A review by jamieterv
The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

If you wanted to like Remains of the Day but were bored to tears by the milquetoast, stodgy upper-crust sexual tension of Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton, then this one is for you. It carries that same sense of nostalgia and regret, but with more raw emotion and a protagonist who doesn’t just suppress his feelings. He gets completely blindsided by them. Is there some homoerotic subtext? I suppose if you want it. Otherwise, not really. Either way, it’s a fascinating look at how memory warps the past, making you forever a visitor, never fully understanding what you lived through. Haunting, beautifully written, and surprisingly gripping for a novel about childhood, class, and secrets too big for one boy to carry.