The older I get, the more I notice that the gap between my taste and opinions and those of other people gets deeper and deeper. Makes me kind of irritated and sarcastic, but also lost somehow.
To cut it short, i am on page 65 now, Diggs enters the story, Harri dead and buried, and the pitiful Dickensian motherly type in the toilet giving her speech. It took me awhile to enter the story, the beginning felt bumpy, in need of getting used to, but there was a moment when suddenly the clouds disappeared and the story, at least for me, was gaining speed. I think it was the murder in the forest. I had problems getting hooked to the idea of this four-man-relay-team, being described lovingly and admiringly like a new porsche by someone who is only used to driving a beetle. Reminded me a bit of this old Greek myth mentioned in Plato's symposium told by aristophanes about the spheric human beings that once included two parts united rolling happily through the world, but then were split up by the gods for whatever reason, and from then on had to look for the beloved other part, mostly in vain.
anyway, i cannot understand some of the reviews i've read, mainly because i am not a native english speaker, but nevertheless i was able to make sense of the plot after a while. so what's going on here? there was one reviewer trying to sum up the story, very sketchily indeed, as if coqueting with his inability not being able to grasp the plot, talking about "someone dying" when actually referring to the murder in the forest which was, for me, the easiest part to read by now. i expect more from professional literary reviewers, honestly. are these guys just mediocre, second-rate critics with no liberal arts education nowadays, no patience at all? it's a shame.
the kind of wooden utterances of the characters remind me indeed of the gothic novel á la mg lewis and walpole. they also show that humans are unable to communicate meaningfully, they deliver speeches, verbally compete, outwitting others, give orders, listen and die. i can see the criticism here.
anyway, just my 2 shits. i need to finish reading the novel first before i can say more about it.