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Dec 1st, 2009 by Margaret

I finished reading The Light of Day byGraham Swift yesterday. Table Talk asked in the comments on my Sunday Salon post whether to try books by Swift. Well, maybe. This one turned out to be a bit drawn out towards the end, but I felt compelled to finish it. I’m still not sure I like his style of writing, nor the enigmatic way of introducing characters. As Jane said in the comments on Sunday it’s hard to start a book sometimes because of the learning curve and it was.

Here is the teaser:

Back to being you.

There are times, there always will be, when you still wish you weren’t, you’d never been you. Or when you could almost believe it really was some other person, not you – how could it have been you? – who did what you’re supposed to have done. (page 197)

For more teasers, visit Should Be Reading.

Tags: Graham Swift, The Light of Day

Posted in Teaser Tuesdays

11 Responses to “Teaser Tuesday”

on 01 Dec 2009 at 2:50 pm1Margot at Joyfully Retired

That’s a of words packed into two sentences, but I know what the author is talking about.
on 01 Dec 2009 at 3:19 pm2gautami tripathy

I like the thought here.

teaser Tuesdays: Judah’s Lion
on 01 Dec 2009 at 3:26 pm3FleurFisher

I read Graham Swift once – Waterland I think – and while I liked the book I wasn’t inspired to seek out this other work. I do like your teaser, but if the whole book is in a similar style I’m afraid it would be a little too much like hard work for me!
on 01 Dec 2009 at 3:29 pm4Lisa

nice

Here’s mine
on 01 Dec 2009 at 3:34 pm5Lorielle

This might be a tad confusing for me to follow… Mine are posted here!
on 01 Dec 2009 at 3:39 pm6rhapsodyinbooks

I must say, I’m so impressed that you have been able to keep up reading and blogging in the midst of moving! (or not moving, as the case may be!)
on 01 Dec 2009 at 4:00 pm7Alayne

Nice teaser, I really like the flow. Here’s mine!
on 01 Dec 2009 at 4:03 pm8Allison

This really has you thinking, a bit! Great teaser!
on 01 Dec 2009 at 5:28 pm9CeeCee

This time of year is too chaotic to figure this one out. I would try a book like that in January when I’m snowed in.
on 01 Dec 2009 at 8:04 pm10Amanda

I read and reviewed The Light of Day back in 2008:
http://lifeandtimesofanewnewyorker.blogspot.com/2008/06/1001-book-update-light-of-day.html

In a nutshell, I didn’t really like it. To cliche I guess? I picked it up because Swift’s novel Last Orders is one of my all-time favorites. I read Last Orders back in 2003 and fell in love with the characters, the story…sigh. I need to read it again. They made a movie out of it and it won the Man Booker Prize in 1996.

That said, The Light of Day obviously did not live up to expectations. Please go read Last Orders and give Swift another try.
on 01 Dec 2009 at 11:28 pm11Stacy

Wow. I’ve never read Swift, but I love that teaser.