Enduring Love by Ian McEwanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
"There are those whose symptoms are part of a general psychotic disorder... And then there are those with the pure form of the disease who are completely obsessed by the object of their love, but they function perfectly well in all other parts of their lives."
Love is a form of obsession, but when does it cross the line from sweet to scary?
The disease being referred to is De Clerambault's syndrome, also known as erotomania. It is when someone believes that their unrequited love is, in fact, requited, and McEwan's novel shows us how far the extreme consequences of this psychosis can go.
If I hadn't had my pandemic brain, I just know I would have consumed this book in one sitting. It's tautly, expertly written. McEwan is a virtuoso, and this novel will remain in my memory as "the one that starts out with a horrible balloon accident and ends with a fictional journal article in the appendix that fooled psychiatrists because of how well-written it was." (See https://www.theguardian.com/theguardi...)
Highly recommended, but for mature audiences only!
And oh, what a nice surprise to discover that this book has been made into a movie starring 007 himself! Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXiNV...
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