Nana Ding Ding itibaren Claret, 31410, France itibaren Claret, 31410, France

I had already read one book by Patrick McGrath, The Grotesque, when I picked this one up. This book is more subtle and more beautiful in many ways. Told from the perspective of the main character's friend and eventual psychiatrist, it follows the arc of a desperate, obsessive love, and reactions to the loss of said love. McGrath's prose gives us a perfect window into the setting, mood, and overall feeling of each scene, all the while colored with the emotions of the narrator. It's a strange sort of storytelling, but one that I found quite compelling. I'm also startled at how much horror one can put into a book without resorting to much more than steady character development (or perhaps disintegration). All I can say is that I'm going to go buy more books by McGrath in the coming days.

I loved this book, beautifully written, in the style of an opera, it was absolutely captivating.