EASY AND EXCITING CLASSIC

I read this book for the first time in my early twenties and remembered loving it but being struck by how easily I got through it for an "intellectual" book. Perhaps why it was so well received by critics and ordinary folk alike when published in 1984.

The story centres around 4 main characters, Tomas, a surgeon, his wife Teresa, Sabina, Tomas's mistress and Franz her lover.

A great mirror into the soul of the reader and I think anyone would take something from it, as you explore the characters and their experiences you learn a good deal about yourself. If you were put off by the somewhat academic sounding description, don't be. It's sexy, steamy and gives an amazing detailed view of how tough, horrible and scary living within a communist region in the sixties actually was within an amazing colourful, character driven story that's about all our lives.

The type of book, you'll read, love completely forget then enjoy all over again. I did.