The Blue Afternoon: William Boyd

Product Information

I said that I understood that, on the contrary, Boyd was considered literary, and Clare then read out from the biography in her copy a list of the prestigious literary awards he has won. When they arrive, the reunion between the two men is puzzlingly emotionally charged, and a change comes over Carriscant: having complained of feeling sick with anxiety before the meeting, he becomes suddenly forceful. And how does that fit with his down-and-out air, and the fact that Kay notices when she first meets him that there is grime under his fingernails? It was as if, for me, Boyd was self-consciously tacking a postmodern ending onto a traditional thriller in a way that failed. While he is perhaps not a “historical novelist” as such, he takes a particular interest in bringing obscure episodes in history – such as the war between the Philippines and the USA in this case – into vivid life.

The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever - Letterboxd The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever - Letterboxd

With the help of her ex-husband (their marriage failed after their baby was stillborn, but they still fraternise), Kay uncovers Paton Bobby’s whereabouts and then accompanies Carriscant on the train journey to Paton Bobby's home in Santa Fe.

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as some of William Boyd's other work, but it certainly made me think and has left a lasting impression.

The Blue Afternoon - Penguin Books UK

They were severely beaten; so much so that it has been reported that the dead were used as breastworks.

This is a mystery, and I am not a mystery reader, but I picked it up simply because I was pretty darn sure I would not be disappointed. Second (and this is the one which almost made me give the book 2 stars because I'm a bit of a nerd and love logic): Kay and Carriscant meet in 1936, a mere 3 years after coast to coast flights began in the US and yet they just casually hop a flight to New York? Off-and-on entertaining I suppose, with TONS of juicy description of the Philippines in the early 1900's, but in the end a disappointment.