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Patrick Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, and Mother's Milk
Patrick Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, and Mother's Milk | Edward St Aubyn
NATIONAL BESTSELLER An" Atlantic Magazine" Best Book of the YearA "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year "The Melrose Novels are a masterwork for the twenty-first century, written by one of the great prose stylists in England." Alice Sebold, author of "The Lovely Bones"For more than twenty years, acclaimed author Edward St. Aubyn has chronicled the life of Patrick Melrose, painting an extraordinary portrait of the beleaguered and self-loathing world of privilege. This single volume collects the first four novels "Never Mind," "Bad News," "Some Hope," and "Mother's Milk," a Man Booker finalist to coincide with the publication of "At Last," the final installment of this unique novel cycle.By turns harrowing and hilarious, these beautifully written novels dissect the English upper class as we follow Patrick Melrose's story from child abuse to heroin addiction and recovery. "Never Mind," the first novel, unfolds over a day and an evening at the family's chateaux in the south of France, where the sadistic and terrifying figure of David Melrose dominates the lives of his five-year-old son, Patrick, and his rich and unhappy American mother, Eleanor. From abuse to addiction, the second novel, "Bad News" opens as the twenty-two-year-old Patrick sets off to collect his father's ashes from New York, where he will spend a drug-crazed twenty-four hours. And back in England, the third novel, "Some Hope," offers a sober and clean Patrick the possibility of recovery. The fourth novel, the Booker-shortlisted "Mother's Milk," returns to the family chateau, where Patrick, now married and a father himself, struggles with child rearing, adultery, his mother's desire for assisted suicide, and the loss of the family home to a New Age foundation.Edward St. Aubyn offers a window into a world of utter decadence, amorality, greed, snobbery, and cruelty welcome to the declining British aristocracy."
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

My last completed book for #14Books14Weeks2021 . St. Aubyn‘s writing is sharp, for that alone, these books are worth reading. The trajectory of Patrick‘s life over the course of the four novels is often unbearably sad and there are no feel-good triumphs that another writer might be tempted to add. Despite the drama and pain, there is also biting humor. I laughed out loud more than once. In particular, the author skewers British aristocracy.

TheHeartlandBookFairy Great job, congratulations! 3y
Cathythoughts Sounds good ! Stacking 3y
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts These books are really good, but they don‘t offer much comfort. I need to follow up with something warm and positive. 3y
Cathythoughts That sounds fine with me .. I like the dark & the light … 👍🏻❤️ 3y
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Leftcoastzen
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Pick up my holds from the library, and found these beauties at the friends of the library store. An Easton Press leather bound Walden ? Yes ,please.Been looking for a bind up of all the Melrose novels , watched the mini series first , good , but many trigger warnings.Think only At Last is not in this one.

vivastory I have the Melrose novels pretty high on my TBR 5y
vivastory I just found a box set of all 5 on Amazon for only $15 #resistanceisfutile 😂 5y
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Jeg
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After hearing about the TV series and thinking it would be a while before I saw it , I got this book. All 5 books in one . Series based on all 5. I just finished it. Made better for me by the fact I could “ see” Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick and Hugo Weaving as his father. Got me interested in the author when I learnt it was semi autobiographical.
Thanks to my brother I now have DVDs to watch. @MrsMalaprop

Mariposa_Bookworm I love Benedict Cumberbatch sooooooo much!!!! 6y
Rissreads Yep, Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing! Sherlock is my favourite tv show! 6y
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AMVP
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#augustisatrip #day13

Given how much of these books is concerned with the #subconcious of the titular character, this is as good a time as any to post my review: I liked it! Perfect phone reading, and my early praise remained largely the case through to the end.

Since it was an #ebook , I don't have anything more evocative to post (thank goodness), so here're some of my most recent acquisitions.

MStew Yum! 6y
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Jeg
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This arrived today and I couldn‘t remember why I wanted it! 🙃 Thank goodness for Goggle. 😊 . Seems the BBC have made a drama series based on the 5 novels. What obviously caught my attention were the actors— Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugo Weaving. 😍. Decided to read the books before I saw the series if and when we get it. The thick book has the 5 novels in the 1 book. @MrsMalaprop

CarolynM I intended to read the books first too but I don't think I will now that the series has started. I plan to sit down with the first two episodes on the weekend. 6y
Jeg @CarolynM where are you watching it? Or should I say who is broadcasting the series? 6y
CarolynM BBC First on Foxtel 6y
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AMVP
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*nods*

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AMVP
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Finished "Some Hope" just now, fittingly the most [only] optimistic of the books so far. Was a little bummed to realize the edition I'm reading isn't the Complete collection, lacking as it does the 5th & final story. Will have to seek that one out on its own.

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AMVP
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Been tearing through this collection for the last few days. Reads like if Houellebecq actually had any empathy.

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Apinlibraryland
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I didn‘t need it, but I wanted it...and that‘s kinda the same thing when Benedict Cumberbatch is involved.

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wonga
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the Showtime trailer is out for this miniseries and i can‘t stop watching it (yes, it has Benedict Cumberbatch)! 😍 will start these (again) as soon as my library books run out.

http://www.vulture.com/2018/01/benedict-cumberbatch-stars-in-the-patrick-melrose...

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GinaF1003

More than halfway through this series on audio. Its despicable characters are solidly holding my interest.

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Orbeck33
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Panpan

I have so much to say about this book. It's beautifully written and feels like an accurate portrayal of trauma and addiction. But, it left me spent and hopeless. I have a high tolerance for soul-wrenching books but even this was too much for me.

AvidReader25 I've been curious about this series. 8y
Orbeck33 It is so well written that it's hard to say anything negative about it but the experience of reading it was unrelentingly painful. This was likely the author's intention and he fulfilled it. 8y
ErikW Absolutely loved it! One of the best reading experiences of my life. 8y
Jeg Just finished it and loved it. Now to watch the series. 😍😍 6y
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