Lianne
Written on Sep 3, 2013
Despite the Beaumonts being the product of their times and the added pressures that the war has brought on daily life, my frustration festered as the story trudged forward. The lack of communication and trust between Evelyn and Geoffrey was just too much–far more than I had anticipated after being introduced to their backstory–that it prolonged the inevitable blow-up. In many ways, this novel reminded me of Simon Mawer’s The Glass Room which was shortlisted in 2009 in the way in which the relationship fractured and fell apart (I use the word “relationship” instead of “marriage” because the outcomes in both novels were very different whereas the relationship fundamental to the marriage suffered in the same ways).
Overall, Unexploded can be thoughtful at times but also exhausting, the tension drawn out. I was left far too frustrated with all of the characters involved.
You can read this review in its entirety over at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2013/09/09/review-unexploded/