book review: the rain before it falls

Just finished a novel in record time: less than 3 days! I haven't picked up a new book since my trip to San Diego a few weeks ago. Every book I've picked up recently was either too close to home, or didn't grab me. This book was a pleasant surprise, as I was not entirely convinced that I was going to read it by perusing the description on the jacket.

I really enjoyed his writing style and turn of phrase. The narrative painted bleak landscapes of family history, colored with an unexpected depth of feeling and complexity. It was like a gray muggy sky for me, moist and heavy, at times cold, then unexpectedly warm.

I finished it on the way to work this morning. It lingers still in my mind, which is always the sign of a good book.

The Rain Before it Falls
by Jonathan Coe

Summary (from Amazon):
"Time seems to collapse in this troubling family saga, more notable for its meditative aspects than for its relatively straightforward story of betrayal and loss. From her deathbed, the elderly Rosamond tells the story of her life and relationships through a series of photographs dating from nineteen-thirties rural England to London in the nineteen-eighties."