Review: Examination of a failing relationship
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 25, 2013
At her husband Adrian's insistence, Adrian and Paula had moved from their city flat to a cottage in the rural English countryside. It was the kind of idyllic setting that Adrian had dreamed of, but it was too remote for Paula's liking. Ironically, Paula came to enjoy the peacefulness, while Adrian began to have second thoughts about the remoteness, which required a long, unpleasant commute to his job in the city. But even moving 200 miles away didn't keep Adrian's obnoxious mother from visiting them. The situation exposed the serious problems in Adrian and Paula's relationship. When strange children began showing up and stealing food from the house, it only deepened their alienation. Could the couple work through their problems, or was moving back to the city the answer?I didn't fully understand who the children were or why they appeared to be constantly hungry. They did play a role in the story, however, in sharpening the differences between Adrian and Paula. I suppose other readers may have a different interpretation regarding the children. In any case, I enjoyed the story, with its melancholy tone and its spot-on description of a couple's marriage gradually disintegrating, one that likely typifies many marriages today. I liked the author's style and her portrayal of two sympathetic characters. Neither character was a bad person, but that didn't necessarily mean they shared the same goals in life or were compatible mates.