Humanities Book 2: Doctor Haggard's Disease - Patrick McGrath

McGrath's style is exquisite. This book is a must read for all bibliophiles. It is a contemporary gothic novel. According to my friend Wikipedia "His fiction is principally characterised by the first person unreliable narrator, and recurring subject matter in his work includes mental illness, repressed homosexuality and adulterous relationships".  That sums it up really well.

The book is set in WWII era, and is set in England. McGrath very well describes the setting, the culture, the life then. If you were watching Downton Abbey, it could be a darker follow up as to where they left off. The society, in England, is the same although changing quickly, and going to war yet again.

The main character or narrator is definitely unreliable, but it is a fascinating look into a diseased man's mind and processes. The other characters are all from this unsound narrator's perspective, so it would be unwise to jump to conclusions about them, they are very interesting nonetheless.

A summary: The plot follows the narration of one Dr. Haggard, who describes his love affair with his first love. His only love. The heart break that follows and how her love haunts him. He later meets her son, long after her death. The son is a spitfire pilot and he knows time is not on his side, as Hitler's blitzkrieg was progressing to England rapidly. He needed to find out about his mother's affair with Dr. Haggard, he pursues, so the story goes.

I recommend this book for a nice read in isolation, with coffee or a whiskey. Probably a whiskey because there's some crazy stuff that goes down. It's a short read and can be done in a week, however it is heavy stuff. The plot is convoluted, and the end is shocking as I've been told by many of the other students. The characters especially Dr. Haggard are gripping. I had a hard time putting down this book because the desire to want to know what happens next is so nagging. The language is lovely and I can not wait to read other of McGrath's works.

Plot: 9/10
Entertainment: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Thought Provoking: 10/10
Recommend: 10/10

NEVER judge a book by its cover.