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The Possession of Mr Cave by Matt Haig


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Title of book: The Possession of Mr Cave

 

Name of author: Matt Haig

 

Paperback: 256 pages

 

Publisher: Vintage (7 May 2009)

 

ISBN-10: 0099522950

 

ISBN-13: 978-0099522959

 

Synopsis ~

 

Terence Cave, intellectual, music-lover and owner of Cave Antiques, has experienced more than his share of tragedies. His mother's suicide and his young wife's death at the hands of burglars left him to bring up his young twins alone. And now one of them has died in a grotesque accident as a result of bullying. Bryony, the remaining twin, has always been the family's great hope: a golden teenager, in love with her cello and her pony, clever, sweet and eager to please. Now that she is all Terence has left, he realises that his one duty in life is to keep her safe from the world's malign forces, whatever that may take. As he starts to follow his grieving daughter's movements, and enforces a draconian set of rules purely for her own safety, the voices in his head convince him to protect her innocence at any cost."The Possession on Mr Cave" is both a nightmare of Gothic proportions and a story of distorted love, with chilling resonance for anyone who has been a parent or a frustrated teenager. In this compulsive novel, the characteristic black humour of "The Last Family in England" and "The Dead Fathers Club" moves even further onto the dark side. Matt Haig lays bare the process by which Terence's love for Bryony becomes a possessive force that will lead to destruction and, ultimately, murder.

 

‘The Possession of Mr Cave’ begins with the main character, Terence Cave, father, widower and antiquarian describing the day his son Reuben dies in the most tragic of circumstances, giving into peer pressure by bullies, he falls to his death, his last words to his father being ‘don’t go’, from that point begins Terence’s obsession with his daughter, Bryony, Reuben’s twin sister and his slow descent into possessing Bryony and everything in her life.

 

Terence Cave is a man who has loss in his life, the suicide of his mother when he was three years old, the death of his wife during a burglary when the twins were babies and finally the death of Reuben, Terence has always felt he has been able to cope with his loss but the story progresses with flashbacks, you realise that Terence is not coping, he has never coped, he has simply buried his grief away and focused everything on Bryony, whilst ignoring Reuben.

 

The story of Terence is delivered brilliantly, you see his slow descent into madness, at times, witty and humorous, you either love or hate Terence, and you are frustrated by his actions towards his daughter, when it is painfully obvious that if he spoke to Bryony instead of fighting her, the situation would have improved.

 

This is a book for everyone you are aware of Terence’s flaws, everything returns to one thing and that is love, his love for his daughter, and despite how dark the story becomes, it is still an important part of the book and it is one sure thing that Terence clings to, everything he does, it’s because he loves Bryony.

 

There are clues throughout the book on how the story will end, which was excellent to read, my realisation concerning a character upset me and made the story more poignant.

 

Matt Haig’s two previous books, ‘The Last Family in England’ and ‘The Death Father’s Club’ (the latter being my favourite of the two) showed how wonderful a writer Matt Haig is and ‘The Possession of Mr Cave’ shows how his writing continues to go from strength to strength.

 

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Great review, but that sounds like quite a tough read!

 

It was but it didn't read like one, if that makes sense? the way Terence thinks is tough but its an easy read :friends0:

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Wow, not my usual type of book but might make for a "nice" read. Pretty short book though, not even 300 pages. :friends0:

I hope you get the chance to read it Univerze :D

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My ordered copy is on it's way. Now all I need to decide is whether to read it asap, or add it to Mount TBR! :)

 

I hope you enjoy it because I will feel really bad if you don't, it will be kind of my fault you bought it! :kissing:

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Nonsense! :) That's the joy of everyone sharing what they think of a book, as you get to meander through other's thoughts and you sometimes get nudged in a certain direction.

 

I haven't bought all the books you have recommended on here. I don't know, sometimes one will just go "Yoo Hoo" at me and I'll think "I must have this book". This was definitely one of those. :kissing:

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Nonsense! :) That's the joy of everyone sharing what they think of a book, as you get to meander through other's thoughts and you sometimes get nudged in a certain direction.

 

I haven't bought all the books you have recommended on here. I don't know, sometimes one will just go "Yoo Hoo" at me and I'll think "I must have this book". This was definitely one of those. :kissing:

 

Happy reading hen :D I am the same some of books I just think 'buying it' so many great recommendations here :)

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