The Loney

[Disabrie22]

I really want to talk about this - has anyone read it??

I absolutely detested it. Dp loved it.

Our book group read this last month. On the whole we thought it was a very good first novel, well written, and atmospheric, but with some flaws. Some unanswered questions, and some storylines which seemed to go nowhere. Gave us plenty to discuss!

I've read half and given up...twice. I just can make myself give a shit about the characters. Definitely not my cup of tea :(

What do you think was happening with the pregnant girl?

It was a bit weird and unsatisfactory I thought. It was supposed to be incredibly disturbing and frightening and there was certainly an air of menace, but it never developed into anything conclusive.
I also found it quite strange how the narrator's brother seemed to turn into a competent adult with no real explanation. The two brothers effectively changed places regarding their ability to cope with the world by the end of the novel.
One aspect I did like was the evocation of place .. I know the Solway Coast on the Scottish side and I thought the author depicted the area well.
It had the makings of a good book but there was definitely something missing for me.

Yes, the pregnant girl was a strange storyline, she talked about having had lots of pregnancies, but looked very young. And the storyline about the sick children in the dormitory went nowhere. Good first novel though.