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The Facts of Life by Patrick Gale
Book Type: Hardcover
Published: 05 June 1995
Publisher: Flamingo
RRP:£15.99
Cheapest price: £
Prices last checked: 27/03/2008 04:43:17
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Review:
This is a book which takes you right to the middle of these characters and their lives. This is not the facts of life in its colloquial sense, this is about issues (murder, unrequited love, lust, mental breakdowns, free love, homosexuality, AIDS, the effects of war) that are perhaps hidden when we talk about the reality of life but are very real nonetheless.
Patrick Gale (PG) splits the story into two sections. The first sees Edward Pepper, a German exile who falls in love with his English, older female doctor, Sally. The setting is post-war but the author makes no date reference throughout this part of the story and the second. As a reader you get a real sense of time, era, place and atmosphere, without having to refer to dates and major events to quantify that date.
Edward and Sally have a charmed existence at the 'Roundel' (a home meant to only be passed through the female line of a family). Edward tries to compose worthwhile musical pieces which are snubbed and certainly misunderstood by Sally. He turns to a rather insipid second best to composing great symphonies and operas; composing music for motion pictures. This brings him in contact with the rather forceful film star, Myra Toye. In turn, Sally is the more practical of the relationship, bringing money in, looking after their daughter Miriam, running the house and maintaining a happy balance looking after Edward, especially when illness takes hold and it feels everyone is at risk of becoming infected by it. However nothing is forever.
PG moves the story forward roughly 30-40 years to Edward and Sally's grandchildren, Jamie and Alison and their mother Miriam. Here the reader sees the impact their mother has had on their lives from a living as a hippy in a commune, conveniently at the Roundel to something resembling a 'Stepford wife' coming full circle and discovering the hidden depths of her commune living and existence in helping those with illness. Alison and Jamie are stuck in jobs where you have to be continually watching over your shoulder for the person who is desperate to step straight into your shoes and will tread on anyone to get there. This is reflected I think into their personal lives when neither can keep a relationship and always looking for the next conquest and never committing. That is until they meet Sam. Sam is the modern day obstacle to the story.
There is so much to this book, it is difficult to decide what to discuss in a review without giving out major plot details and endings. Read this book, if you want a family saga, that is different from most and that is full of all the 'facts of life' then this is the book for you.
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