Going Wrong

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Summary: A TWISTED TALE OF OBSESSIVE LOVE...
Review: British author, Ruth Rendell, is, undoubtedly, the doyenne of psychological suspense, painting subtle portraits of offbeat, quirky characters that are just a tad off the beaten path. Delving into their psyches, she draws the reader into the slightly skewed world that they inhabit. Their world then becomes that of the reader, as the author weaves a tapestry of a world that is just a bit awry, deftly letting the reader know that something is wrong, so very wrong.

The author does no less in this well-written novel, as she leads the reader into the mind and world of Guy Curran, a handsome, young man from the slums who has led a hard scrabble life, elevating himself from the bowels of poverty by dint of his own hard work and acquiring great wealth in the process . Unfortunately for him, that hard work included some less than reputable dealings in the drug trade, which provided the capital for his now legitimate businesses.

For years, Guy has been obsessively in love with Leonora Chisholm, an upper class miss who, after years of being his reluctant childhood sweetheart, has rejected him and all the trappings of wealth and comfort he has to offer her. She prefers to live in genteel poverty with her friends, while acquiring a new boyfriend whom her family and friends like. Guy is convinced some of his past, shady dealings have come to the attention of someone in Leonora's family or inner circle. He believes that that individual has persuaded Leonora to turn away from him.

Now, who would go and do such a thing? Read this well-written book and join Guy in the process of eliminating the likely suspect in this twisted tale of obsessive love.




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Summary: Very Little Wrong with This One!
Review: If you like Ruth Rendell, minus her "Chief Inspector" series, then you are in for a real treat with this book! Never before have I read such an in-depth description of an obsessive, dysfunctional,paranoid character such as the one depicted in Guy. I was literally screaming at the pages while shaking my head and uttering "you damn fool!" While slow to get into initially, you will be very much rewarded as you continue...Rendell quickly builds up tension and you will not be able to put this book down, I guarantee you! She is one of those rare authors who truly has her antennae tuned to the underside of the human condition. My only criticism of this book is a minor one and that is that I think the title of the book is too obscure and bland. It's not a title I will easily remember to recommend to other readers (unlike her dark novel, "Sight for Sore Eyes" which was an excellent title with an excellent story to match). ...

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Summary: Psychotic obsessive love lures the reader into his insanity.
Review: Probably Rendell's most underrated novel (compare highly rated A Dark Adapted Eye or Judgment in Stone, neither of which has the Poe-like sublime beauty and the painful tragedy of this novel) I will not give away the plot except to say that the theme is universal. A man cannot escape his first love when he and his beloved were teenagers. A haunting story of a man totally deluded about his first love and how he manages to keep her tied to him for many years. Her behavior is odd, but look somewhat deeply into her personality, her family etc. and her behavior is explicable; she is probably to blame for his obsession/delusion because she herself can't let go of his craziness, which she ironically encourages. A remarkable book. Read it.

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Summary: cant fault her one iota
Review: this is another excellent book by Rendell. It displaya all that she has come to be known for. Tight plotting. Realistic writing. Deadly accurate psychology.

Guys jealousy and obsession grow as the book goes on, and Rendell develops it's perfectly.

This is another of her best books, with a great cast of characters, and complex plot. The writing is excellent, and her stories are always topical and interesting. (This one having more than a little to do with the concept of stalking, and obsessive love.) Even though Guy is obsessed, the reader does feel sympathy with him because he truly does love Leonora. This brings the reader into a conflict of emotions, which is something that all good writers do. Even moreso because of the fact that Leonora's new love, William, is not a particularly likeable character. Coming across as slightly arrogant and full of himself.

Guys increasing paranoia is built up masterfully, and the conclusions is great. a wonderful release of tension.

Rendell cannot be faulted. She is truly the best.