A review by changeablelandscape
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a sad, taut book about a mother and a daughter who don't understand each other, and to some extent don't even know how to try.  It is not dramatic, it is very much the texture of lived life, and I appreciated how
even it is -- at the beginning it seems like it is going to be about how terrible Helen is and how long-suffering Bridget is, but as the book goes on it comes clear that while Helen really is terrible, Bridget is very much a result of the family Helen made, so when it comes to the critical moment where she might finally get inside her mother's defenses and find out what's really going on, she can't (won't) do it.   I found it very thoughtful and very, very sad, and I am glad I read it and am very unlikely to ever reread it, although who knows?