Reviews for A Pure Clear Light

The average rating for A Pure Clear Light based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-01-01 00:00:00 Mandy Perveiler The late Australian writer Madeleine St John (1941-2006) first came to my attention when I read her debut novel 'a rather delicious black comedy called The Women in Black ' several years ago. A Pure Clear Light, which was first published in 1996, was her second novel. This one is set in London ' Hammersmith and Notting Hill, to be precise ' where the author, herself, resided, having emigrated to the UK in 1966 (she was a contemporary of Bruce Beresford, Clive James, Germaine Greer and Robert Hughes ' how's that for a star-studded line up?) It could be best described as a domestic comedy, but its humour is tempered by pathos and an exploration of all the complications and chaos of modern life, which makes for a fiercely intelligent read. Set over the course of around six months, it focuses on Simon and Flora Beaufort, a middle-class couple with three children ' Janey, 13, Nell, nine, and Thomas, five. Their lives are comfortable but hectic ' David, who directs and writes TV plays, is on the constant look-out for the next big thing, and Flora is busy running her own business with a friend importing and selling third-world textiles. Right from the very start, we find out that Simon is having an affair with an accountant called Gillian Selkirk and they've been spotted having a romantic meal in a French brasserie by one of Flora's friends. The story then rewinds to show how the affair began ' and how Simon carries on his subterfuge right under his wife's nose without her ever realising. On the face of it ' and indeed going by the blurb alone ' you would think this was a story about a marriage falling apart through Simon's betrayal, but it's much more than that. The over-riding theme is the transitory nature of life and the need to "live in the moment". To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-07-09 00:00:00 Kevin Paquette Una lettura piacevole ma forse un po' troppo femminista. Un canto di lode alle donne forti, decise, indipendenti, che continuano a brillare anche quando sono costrette a scelte difficili e forse anche sbagliate. Lo stile semplice, lineare, ironico, unito alla brevità dei capitoli, che scorrono veloci uno dopo l'altro, rendono la lettura molto fluida. L'autrice è brava a creare una continuità tra fine ed inizio dei capitoli, mantenendo viva la curiosità e spingendoti a proseguire con la lettura. Avrei preferito probabilmente un finale diverso, più azzardato, ma forse è più realistico quello scelto. "Perché non mi basta?" si chiese. "Perché vogliamo sempre di più?" Un invito a non guardarsi troppo intorno, la felicità è accanto a noi, occorre soltanto saperla cogliere, perché Nella vita tutto è transitorio.