The dreaded 3 stars, I always feel uncomfortable with it because I have heard authors talk about it as a sign of disdain. The two extreme scores show that you had an impact, positive or negative, whereas a middling score smacks of apathy. I disagree. I really like Agnes Ravatn’s writing and I enjoyed this book, but the difference between 3 and 4 for me is less my own enjoyment and more how fervently and widely I would recommend it. The Guests is unusual, it a short novel and it takes a deep dive into envy. It caught me a little off guard I suppose and I sense that the further I move away from it the more it will say to me. That’s something I find with Agnes, so maybe this is a short term 3 that will grow over time.
In a way this is a story in which very little happens, but the tension all comes from the interplay between the characters, the lies that are told, the not knowing who knows the truth and the way that envy manipulates and erodes its victims. It is a character study rather than a thriller. It is intriguing and well-constructed , but maybe it loses something by its lack of real jeopardy. There is a sense that the lead is a little petty and the neurosis overplayed, but the writing is precise and engaging and the setting is beautifully drawn, which makes for a short, thoughtful read that lingers beyond its abrupt, open-ended finale.
Synopsis
A young couple are entangled in a nightmare spiral of lies when they pretend to be someone else …Exquisitely dark psychological suspense by the international bestselling author of The Bird Tribunal
`A delightfully insightful and wicked little read … Like the cabin, it´s so minimalist and stark and at the same time so compelling´ Elizabeth Haynes
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It started with a lie…
Married couple Karin and Kai are looking for a pleasant escape from their busy lives, and reluctantly accept an offer to stay in a luxurious holiday home in the Norwegian fjords.
Instead of finding a relaxing retreat, however, their trip becomes a reminder of everything lacking in their own lives, and in a less-than-friendly meeting with their new neighbours, Karin tells a little white lie…
Against the backdrop of the glistening water and within the claustrophobic walls of the ultra-modern house, Karin´s insecurities blossom, and her lie grows ever bigger, entangling her and her husband in a nightmare spiral of deceits with absolutely no means of escape…
Simmering with suspense and dark humour, The Guests is a gripping psychological drama about envy and aspiration … and something more menacing, hiding just below that glittering surface…
Live Many Lives 