The Lodgers by Eithne Shortall

⭐⭐

The Synopsis of the book captured my imagination: I was browsing in the bookshop at Dublin airport and I needed another book to read on my holidays. I like magical realism. The synopsis explained that the story was taking place in a West Corkian village and the magical element of a healing well was intriguing. However, it turned out to be a bad attempt at mixing modern narratives with classical mythology or legend.

The novel is divided into 2 parts. The first part is very slow-paced and delves into the emotions of two main characters: William, a retiring internationally acclaimed pianist suffering from psoriasis, and Tara, a middle-aged piano teacher who had a one-night stand with William. William does not remember her. The writing is beautiful, there is no question about this (though not simple) and I could feel I was getting invested in the characters. Jordan has indeed done a good job at portraying the dichotomy in Tara and I am still pondering whether she is a good person or not. There is an attempt at bringing in the magic with the hares, the moss, the well but to be honest, it didn't work very well for me. It lacked texture and depth. 

As for the second part of the book, it is like reading a different book. The fast-paced plot turns into a real soap opera type of melodrama, really stretching my credibility. I got really bored and I struggled to finish the book. The characters were not believable, and neither was the plot. Very disappointed.