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Summary: Finally an author who can write!
Review: What a pleasure and delight it was to read Richard Mason's Drowning People. It was incredibly well written. The story itself is perhaps not the best, but the sheer eloquence of Richard's writing is pure pleasure. I simply loved this book - a wonderful debut.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Thumbs Up!
Review: It was a wonderful book. The book captured me at the begining and kept me hooked until the very end. I loved knowing the ending. It made me want to read until I was finished. I thought it was a wonderful book. i really enjoyed it. If you like a little romance and mystery all wrapped up into one then you will love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Drowning People
Review: The Drowning People could be a good book if the author, Richard Mason, didn't keep alluding to the reasons behind all the tragedies that occur in the novel. Mason has the narrator give a very vague account, at the end of most chapters and throughout the novel in general, of what he is going to explain later. Let me tell you; it gets old. After a while you just think to yourself, "Look Mason, just tell me what you want to say, or get on with the story." It is a pretty good story after all. It is one of love, friendship, rebellion, revenge, and secrets, all taking place in British high society. The story begins with the very old James remembering himself at the age of twenty-one, and follows his path to murder. It starts out innocent enough, with James, an aspiring violinist, falling in love with a girl named Ella, who is destined to please her family by acquiescing to their traditions, and live unhappily. James rescues her by giving her the strength to get away from this destiny and their future life together looks optimistic. However, Ella slowly reveals her dark family past, including her rival cousin Sarah. James and Ella's love soon turns the lives of all the characters into a tailspin. The one problem I have with the story itself is that everyone is a "bad guy". It starts out innocently enough, but sooner or later all the characters develop or reveal a wicked side. By the end of the story there is no one to root for. I need someone to root for! I would like to see at least one decent person left at the end. I must admit the book keeps you hooked all the way through, but Mason overdoes it with the suspense. It's OK to tease the reader with anticipation, but Mason goes too far. When the reader is completely hooked and desperately wants to hear what happens next, Mason gives long, hazy monologues about what will be explained later on. If this is something that won't bother you, I recommend this book because it is hard to put down. However, if you think it will get under your skin, like it did mine, don't read it. Read another mystery that won't keep you hanging for agonizingly long periods of time.
Rating: 
Summary: How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?
Review: Richard Mason's striking picture on the back of his novel is guaranteed to grab one's attention. However, the twenty-year-olds novel may not hold one's attention in the same intriguing manner. The novel begins in a captivating and eerie manner in which we learn what has driven the narrator, James Farrell, to his current state. However, this truly clever introduction is misleading, as the next few hundred pages are not nearly as gripping as the first few pages of the novel. Mason creates interesting and complex characters, however his writing style is simplistic and tedious. Although the story is told by James Farrell, a man in his seventies, it is not difficult to remember that the novel was written by a nineteen-year-old. The Drowning People is a story of the fierce competition between two women, Ella Harcourt and her deceitful cousin, Sarah. Ella and Sarah live their lives in search of ways to spite the other. They become so wrapped up in competing with each other that they sacrifice their own happiness in order to cheat the other. The rivalry between the cousins is cleverly used by Mason to illustrate the detrimental effects the British society instigates. Both women strive to be the superior of the two in society's eyes. Mason's prose is unexceptional, although the themes and characters portrayed are interesting. The introduction and conclusion of the novel are compelling, although I had to ask myself more than once if the body of the novel was worth reading. The answer is debatable. Mason's tone is often droning nad even boring, despite his intermingled striking themes, ideas and social commentary that clearly represent Mason's intelligence. Although not entirely enthused by Mason's first novel, I commend his accomplishment and would be the first to say that his efforts are impressive.
