The wedding march

     It is a sure sign of an involving story when a reader is thinking about the plot of a book while going about their daily business. I am around three quarters of the way through Adele Geras's Made In Heaven, and I'm fascinated to see how Adele is going to resolve her story. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to decide the fates of the various characters because she has created an immense and very real dilemma for one of them, and others are facing tough decisions, too. How will it all end?

     I suspect that readers of this book will fall into two camps: some will be longing for the story to go one way, and an equally opinionated faction will be hoping for the opposite outcome. I'm reserving judgement for now, and am simply observing how Adele has most skilfully brought things thus far.

     Without giving away too much of the plot, as a dream wedding is being planned, family relationships begin to unravel and long-buried truths are exposed. There are characters to love and loathe and a wealth of detail on clothes, food and interiors, but to use a musical analogy, what's important here is not so much the tune with its harmonies and embellishments, but the rhythm and the pitch, the pace and the dynamics. So, as we reach the finale, will it be along the lines of Ravel's "Bolero", or more Chopin's "Raindrop Prelude"? 'Crescendo/fortissimo/furioso' or 'diminuendo/piano/largo'? Either way, my money's on 'lacrimoso'!

    

    

Comments

[tara]

I liked Geras' book Facing the Light so much that I just ordered this and another one by her. Now I'm looking forward to it even more!

[Harriet]

I'm reading this, too! Haven't got very far yet but enjoying what I have read...

[Zoe]

Oh I must seek this out, you've really tempted me.

[Danielle]

I really must pick up one of her books--I keep reading about her and how good her books are!