This book had the potential to be great. There were several points when the writing was superb and enthralling. There were moments when the characters came alive and sparkled. But there were also moments that fell flat, characters who seemed more caricature than reality, and places where the storyline seemed to plunge off into a place too dark and confusing for me to really wish to follow.

I’d like to tell you whose story this is, but I’m still a bit unsure. It seemed to be Finus’ story, but maybe it was Birdie’s, or perhaps it was Creasie’s tale. There is a black dummy that ought to stand for something, maybe does stand for something that I am not grasping, but that seems to be a plot device that doesn’t quite satisfy its purpose.

And, there are two instances when the plot is either a nod of tribute to two other writers, or the borrowing of a plot element that just comes a little too close to copying for my comfort. Again, I am having a hard time deciding which.

It must be said, Watson can write! His writing style is splendid and captivating and at times beautiful. Frequently he scores a perfect ten.

An open heart will save you, but you have to be smart, too. You have to be careful who you open your heart to. Some people can’t help but hurt you if they know it, he said, and kissed the young Finus on his forehead.

I’m unsure exactly what changes I would suggest to make this novel really work for me. It almost felt like Watson wanted to tell too many stories, so ended up not completely telling any. This is a 5-star read masquerading as a 3-star read. It’s like that face that just misses being beautiful because there is some lack of symmetry in the nose or the eyes are just a bit too far set. It still has character and personality, it just isn’t going to win the beauty contest.


( )

This is another book to love by Brad Watson.

While I did have a few quibbles here and there with passages that went on and on and really did nothing to serve the story, I will let that slide because it was beautiful writing, although admittedly I skipped some of it.

Mostly, I wanted to know about Finus, Avis, Birdie, Earl, Aunt Vish, Junius, Creasy, and Merry, and on and on.

This is a story of unrequited love, about people who support one another, hate one another, cause problems for one another and then try to patch it all up. It's about marriages that shouldn't have happened, infidelity, imperfect people, and those who believe they've never done any wrong. It's like reading a mashup of Cormac McCarthy, Larry Brown, Donald Ray Pollock with a solid dose of Rick Bragg's style small town living.

There were parts that were laugh out loud funny, and many parts that made me cringe. And finally, toward the end, I learned I'd been saying the name Finus in my head wrong the entire time.

All in all, still a five star read - a book I highly recommend! ( )

Not bad; just a little nebulous for me. ( )

> Babelio : https://www.babelio.com/livres/Watson-Le-paradis-perdu-de-Mercury/73124
> Le Livre de Poche (celiatas) : https://fr.calameo.com/books/0043038443afedcb9a996

> À l'instar des grands romans de Faulkner, de Giono ou de Garcia Marquez Le Paradis perdu de Mercury nous parle d'un lieu minuscule qui, par la grâce de l'écriture (...) est aussi vaste que le monde.
—Michèle Gazier, Télérama

I read it so long ago that I don't remember it very well -- just that I liked it. ( )