A Perfectly Good Man

by Patrick Gale

The new novel from Patrick Gale, author of Richard & Judy-bestseller 'Notes from an Exhibition', returning readers to his beloved Cornish coastline. "Do you need me to pray for you now for a specific reason?" "I'm going to die." "We're all going to die. Does dying frighten you?" "I mean I'm going to kill myself." When 20-year-old Lenny Barnes, paralysed in a rugby accident, commits suicide in the presence of Barnaby Johnson, the much-loved priest of a West Cornwall parish, the tragedy's reverberations open up the fault-lines between Barnaby and his nearest and dearest. The personal stories of his wife, children and lover illuminate Barnaby's ostensibly happy life, and the gulfs of unspoken sadness that separate them all. Across this web of relations scuttles Barnaby's repellent nemesis - a man as wicked as his prey is virtuous. Returning us to the rugged Cornish landscape of Notes from an Exhibition, Patrick Gale lays bare the lives and the thoughts of a whole community and asks us: what does it mean to be good?

• ISBN10: 0007313470
• ISBN13: 9780007313471
• Publish Date: 15 March 2012 (first published 1 March 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 9 July 2013
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Fourth Estate Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

I really wanted to like this book, it was an interesting concept for a novel but I never connected with any of this book or the characters. The book revolves around the community effects of Lenny’s suicide in front of a priest. This small community and the stories of past and present play out in this book. For me the people never felt real and I think that first began with Father Barnaby Thomas feeling to fake. Having grown up in a small town with a minister for a father I’ve seen how people react towards the church and the church leaders and in this book nothing felt real and everything felt a little too nice. While I’m glad many people enjoy this book, I never felt a connection and that really did stop me from enjoying the story. As for the writing and the style; both seemed good so I think many people would enjoy the book; just not me.