Review of Campusa
1 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Campusa" by Edward McQueen Rose.]
Campusa by Edward McQueen Rose is a work of reflective nonfiction based on Campusa, a holiday house in Begur, Spain. Combining his personal memories, local history, and the details of the investigation, the author has penned this nonfiction. The book title, along with the cover illustrating a serene house and giving off a mysterious feel, made me pick up the book. The first chapter impressed me immediately. It is in a first-person perspective and provides a basis for this narrative. The author's two doctor friends, Bryan and Richard, had bought Campusa, a holiday house in Begur. But later, as Richard found himself working in Canada for a longer period, he sold his share to the author. The author humorously narrates the difficulties of living in a hillside house with a pool and seaside view. He then talks about an uncanny thing: a water cistern in Campusa. When he opened the cistern and looked in, the reflection that looked back was different and distorted. He thought that it was his imagination. But now he knows the real reason: a corpse.
The first chapter feels like a prologue, and the rest of the chapters shift to a third-person perspective, offering a reflective account of the incidents. The second chapter introduces Acting Sot-Inspector Xavier Teruel as he investigates the corpse uncovered in Campusa. I loved reading the uncovering of the corpse; the dialogue was humorous. The third chapter reveals the return of Richard's cancer. With only six months to a year left to live, his family and friends are devastated. It touched my heart to read Richard's thoughts after his diagnosis. I also appreciated Katie, Richard's wife, being strong and helping him plan to make the most of the time they had left together. Richard wants to enjoy his last holiday in Begur, his favourite place. In the fourth chapter, their friends, Teddy and Chrissie, offer their home in Begur for Richard and Katie's holiday. Richard and Katie go to Begur to enjoy themselves peacefully, but they get entangled in the murder investigation. Did they enjoy their time in Begur, or did the murder from the past spoil their holiday? Do you wish to discover the connection between the murder and a popular royal personality? Grab the book to learn more!
I have to say that the book is slow-paced. Only towards the end, when the investigation starts to fire up, does the pacing pick up. The author's writing style is different, and sometimes he writes long dialogues filled with many descriptions, such as those about the 'Old Year's Night' and 'The coming of the Kings' celebration. The author provides various details about Spanish culture through these dialogues, which felt odd and a bit forced. Some readers might be bored by such long descriptions and slow pacing. Another thing that I noted is that sometimes the next scene continues immediately, which baffled me. I had to reread to understand the scene change. For example, Chrissie and Teddy were planning a lunch party, and without any indication, the scene transitions to the party scene. Also, Spanish words were present in some of the dialogue. Though it added authenticity to the story, I had to use the translator option in the Kindle to read it, as I am not familiar with the language. Furthermore, the presence of many characters, including friends, family, police, and local people, confused me. Although there are many characters, they didn't touch me emotionally. Except for a few places, the story doesn't portray enough emotions and focuses more on description and mystery solving. Even Richard's cancer doesn't make a big impact on me apart from the initial moment. Finally, I noticed more than 10 errors while reading. These issues detracted from my enjoyment.
This book delivers rich local Spanish culture and village lifestyle, along with a murder mystery. It has themes of relationships, friendship, investigation, and humour. I loved reading about the Spanish local festivals and beautiful landscapes. I mostly loved the investigation part. The mystery slowly unravels and is well integrated into the story. So, despite noting many negatives, the book was intriguing enough; the murder mystery, in particular, hooked me. For these reasons, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy slow-paced, reflective nonfiction that shows local culture along with a murder investigation.
******
Campusa
View: on Bookshelves
Campusa by Edward McQueen Rose is a work of reflective nonfiction based on Campusa, a holiday house in Begur, Spain. Combining his personal memories, local history, and the details of the investigation, the author has penned this nonfiction. The book title, along with the cover illustrating a serene house and giving off a mysterious feel, made me pick up the book. The first chapter impressed me immediately. It is in a first-person perspective and provides a basis for this narrative. The author's two doctor friends, Bryan and Richard, had bought Campusa, a holiday house in Begur. But later, as Richard found himself working in Canada for a longer period, he sold his share to the author. The author humorously narrates the difficulties of living in a hillside house with a pool and seaside view. He then talks about an uncanny thing: a water cistern in Campusa. When he opened the cistern and looked in, the reflection that looked back was different and distorted. He thought that it was his imagination. But now he knows the real reason: a corpse.
The first chapter feels like a prologue, and the rest of the chapters shift to a third-person perspective, offering a reflective account of the incidents. The second chapter introduces Acting Sot-Inspector Xavier Teruel as he investigates the corpse uncovered in Campusa. I loved reading the uncovering of the corpse; the dialogue was humorous. The third chapter reveals the return of Richard's cancer. With only six months to a year left to live, his family and friends are devastated. It touched my heart to read Richard's thoughts after his diagnosis. I also appreciated Katie, Richard's wife, being strong and helping him plan to make the most of the time they had left together. Richard wants to enjoy his last holiday in Begur, his favourite place. In the fourth chapter, their friends, Teddy and Chrissie, offer their home in Begur for Richard and Katie's holiday. Richard and Katie go to Begur to enjoy themselves peacefully, but they get entangled in the murder investigation. Did they enjoy their time in Begur, or did the murder from the past spoil their holiday? Do you wish to discover the connection between the murder and a popular royal personality? Grab the book to learn more!
I have to say that the book is slow-paced. Only towards the end, when the investigation starts to fire up, does the pacing pick up. The author's writing style is different, and sometimes he writes long dialogues filled with many descriptions, such as those about the 'Old Year's Night' and 'The coming of the Kings' celebration. The author provides various details about Spanish culture through these dialogues, which felt odd and a bit forced. Some readers might be bored by such long descriptions and slow pacing. Another thing that I noted is that sometimes the next scene continues immediately, which baffled me. I had to reread to understand the scene change. For example, Chrissie and Teddy were planning a lunch party, and without any indication, the scene transitions to the party scene. Also, Spanish words were present in some of the dialogue. Though it added authenticity to the story, I had to use the translator option in the Kindle to read it, as I am not familiar with the language. Furthermore, the presence of many characters, including friends, family, police, and local people, confused me. Although there are many characters, they didn't touch me emotionally. Except for a few places, the story doesn't portray enough emotions and focuses more on description and mystery solving. Even Richard's cancer doesn't make a big impact on me apart from the initial moment. Finally, I noticed more than 10 errors while reading. These issues detracted from my enjoyment.
This book delivers rich local Spanish culture and village lifestyle, along with a murder mystery. It has themes of relationships, friendship, investigation, and humour. I loved reading about the Spanish local festivals and beautiful landscapes. I mostly loved the investigation part. The mystery slowly unravels and is well integrated into the story. So, despite noting many negatives, the book was intriguing enough; the murder mystery, in particular, hooked me. For these reasons, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy slow-paced, reflective nonfiction that shows local culture along with a murder investigation.
******
Campusa
View: on Bookshelves
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