Brief Lives - Anita Brookner

[Jane B]

This is my first Anita Brookner book and while it is very well written it is also a very depressing story. The main character, Fay, compromises her life so much through marriage, friendship, an illicit affair and even her living accomodation that by the end of the book I wanted to slap her an tell her just to paint the bloody walls another colour and replace that horrible carpet and stop thinking of yourself as old at 45 and get rid of that bitchy 'friend'.