the bonding of two people. In some ways the individual identity of each person becomes lost because the memories from each of their lives are inextricably linked to this other person. What the characters in this novel are struggling to decide is if they will lose their own sense of themselves if they leave their partner. George tries to meticulously record his past by writing a memoir and Annemieke attempts to completely rediscover a self worth in anonymous sexual encounters. Dean's writing is incredibly enjoyable to read in its richly detailed short chapters and startlingly emotional scenes. At the same time it is able to explore some very complex ideas about the nature of relationships and personality in original, meaningful ways. This is a unique and beautiful first novel. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   26 of 35 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars Unengaging, 11 April 2005 By A Customer I have rarely read a book with a more promising opening line that was let down this fiercly by the remainder of the story. Not one of the characters was likeable and the dialogue between the couples often so bitter that I really struggle to understand why so many reviewers have described this tale as uplifting - if anything it left me depressed. If you believe that only the ugly side of human beings makes a novel true this might be a great book to read for you. It also offers a great deal to reading groups who are looking for a discussion starter. There are many story lines in this book, some of which might have been really interesting to follow through, but the author tries to tell too much at once. There are so many sub-stories and supportive characters she is trying to flesh out that I ended up not feeling that any of the characters had any depths at all. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 8 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting idea, well written and developed I thought the central theme was quite interesting, exploring relationships that have developed over time but now have to deal with the pending passing away of one of the partners... Read more Published 3 months ago by Tushar 2.0 out of 5 stars Depressing view of human nature This book should have been so much better than it was. As an idea for a book it works. Two couples go away on what is likely to be their last holiday as a couple. Read more Published on 10 April 2006 by emma-ann 5.0 out of 5 stars The Memories Locked In Each Other Louise Dean's first novel focuses on the stories of two couples who travel to a holiday resort in the Caribbean as a treat from their children. Read more Published on 13 Jun 2005 by Eric Anderson 5.0 out of 5 stars The Memories Locked In Each Other Louise Dean's first novel focuses on the stories of two couples who travel to a holiday resort in the Caribbean as a treat from their children. Read more Published on 30 Sep 2004 by Eric Anderson 5.0 out of 5 stars A sensitive, humourous, unexpected read Becoming Strangers was a page-turner from the start. Having gripped the attention from the opening lines, it then surprised with a subtle mix of humour and understanding. Read more Published on 9 Mar 2004 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 8 customer reviews...

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