THE ILLUMINATIONS

by Andrew O’Hagan

I wasn’t sure if The Illuminations was going to be my Not My Cup Of Tea this month because I didn’t actively dislike it. It was fine. But honestly, if we are going to spend our energy telling you what you should read, then I figured I could take a paragraph and tell you that this is one to skip!

The Illuminations is a dual narrative about an aging woman slowly forgetting her past and her grandson who is losing his mind while fighting in Iraq. I didn’t find either one particularly credible as characters, and although the joining of the two narratives towards the end was moving, I just never really felt attached to either person. O’Hagan has written a lot of books, so maybe there are others that are stronger. But, based on The Illuminations, I’m not sure I’ll bother to find out. (Lily)