I didn’t like The Halfway House that much but it has got better in memory. I wouldn’t compare it to this book (or Barker’s trilogy) but it does seem a valid comparison with Cuckoo’s Nest.

I will, however, try to read something in this emerging micro-genre. Does One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest count? The Baker trilogy sounds excellent too, so maybe that first if Cuckoo’s Nest doesn’t count.

By the way, a book related to this exciting micro-genre is The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales. While the setting is a halfway house for the mentally unstable rather than an asylum, I think if you like insane asylums, you will likely like this one. Trevor introduced me to it via this superb review.

Given what you have said and my own experience with this book, it seems to me that Edric fits the KfC category of “plane-train” author — competently written books that are ideally suited for environments where outside distractions make challenging books less than ideal.

Max: If you haven’t read Barker’s Regeneration trilogy, you should have her on your long-term list. In some ways, I do see it as a much darker version of parts of Dance to the Music of Time, although her war is The Great War. Unlike most trilogies, the three books are quite different, although they do feature many of the same characters. It (they) is an exceptional piece of work.

I’d agree with Mary who points to “Peacetime” as being his best work and there is certainly much to enjoy in Edric, not least the fact that his novels are very quick reads due to his unshowy yet well-crafted style. Mainly what keeps me reading them is the ongoing theme that runs through his books – he never deals with the Big Event directly (often war, though he seems to have an interest too in civil engineering projects!) but explores around the edges of it, the build up and the aftermath, the effects it leaves, which is an interesting perspective.

Anyway, I certainly won’t judge his other works by this one but this one doesn’t sound a success. I’ll wait to see what Tom thinks of it, in case his view radically differs (which would be interesting) but for the meantime it’s an obvious pass.

Sometimes an ok or mediocre book can still appeal because of the subject matter. Land of Marvels springs to mind, which still tempts me. But having no particular interest in World War One, psychiatry or stories of mental recuperation in the absence of something vital in the prose I don’t see it hitting my TBR pile any time soon.