Port Mungo

Patrick McGrath

I loved Asylum and Dr. Haggard's Disease. This one, not so much. What to say about this book - a gothic story of incest, abuse, failed ambition, and the compelling nature of secrets. While McGrath's talent as a writer is evidenced in Port Mungo, I thought this story fell short on several levels. The characters are poorly rendered and while the story is initially engaging, it ultimately meanders toward a disjointed conclusion that's startling only in its excesses. It's not an awful book by any means but I'd expected more from it.