A Love Triangle Written With Depth

I was skeptical when I picked up Daphne Kalotay's newest novel, Sight Reading.  The reviews I read were pretty positive but, let's face it, most stories dealing with love triangles often rely on poorly constructed archetypes.  The characters are usually shallow and there's no real depth to them.  But not with this work.

The story begins twenty years ago and looks at the marriage of Nicholas and Hazel.  Nicholas is a gifted composer and classical music lecturer who travels the world to be wherever he is most in demand.  Hazel willingly goes along with nary a complaint, trying her best to put some time into her own artistic endeavors.  They find themselves in Boston where Nicholas meets Remy, a gifted but very confident student at the conservatory.  While things begin innocently enough, eventually the two strike up a romance, leaving Hazel looking in from the outside.

Years go by as the reader follows each of these characters in the aftermath of Nicholas' decision.  Secrets threaten to throw each of them into ruin.  The question remains, can they each gain a respect for each other that previously never present?

What struck me most about this work is the depth of each character.  I really had a feeling of what to expect from each at times, but was quite surprised by some of their actions.  You'll soon find that the secondary characters area also well written and have a major affect on the story.  This novel does not rely on stereotypes nor is it formulaic.

Chris May- Head of Adult Services