Non Book Recommendation: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Posted On February 6, 2024

Hi Readers! I read Alex Michelides’ third book The Fury. Just like the previous two books, it let me down. Yes, it is a lot different than his earlier books even if it’s a mystery. In some ways, this attempt is the best one yet, but somehow it lost its way. I think ever since I have been left speechless by Japaense mysteries, none of the others compare to them. Here are my thoughts on the book, in case you want to pick it up!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder ― from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient.

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

~~THOUGHTS: WHAT I LIKED~~

The book is divided into five parts, each know as Acts, I through V. The base of the book mirrors real life and people to a play and actors. Throughout the book, Elliot who is the narrator, mentions how Character is fate. And, so, we read this fiction book with characters as real people being imagined as characters. From a very high level perspective, this seemed to be brimming with potential. I wondered if it would lead to illusions or multiple personality disorders or something so twisted I just couldn’t think of it. But, at its very core, it’s simply the story of a psychopath.

Just like in the previous two books, I read this one in about three days. I will give the author that credit. No matter whether I end up loving or hating his books, I always finish them in a record time, meaning that I am always on the edge of my seat. However, I am never consumed entirely by them. When I am reading them, sure, I will keep on reading. But, when I take breaks, I don’t feel the need to get back to them immediately to know what will happen next.

Lastly, it had a lot of psychological aspects about mental health. I believe all the quotes that I have highlighted revolve around it. So, did I love reading about it? Yes. But, did I want to read about it in this book? No.

I think these are all the mildly nice things I had to say about the book, which is quite a lot given how much I was disappointed.

~~THOUGHTS: WHAT I HATED~~

I thought the book had a lot of potential was because of the narration. When I started the book, I loved how the author’s writing style had enhanced. The narration from Elliot Chase, from the outset felt like it was entirely unhinged and would perhaps lead us astray in the best possible way. But despite this brilliant idea and initial spark it created, it soon foundered and became just about satisfactory.

The second obvious thing I hated was that the characters just remained characters. Did I feel that Lana was an ethereal Greek goddess? Did I feel conflicted about Kate’s position? Did I feel hatred towards Jason? Did I feel empathy for Elliot? Nope. I am not sure if it was because of the contrived narration which made me oblivious to the characters’ feelings or if it was simply not meant to be. But, I sure imagined Lana as Lena Headey, Elliot as Stanley Tucci and Kate as Kerry Washington

Also, I hated the ending. After so many red herrings, the ultimate end was the most obvious one. This is a spoiler-free review, so I won’t say much about it. But, seriously, I wasn’t even surprised with my disappointment. Even though it’s about a 300-page book, it felt much longer. It had the slowest burn of any thriller I have ever read. There were ups and downs and back and forths, but mostly it was full of cliches.

~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~

If you have read and loved Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient and The Maidens, then you will probably like this one too. If you want to get out of a reading slump, you should read this book. If you want an interesting whodunnit, then you should not read this book. If you like atmospheric settings for a thriller, then you should read it. If you like a mix of intellectual content and social commentary to your usual mystery, then you should go for it. I have rated The Fury by Alex Michaelides at 2/5 stars.

Until next time,