Read this in 3 days! Loved everything about this book: the time period - early 1900s; the characters - the very wealthy and their servants and the main character, Piet; the setting - Amsterdam and later on board an ocean liner in 1st class; the story - Piet Barol trying to make it in life by whatever means he can.Definitely will try other books by the author Richard Mason. He has won 2 awards. The Drowning People won Italy's Grinzane Cavour Prize for Best First Novel. Another book, Natural Elements was chosen as best books of 2009 by the Washington Post and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Imagine Fifty Shades of Grey...but actually good and well-written.Everything you like about Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs is in this book. Lives of servants, money troubles, secret affairs, and then Mason adds a splash of schizophrenia/OCD. In the beginning, you assume it's an erotic period piece, taking place at the start of the 20th century in Amsterdam, and then it becomes much deeper and intriguing as the characters draw you in. And THEN a Titanic-like story gets thrown in there and you never know what is coming.
Do You like book Baudas Meklētāja Stāsts (2011)?
Pretty good romp! The story was good and kept me interested
—1DLOVER26165
Good story. I will look for other books by Richard Mason.
—salvador
