Hi - long time no see. Don't you just hate it when real life gets in the way of literary life? But I am back and I have quite a backlog to post. Today's book is Eleanor, by Jason Gurley. It was first published by a small indie press and caused enough impact to be picked up by a larger publisher.

I am going to avoid talking about the plot. It is rather intricate and I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that it builds up slowly (too slowly for some) and there are lots of layers and links between different people and generations.

Eleanor is one of those beautifully written, almost ethereal books that are also slow. Creating that delicate atmosphere takes time and a gentle touch, both of which slows down the pacing. The story really only gets moving in the second half, which may be too late for some readers. I admit I was nearing my limit before the story started picking up on the elements I was attracted to in the blurbs (oh, I am so trying not to spoil anything). 

Perhaps I was not in the best mental state for reading it, since the gloom did eventually get to me more than the more positive side of it. There was the feeling that there was always some meaning just out of my reach, deeper down in all the layers. Rating this book was very hard. At times, I felt it was a fantastic book, at others, it felt like the characters were far away and muted, their reactions informed, instead of real.