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Summary: A College Student's Perspective
Review: Having recently finished reading Richard Mason's The Drowning People, I am amazed that the author was only eighteen when he wrote this novel. The plot Mason presents is fascinating, with multiple twists and turns that keep the pages turning. However, the author's age and lack of experience is revealed, I believe, in the lack of maturity and believability in his characters. While Mason exhibits a beautiful writing style and an ability to create a fascinating plot structure in The Drowning People, the characters, especially James and Ella, lack realistic and likeable characteristics. Because of this, I found the book to be an enjoyable read, but not a terribly thought-provoking or emotional experience. Mason is truly a magnificent writer. In fact, his writing seems too good for the petty subject matter of this novel. His descriptions are beautiful and allow the reader to share in what the characters see and feel. James describes Prague as, "a city of arched bridges; sharp steeples; gracious domes. Bathed in the morning light sharper and colder than the light of London, the mist rising from the Vltava was a brilliant, dreamy ribbon in the gray blanket of the city." It is Mason-created images like this that allow the sights and sounds of The Drowning People to come alive for the reader. While Mason's writing is generally excellent throughout the novel, his mode of creating suspense is both obvious and boring. While uncertainty is normally a welcomed element in a fictional work, Mason's version of suspense is obnoxious. There is a moment in the novel when Ella says to James, "I've done something I shouldn't have done, something I certainly shouldn't be telling you about." But rather than divulge what she has done, Mason writes two laborious and boring pages before he reveals the mystery. Mason does nothing but bore us from the point at which he arouses our curiosity until he supplies the information the reader hungers for. Unfortunately, useless and boring pages fill the gap, and by the time Mason divulges the secret, the reader has lost interest in it all together. The plot of the Drowning People is fascinating and shows that Mason has a unique and clever imagination. What a remarkable concept to begin a story with the aged narrator, reflecting on his past, telling the reader that, "My wife of more than forty-five years shot herself yesterday afternoon. At least that is what the police assume...I am the one that killed her." This is probably Mason's only successful attempt at creating effective suspense. It is unfortunate that the creative Mason fails to provide this very exceptional story line with exciting characters with whom the reader can relate to. The main characters in this novel, Ella and James, are unrealistic and difficult to like. For some of the wrongs they commit in this novel, James and Sarah feel almost no guilt. For others, they are grossly emotional. Ella and James also lack a realistic maturity that, while adding to the characterizations, annoys the reader terribly. For example, Ella offers James a challenge, in order for him to prove his love. This convoluted and sick dare, which comes at the expense of James' dearest friend, shows the immaturity of Ella for making it and James for accepting it. Their willingness to play "cutesy" love games at the amazingly high emotional expense of another friend is unusual and twisted. Rather than make the characters dynamic, it makes Ella and James seem too farfetched for reality. While well written, The Drowning People reads, in my opinion, more like a soap opera, at times, than a mature novel. The emotional roller coaster of this novel depends too much on unbelievable and uninteresting characters. In this work, however, Mason has shown readers that he is truly an author of great talent and promise. I am sure as he matures, so too will his writing.
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Summary: The Drowning People, a Stunning Debut by Richard Mason
Review: A good first book for an aspiring writer, Richard Mason's The Drowning People shines despite his newness to being published. This book is slow at the start and slowly speeds up to end with a crashing, fast finale. Upon reading the first page, the reader is already well informed that this is not the standard mystery novel that it could very well have been. The narrator in the novel, James Farrell, admits to being the killer of his wife of more than forty-five years. The only thing we are left to discover is the reason behind this act. The main line of this novel deals with misdirected confessions and how poor reactions to these can cause harm. The central tragedy of Eric is a wonderful example. It is the tragedy of the events following his confession that start the ever-speeding reaction of tragedy in this novel. Overall, this book is a good first for the young writer. Mr. Mason has excellent descriptions, especially of Prague, and the characters, although not as deep as would be liked, have suitable complexity. What could be a wonderful book is drawn out a little long, as Mason added many extraneous things and details that could have been left out and not disturb the main essence. Much of the description of Prague could have been omitted without any impact. The main draw of this book is that knowing what has happened gives a little predictability to the plot, and the reader is "watching" the young James head unknowingly to the point of murdering his wife, and knowing the inevitability of his path. An interesting feature of this book is how none of the main characters can really get the reader's sympathy. The nature of them is such that they are slightly repulsive. There is nothing redeeming in any of them. James might be the most sympathetic, but his absolute absence of regret for killing his wife takes even that away.
