Slave to Love

What was it, Andrew often wondered, about book people that made them so neglect personal hygiene? Other types of obsessive managed to change their underwear, brush their teeth, and utilise modern, effective deodorants, so why not book collectors? Books themselves, of course, could often smell so perhaps there was some semi-conscious attempt at empathy? A brotherhood of mustiness and sticky crevices?

Alice's Secret Garden begins like a fairy tale. Although set in a failing auction house in contemporary London, the main character, Alice, falls under a spell. She was already somewhat passive; now she sleepwalks through her days barely acknowledging the people in her path. Her co-worker, Andrew, has a crush on her, but he wouldn't mind show more shagging the office beauty, a mean girl named Ophelia. Andrew also has a friend, Leo, an odd looking professor who hides his loneliness behind belligerence and a quick wit. Alice, surprisingly, also has friends, especially Odette, who works in the City. A minor member of the nobility has a first edition of Audubon and Alice and Andrew are sent out to appraise it. If it's authentic, it could save the auction house. The book and its owner live in a modern glass house in the middle of the countryside, miles from anywhere and strangely gothic despite its clean lines and bright spaces. The owner is a brooding, Heathcliff-like guy who is drawn to Alice.

The story keeps its distance for the first half, sounding more like a tale than a novel. It eventually picks up, although the central story is never quite the most interesting thing. The characters are interesting, even Alice warms up as things get going, but it's the secondary characters who shine in this odd book. There's one quite unfair moment when the author hides the true state of things from only the reader, a cheap stunt to artificially create suspense, but on the whole, I liked it. show less

Could barely start, let alone finish.