Easy Silence

by Angela Huth

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William and Grace share what seems to them an ideal marriage. William enjoys a successful career in a relatively famous string quartet, and Grace is a children's book illustrator. Both in their 50s, neither have any reason to believe that their relationship could be threatened. But when Andrew, the quartet's viola player, retires with arthritis, he is replaced by the beautiful Bonnie, and the remaining male trio find the internal relations of the quartet have changed dramatically. Soon show more William can't think of anyone or anything else, and begins to work out stratagems for inviting Bonnie to lunch or to prevent her from spending too much time with Grant, the cello player, who is his main rival for her attention. It is not long before William has even begun to think the unthinkable: that his faithful, loving wife Grace Has Got To Go... Angela Huth has been compared to Jane Austen and Mrs Gaskell, and her novels gleam with beautiful observations and utterly convincing characters. In this, her ninth novel, she is at her superlative best, casting a wise and witty eye on mid-life crises and modern marriage. show less

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2 reviews
This quirky, amusing, dark tale centers around the lead violinist of a quartet in England named William. This protagonist finds he must replace his prized viola player who has recently succumbed, and so decides, with the agreement of his 2 other members, to add a talented young female player to the group.

Once Bonnie joins the quartet, something very strange happens to William....although happily and comfortably married to wife Grace for many years, William becomes madly infatuated with Bonnie. Nothing can seem to keep him from falling for her ~ hard. Even though he adores his wife and his comfortable, familiar life with her, he decides he must have Bonnie. The only way to take Bonnie as his own, William decides, is to kill Grace.

The show more story proceeds with William conjuring up different scenerios and methods of murder, without much thought to the finality and the actual horrendous act ~ he merely sees it as a means to an end. So infatuated he is with Bonnie, so strong his passion for her, that even though he continues to love his wife in theory, he still feels the only way for him is to get rid of Grace.

This story was delightfully dark, funny, quirky....each character was very realistic and the plot was absorbing. Some surprises along the way kept the book going at a good pace. I didn't want to put this book down. Superbly written, this richly satisfying novel was a wonderful and different read. Although I could have predicted the ending, which was nice....I was sort of hoping for something a little more exciting. But overall, the book was very good and I would like to read more by this wonderful author.
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½
A story about a couple who have been married for a number of years. The husband starts to fall for someone else and decides to kill his wife but he keeps screwing it up. A bit of a black comedy, it's like a nice cup of tea, pretty even and nothing too excitable except for one act of violence that seemed completely out of place. It took me a little while to get into it and I almost gave up but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it out.

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Original publication date
1999

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Romance
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6058 .U85 .E27Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
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Members
61
Popularity
505,364
Reviews
2
Rating
½ (3.63)
Languages
Dutch, English, French, German
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
14
ASINs
2