BOOK: Last Orders by Graham Swift

Last Orders by Graham Swift

Books to Movie Challenge, Book Awards II: Man Booker Winner 1996

Well, it was an award winning Booker, from the nineties. Lots of character analysis, not much plot. Okay to read, well written, but not that engrossing.

Old friends are asked to scatter the ashes of Jack, off the jetty in Margate. Many different characters narrate their own chapters, and gradually, the reader sees the past and present of the characters, understands the connections between people, and motives behind actions. My biggest issue was the lack of nouns and names. So many he's or him's that I found it hard to keep track of backstories. That is me being a lazy reader as much as anything.

Interestingly, I think I would enjoy the movie. The relationships between the characters were complicated and on the big screen, more of the emotion should come through.

This is my second book by Swift, and I am concluding that his writing style does not make great reading for me. I acknowledge that his writing is good, characters are interesting and well written, but just not my cuppa. I imagine many readers will enjoy this one, especially if you like character studies of a life and examining friendships. Depending on how the reading challenges go this fall, I may come back and use this for the 2nd's Reading challenge.