She has recently lost her mother, and a sense of abandonment is part of her personality. She is also young and longing for romance and excitement.
Her job as a transcriptionist, however, is boring, but when she does have the opportunity to become more involved, Juliet realizes there is still plenty of dull mixed in with the tension and danger.
Most of the book is slow and anything but a thriller, and Atkinson probably did this on purpose. There is sly humor throughout, especially the kind of bitter/sweet/amusing sections with Juliet imagining the possibility of romance with the wrong man.
When the war is over, Juliet moves on with her life and by 1950 is a radio producer with the BBC. She discovers that the past is not always past.
An overarching theme of deception, duplicity, and the masks people wear permeates the novel. Some of the references are obvious, some made me curious about different applications, but I was not expecting one central duplicity. In the concluding chapters, the suspense mounts (finally), and traitors are revealed.
I admit that I found a majority of the novel slow and despite the fact that the slow pace is intentional and despite the many amusing and witty comments and scenarios, I felt myself wading through three quarters of the book waiting for...something. But that something arrived, and the conclusion and the Author's Note which follows made everything worthwhile.
Transcription is a curious book. It is not a thriller, as you might expect, but it is book that ambushed me at the end and one I can't quit thinking about.
Read in August. Blog review scheduled for Sept. 9.
NetGalley/Little, Brown, and Company
Historical Fiction/Espionage. Sept. 25, 2018. Print length: 352 pages.
I'm not sure I'm up for wading through all the slow parts at the beginning, and apparently the middle, of this book just to get to the good ending. I find I'm a little too impatient these days for slow-moving books. :)
ReplyDeleteIt may depend on how much you love Kate Atkinson's writing. There are so many wonderful lines in the book and yet the story is pretty slow-moving. I was surprised at the end, and I appreciated the Author's Note as to her inspiration.
DeleteGood writing does make up for a lot, doesn't it?
DeleteI think yours are the first thoughts I've encountered about this book as yet. Interesting. From what it sounds, I'm going to have to be in the right mood or maybe it might work better for me on audio. Sometimes books that start off slower are better that way. I have had this one on my list already.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I just wanted more suspense, but I did enjoy many of the concepts Atkinson put forward as she led the intentionally slow pace. It was worth my time, even if it wasn't really the thriller I was expecting, and I can't help but admire the book more in retrospect than in process. :)
DeleteI'm with Kay; I think this is one of those books which fits for a "mood" read. I don't think I've the patience as of now for a slow-paced story considering I've so many library books waiting to be read. ;p
ReplyDeleteIt is not a thriller, but it is surprising! :)
DeleteGreat review! I love Kate Atkinson and her writing. This is one of the few books that I pre-ordered this year. I will read anything that she writes. I don't think the slow aspect of the book will bother me . I find with a lot of her books, the pay off is really in the end when you can look back at the book as a whole. :D
ReplyDeleteAside from the style and the sly humor, the hints of facades were apt, keeping me alert and questioning. Few people are exactly what they seem. :) Hope you will like it, Ruthiella. :)
DeleteI think you won me over with the description of the ending -- I am so curious now!
ReplyDeleteI've long had an interest in all of the intelligence agencies during WWII. Some of my favorite nonfiction books have dealt with espionage and counter-espionage from 1930-1950. Atkinson presents a perspective that I wasn't anticipating and a connection that I didn't make--although I probably should have.
DeleteI find Kate Atkinson's books on the slower side, but always worth it. Not that I have read many. I do want to read this one.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it, Wendy! I like a book that surprises me by looking back at it and seeing how carefully it was written to achieve its purpose.
DeleteI've not always had a lot of success with her books but you've got me hooked with the ending. I am curious now!
ReplyDeleteI remember being not as enthusiastic about Case Histories, and truthfully, until the end, I wasn't sure about this one. Of course, there were things I loved throughout, but it was certainly slow.
DeleteI am interested in this book. I still have to read Gods in Ruins too.
ReplyDelete