At last

I knew more about the end of the book than the rest of the series, as this was explained in a guide to mental health I was reading (the School of Life book). But St Aubyn writes so well that absence of plot or dramatic climax is really not a problem. The glimpses into Patrick's (and St Aubyn's) inner world is so fascinating and so well drawn that I could read another five books like this one. And unlike the previous books, this one is actually optimistic: you cannot escape from your past, and forgiveness may be a step too far, but you can accommodate the flaws and understand why things worked out the way they did. You can still be broken, but you don't need to be a victim.