Review by Reempai -- A Long Dark Rainbow
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Reempai
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Review by Reempai -- A Long Dark Rainbow
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Long Dark Rainbow" by Michael Tappenden.]
A Long Dark Rainbow by Michael Tappenden tells the story of Alex James, an aged man tormented by the wrinkled skin he sees in the mirror and the dissonance between himself and his manhood that had once been in its prime. The perspective he has of himself soon starts to shift after he meets the attractive Samantha Reagan, someone who leads him down paths that he had never expected to take and awakens emotions that he thought had long gone into retirement. Alex and Samantha redefine what it means to be old by disallowing the ghosts of their past to take control of their present, and they come to understand that the flame of passion is one that will continue to burn even as the body passes through the trials of time. As each help the other fill the voids and damage created by the past, the truth that age is but a number is the ultimate sanctuary at which they both hope to arrive.
Tappenden’s writing style in this novel is a balance between rich description and subtlety, regardless of whether it’s the bustle of a coffee shop being described or the internal feelings and thoughts of a character. This allowed me to become immersed in the beauty of the story without feeling overwhelmed by it and becoming confused by what was going on. What worked quite nicely alongside this authorial technique was the fact that the main character Alex James is an artist. As is the norm with artists, Alex finds the charm in the ordinary and questions what ought to be simple and as a result the reader is led to do the same. This not only makes it less likely for the reader to get bored or lose focus, it also transforms the readers’ experience into something more than simply being told about what is happening, as they are guided by Tappenden to truly appreciate and comprehend the depth of what is being shown through the characters eyes.
I especially enjoyed the use of the omniscient narrator, because as a reader it gave me the opportunity to relate to characters individually, and the shifting of voice to represent different perspectives prevented my viewpoint from becoming too narrow or feeling monotonous. There is a very rich satirical tone throughout, which I found compensated for the slow pace of the novel at times. Plus, the combining of satirical humour with a man who has experienced the peaks and troughs that life has had to offer provides a type of entertainment that one cannot help but commend for its ingenuity and charisma. In contrast, a genuine and empathetic voice is used when it is necessary for intimacy and vulnerability to be given utmost importance.
What captured my attention the most was Tappenden’s command of words. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book contains some of the most eloquent and expressive lines that I have ever had privilege of reading. I even had to stop at several occasions to write down a few.
There is nothing I particularly disliked about the book, but I feel that the unrest and questions revolving around Alex’s family could have been explored slightly further as it was a hotspot of scandal that would have added a great sense of mystery had it been explored to its full potential. Adding to this, I found Alex’s reaction at discovering certain truths about his past to be surprisingly unenthusiastic and mismatched in proportion to the size of the truth. Aside from this critique I can think of no other flaws. I found the struggles and hardships of old age to be uncensored and honest in their presentation and they played an integral part in the character development of Alex and Samantha. This gave the book an undeniable authenticity in terms of the message it sends out, which is that the roughening of a person's edges over time is inevitable, but that isn’t to say that attraction and exhilaration are entirely run out, as those who choose to read this book will discover.
I rate A Long Dark Rainbow 4 out of 4 stars because of the engaging narrative voice and the writing style that is consistent in its smoothness throughout. Also because of the overall plot as it manages to be unconventional and eccentric in spite of the main characters being well into their 70’s with their idea of excitement being a trip to a gallery. I think it surpasses 3 stars because in addition to the strong voice the book has also been professionally edited with no typos. I also spotted the odd literary technique when reading and each one was perfectly embedded into the text and emphasised to the balanced tempo of the book. This was another detail that spurred my decision to give it a full rating.
There are some mature themes and frequent use of profane language so I would not advise this book to be read by children. I recommend this book for people that enjoy romance and the discussion of art in its many forms. This book is also ideal for the members of the older generation who fancy a read of something relatable that at the same time can be inspiring.
******
A Long Dark Rainbow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Long Dark Rainbow by Michael Tappenden tells the story of Alex James, an aged man tormented by the wrinkled skin he sees in the mirror and the dissonance between himself and his manhood that had once been in its prime. The perspective he has of himself soon starts to shift after he meets the attractive Samantha Reagan, someone who leads him down paths that he had never expected to take and awakens emotions that he thought had long gone into retirement. Alex and Samantha redefine what it means to be old by disallowing the ghosts of their past to take control of their present, and they come to understand that the flame of passion is one that will continue to burn even as the body passes through the trials of time. As each help the other fill the voids and damage created by the past, the truth that age is but a number is the ultimate sanctuary at which they both hope to arrive.
Tappenden’s writing style in this novel is a balance between rich description and subtlety, regardless of whether it’s the bustle of a coffee shop being described or the internal feelings and thoughts of a character. This allowed me to become immersed in the beauty of the story without feeling overwhelmed by it and becoming confused by what was going on. What worked quite nicely alongside this authorial technique was the fact that the main character Alex James is an artist. As is the norm with artists, Alex finds the charm in the ordinary and questions what ought to be simple and as a result the reader is led to do the same. This not only makes it less likely for the reader to get bored or lose focus, it also transforms the readers’ experience into something more than simply being told about what is happening, as they are guided by Tappenden to truly appreciate and comprehend the depth of what is being shown through the characters eyes.
I especially enjoyed the use of the omniscient narrator, because as a reader it gave me the opportunity to relate to characters individually, and the shifting of voice to represent different perspectives prevented my viewpoint from becoming too narrow or feeling monotonous. There is a very rich satirical tone throughout, which I found compensated for the slow pace of the novel at times. Plus, the combining of satirical humour with a man who has experienced the peaks and troughs that life has had to offer provides a type of entertainment that one cannot help but commend for its ingenuity and charisma. In contrast, a genuine and empathetic voice is used when it is necessary for intimacy and vulnerability to be given utmost importance.
What captured my attention the most was Tappenden’s command of words. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book contains some of the most eloquent and expressive lines that I have ever had privilege of reading. I even had to stop at several occasions to write down a few.
There is nothing I particularly disliked about the book, but I feel that the unrest and questions revolving around Alex’s family could have been explored slightly further as it was a hotspot of scandal that would have added a great sense of mystery had it been explored to its full potential. Adding to this, I found Alex’s reaction at discovering certain truths about his past to be surprisingly unenthusiastic and mismatched in proportion to the size of the truth. Aside from this critique I can think of no other flaws. I found the struggles and hardships of old age to be uncensored and honest in their presentation and they played an integral part in the character development of Alex and Samantha. This gave the book an undeniable authenticity in terms of the message it sends out, which is that the roughening of a person's edges over time is inevitable, but that isn’t to say that attraction and exhilaration are entirely run out, as those who choose to read this book will discover.
I rate A Long Dark Rainbow 4 out of 4 stars because of the engaging narrative voice and the writing style that is consistent in its smoothness throughout. Also because of the overall plot as it manages to be unconventional and eccentric in spite of the main characters being well into their 70’s with their idea of excitement being a trip to a gallery. I think it surpasses 3 stars because in addition to the strong voice the book has also been professionally edited with no typos. I also spotted the odd literary technique when reading and each one was perfectly embedded into the text and emphasised to the balanced tempo of the book. This was another detail that spurred my decision to give it a full rating.
There are some mature themes and frequent use of profane language so I would not advise this book to be read by children. I recommend this book for people that enjoy romance and the discussion of art in its many forms. This book is also ideal for the members of the older generation who fancy a read of something relatable that at the same time can be inspiring.
******
A Long Dark Rainbow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Worldlines by Adam Guest
