“Uncle Paul” by Celia Fremlin is a psychological thriller that delves into the tangled relationships of family dynamics, fear, and paranoia. The story revolves around Meg, a woman who finds herself swept up in unsettling events when she joins her two sisters, Isabel and Mildred, at a seaside cottage for a vacation. However, this holiday is far from restful as they are haunted by the shadow of “Uncle Paul,” Isabel’s estranged and possibly dangerous ex-husband, who seems to be drawing closer.
These characters did nothing for me. Yes, I could tell them all apart. They all had a little bit of dimension to them, but I didn’t care about them. I didn’t care what was happening to them. I didn’t care about their stories. That tends to be true with thrillers or mysteries — there’s not a whole lot to the characters, and there is more focus on the plot in the story, but that’s not even the case with this book.
As for the atmosphere, the 1950s setting does come across strongly, as this book was first published in 1958. I never felt scared, but I wouldn’t say this was a cozy atmosphere either. This is a good transitional piece, going from summer to fall, as the book takes place in a seaside town in the month of August.
The writing was definitely the best part. There are some sentences that are really good. It is fast-paced and easy to read. If you’re scared to pick up a book that came out over half a century ago, don’t be for this one. It reads incredibly modern in terms of the writing style.
The plot is where I was incredibly bored. I feel like so much of this book was just pointless. As I said, this is a thriller, but I never felt thrilled. There was intrigue, and I was wanting to know what the wrap-up of the mystery was going to be. I found this book lacking a lot of logic. I would not recommend picking up Uncle Paul by Celia Fremlin.
2.25 out of 5 stars.
Izzy Reads 