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Summary: The premise should not be the most interesting part
Review: Richard Mason's novel, The Drowning People, captures attention immediately, before you open the book. Mason is 19, the title is attention-grabbing and the premise interesting. The book begins with a confession of the sort which would normally end a murder-mystery novel. The first half, however, then plods along with little to show for. Grudgingly, the reader is pulled away from the basic premise to a lengthy, first-person narrative memory. Here the book seems to lose interest, many readers may even give up on the book at this point. I judge a book by how well it captivates my interest. Because The Drowning People, did not grab my attention, I understand why many readers might not continue to read it had it not been required of them. It is only reasonable to say that the ending comes as a surprise after having been left in the lurches of an almost non-sequitor of a first-half of a book. It is only in the second half that the book begins to move at the pace and timing of a good novel. I, as a reader, am quite picky about books which begin on the wrong foot. However, I never put a book down and always give it a chance. Mason tested me on this rule of mine. The entire first half of the book held no value to me other than a ridiculously long introduction. As I recall the first half or so, only a few significant details come to mind. Although the writing is decent (his style of metaphor is nice but does grow tiring after a while due to over-use and lack of variation) there was really nothing driving me to continue to read this book other than getting on to the next half, which I knew would be more interesting. Mason spends too much time in the voice of the aged James restating and proclaiming his former innocence and ignorance. James' voice as an aged man sounded much the same as the young version of him, making all those claims of ignorance and innocence a bit pretentious. We understand that he has learned the errs of his way, it is not necessary to constantly repeat them to us. The character development is good at times, I enjoyed the character of Eric. Ella was a bit farfetched at times. James, however, lacked personality all together. Of course, in this critique I spend more time writing of things I do not like than do. Let it be known there are many things I do like about this book. I do like the ease of his conversational writing. I do like the second half of the book and the twists and turns which characterize it. I am definitely impressed that this book was written by a 19 year old. It shows a uniqueness in thought. Mason, like any author, has room for improvement but his is a special case. This is the first pebble cast in his career, I think any author would agree that the ripples it has created are indicators not of beginners luck but of talent.
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Summary: Drowning In The Drowning People
Review: I must admit that The Drowning People has some redeeming qualities. Mason writes well and presents a thought-provoking criticism of British upper class society. He creates various characters whom I found very interesting. None of them is even remotely likeable, and the central tragedy of the story made me hate the characters even more. I was intrigued by the idea of whether or not insanity is genetic in the Harcourt family. However, I found several problems with the novel. The plot is trite, unoriginal, and predictable. The Drowning People is celebrated as a thrilling murder mystery, yet I failed to see the suspense in it. Once the murder occurs, it becomes all too obvious who the true killer is. In addition, I was annoyed by Mason's extreme long-windedness. At times I felt that I was the one who was drowning, having to make my way through so much excess writing. Mason easily could have written the same story in half as many pages. Finally, I felt the entire drowning metaphor was overused. Nevertheless, The Drowning People is, for the most part, entertaining to read, although the reader shouldn't attempt to take it too seriously. To me, the most impressive aspect of the novel is that Mason was only eighteen when he wrote it. He has much time for improvement, and his future novels will probably be better.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware...You are entering Dullsville
Review: Where was Richard Mason's editor? Asleep at the wheel, I would say. The paperback was 388 pages or so, and at least 200 of those could have been edited. We, the readers, would be far better for it. I've never read such a dull, boring, predictable, repetitious piece of fluff. I've no idea what the rave reviews on the cover were referring to...certainly not to this overrated first book. I will never pick up another novel by Richard Mason. Not if you paid me.
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Summary: The guy was only TWENTY?
Review: This book seems to generate a lot of heated discussion; and I, adding my two cents' worth, merely wish to say that for an adolescent writing from the perspective of an old man, I found it to be quite astonishing. The plot was a bit too derivitive (Henry James, Wharton, blah blah blah) and certainly the old "Evil Twin" twist wasn't any gem of literary brilliance. But hey! I read the paperback while on vacation at my in-laws', and I was absorbed -- if not by the stellar dialogue -- at least I wanted to find out how in heck a guy could kill his wife of 45 years. And take 300 pages to do it. It's not the worst book I ever read, and if this is a debut effort, I am going to keep my eye on this guy. When you're striving to bury yourself in a novel (at your in-laws') a good old English murder mystery is just the ticket.
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