A man inherits his estranged grandfather’s estate in Spain. Expecting to encounter the works of the deceased painter in the studio, the man becomes drawn into a conundrum which, in turn, guides him through his own growth as an artist.
In the beginning pages, reference to Ronda, a city in central Spain, brought Hemingway to mind. Having experienced only one Hemingway novel, “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, I did a little side research to see if Ronda was in the area of Spain of that story and finally concluded that perhaps it was or perhaps it was not mentioned in the Hemingway novel and blew it off. Later in Bantock’s book, there is reference to Hemingway in regards to the bull fighting arena in the town which central to the story, verifying the Hemingway connection.
The Forgetting Room: A Fiction by Nick BantockMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sometimes the value of a book is determined by the reader’s mindset at the onset of the read. In the case of Bantock’s “The Forgetting Room”, my particular circumstances at the time made it a perfect fit.
This is the kind of story that makes one think and on many levels. Letting go of blame, forgiveness, moving on, looking at the big picture without being distracted by the details and so on, I found many parallels applicable to issues in my own life.
Perhaps more suitable to one’s artistic side, I definitely recommend “The Forgetting Room” as a pleasant way of filling a vacant evening,
Steve D.
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