First published 2012
Patrick Melrose stands among the mourners at his mother Eleanor's funeral service. Eleanor was an American heiress who married into British aristocracy and devoted herself to charitable causes while neglecting her own son. As friends, relatives, and enemies arrive to pay their respects, Patrick wonders whether his parents' deaths will finally free him from his troubled past. The funeral ends and guests gather for the reception. Patrick navigates the mix of social pleasantries and underlying tensions that mark such occasions. Throughout the day, he begins to feel something he has rarely experienced: the possibility of escape from his damaged childhood. When evening comes and he finds himself alone in his room, Patrick senses that some form of peace may finally be within reach.
Genres: 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, british-literature, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, coming-of-age, redemption
Setting: Britain, United States
Period: 20th century, 21st century
272 pages · Paperback · Picador
Content warnings: mental-illness