Jo_Scho_Reads's Reviews > The Performance

What an extraordinary book! It focuses on three women; all of whom have come to watch a Samuel Beckett play (Happy People) at the theatre. Three very different women indeed; Margot is a Professor, usually cosseted in the familiar world of academia but having to step out of her comfort zone as her husband’s health deteriorates. Ivy is a philanthropist, wealthy and considerate after dealing with her fair share of tragedy many years earlier. And then there’s Summer, the young usher who is trying to maintain a professional facade whilst worrying about her girlfriend’s safety as the bush fires rage.

The whole book is set over the duration of the performance, although memories and history are revealed alongside the real time events. There is a lot of time given to the actual SB play which I confess to not having heard of, but have googled since and feel all the more intrigued by it.

So this book is certainly something a little different; it’s very much character led and the three characters are multi layered and really interesting. As each of their memories and opinions are gently (and ever so slowly) revealed, the minutiae of their lives, their hopes and their dreams all become apparent.

This is a very slow and meandering book, definitely not one to be rushed. You need to sit back, relax and think about the writing before you turn each page. Savour it, absorb it, appreciate the cool darkness of the theatre while the heat soars outside, and you’ll almost feel like you’re there.

Thanks to Orion Books (Weidenfeld & Nicholson) for my ARC. All views are my own.