Name: Aims's review of The Party by Elizabeth Day
Item: The Party
Rating: 3
Author: Aims

Elizabeth Day

'As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.' Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn't wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family's estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had. But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years. At Ben's 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests - the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich - Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn't do anything to damage their friendship. Would he?

The Party

Margaret

Didn’t love it! Found it quite strange.  Not one of the characters were pleasant in anyway.  Quite an odd book.

Aims

Milo Jean

Why? That’s how I felt about this whole book. The main character Martin was the worst, which I think was part of the point of the book especially with the ending proving he was crazy, but… I simply don’t really like reading about horrible people. I’d rather have a character I like in the book. Lucy was decent, but we didn’t get nearly as much about her.

All in all the theme of the rich playing by their own rules and getting away with anything and everything was pretty boring. I feel like I’ve seen everything in this book, somewhere else.

I think I’m most upset that the book is compared to Clue on the back, which probably isn’t the authors fault, so I was expecting more a whodunnit mystery going in. This wasn’t really a much of a mystery at all, leaving me disappointed.

I will say the writing style itself is as very beautiful and I did find myself really enjoying certain descriptions and word use. So while this book may have not been for me, it’s possible I would enjoy something else by this author if she has something written with more like-able characters.

Robin Sturm

I finished this book a couple months ago and I still think about it regularly

Maxime van der Wal

2.5 stars
I thought the different narratives were excellent, but the story itself was a bit too cliche and predictable for me. The character development was minimal and most of the characters were unlikeable.  The Party  isn’t badly written - it’s just not very memorable.

Laura

Kayleigh hughes

As the train pressed on, I realised that my life was in the process of taking a different direction, plotted according to a new constellation. Because, although I didn't know it yet, I was about to meet Ben and nothing would ever be the same again.' Martin Gilmour is an outsider. When he wins a scholarship to Burtonbury School, he doesn't wear the right clothes or speak with the right kind of accent. But then he meets the dazzling, popular and wealthy Ben Fitzmaurice, and gains admission to an exclusive world. Soon Martin is enjoying tennis parties and Easter egg hunts at the Fitzmaurice family's estate, as Ben becomes the brother he never had. But Martin has a secret. He knows something about Ben, something he will never tell. It is a secret that will bind the two of them together for the best part of 25 years. At Ben's 40th birthday party, the great and the good of British society are gathering to celebrate in a haze of champagne, drugs and glamour. Amid the hundreds of guests - the politicians, the celebrities, the old-money and newly rich - Martin once again feels that disturbing pang of not-quite belonging. His wife, Lucy, has her reservations too. There is disquiet in the air. But Ben wouldn't do anything to damage their friendship. Would he?

Margaret &
The Party by Elizabeth Day

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Margaret &The Party by Elizabeth Day

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Margaret &
The Party by Elizabeth Day