Perfect
Joyce, RachelIn theory it shouldn't matter that in 1972 two seconds were added to the world's atomic clocks. But Byron Hemmings can't help but observe a link between this event and the minor traffic accident involving his mother. With the major repercussions that result from this incident the Hemmings family are never going to be the same again.
Related through the alternating voices and intertwined storylines of the adolescent Byron of the 1970s and Jim, a present day ex-psychiatric patient, this is a compelling examination of the cost of perfection. A moving and thought-provoking read. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
A mixed reaction but most enjoyed it, even though it's a sad story. We had an interesting discussion on the nature and causes of mental ill health ie/ whether it was due to the characters' natures, or their circumstances. Christchurch 299 An excellent read - well crafted in story-line, characters and language. An interesting surprise ending, but believable... Palmerston North 012 Most of the group found it too slow moving - one member loved it though! Motueka 004 We really enjoyed it. Auckland 076 Intriguing book - most enjoyed it. Our long discussion went well. Temuka 001 A wonderfully written book, with a writing style that draws you in and holds your attention. It was a pleasure to read this. A tragic story with a beautiful delivery. Queenstown 010 This book was "perfect" for our group. Happy, sad, thought-provoking and always entertaining. The structure of the book kept us on our toes. Auckland 271 Those of the group who completed the book really enjoyed it. It was well written with the reader not knowing until near the end of the story who Jim was. We felt it was a sad story, but it did have an uplifting ending. One or two of our group found it difficult to "get into" and therefore didn't finish it. With discussion of mental illness quite topical at present, it showed an in depth side to (perhaps) Autism, and the role that parents do have in their child's well being. Christchurch 317 Generally considered a good read, the book hooks you from the start with the two separate storylines, and a hint of how these collide by the end. We did think it could have done with tighter editing. Many preferred her first book. Auckland 285 A light read on some serious topics. Lovely writing style. Timaru 016 A few of us didn't like the format of two storylines, and a few didn't finish as they didn't find the characters interesting enough. I loved it! Masterton 011 We all enjoyed Rachel Joyce's book, although some of us preferred her previous novel (Harold Fry), and thought this one was too sad. She makes her characters come to life with her excellent writing skills. Whangarei 001
Pages
361
361
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
08-06-2023
This book was beautifully written. Some people found it a little depressing, while others could see the beauty within the grim circumstances.
04-03-2020
Good read, everyone enjoyed it. Flowed really well - pacey. Kept reader intrigued until the end.
04-03-2020
We enjoyed this book, and most of us finished it. Good discussion - mostly about the characters and our different readings of events. Thank you.
04-03-2020
We were pleased to have read the book, although very depressing at times. Great insight into mental health, class and dysfunctional families. The characters were very strong and each powerful in their own way. A bit Gothic in places, left you thinking about the content for days.
04-03-2020
Such a sad book. Very clever. We all enjoyed it.
04-03-2020
Each member enjoyed the book, but similarly found the beginning section slow and quite tedious as the boys seemed pedantic in discussion. Most put the book down but returned to it as the meeting date drew near. Then, of course, we realised that Jim's disorder was manifesting itself even at that early stage. The characterisation and descriptions were superb and the use of tense gave a hint of time change. The behaviours of the dysfunctional family and that of the caf staff later gave a balance to the storyline.
04-03-2020
We all loved this book, and had a great in depth discussion around the characters.
04-03-2020
Everyone enjoyed this book and we had a good discussion about it. The twist at the end kept everyone guessing.
04-03-2020
Everyone seemed to enjoy it.