Edward St Aubyn: The Patrick Melrose novels; 5. At Last

Well, I have finally finished the sequence and this final volume (At Last) is a powerful, moving and satisfyingly cathartic ending...with a degree of optimism, surprisingly. Patrick has achieved a degree of peace through coming to terms with his traumas, his family and his experiences. It does not feel like a too-neat tying-up of loose ends though which it could easily have been.

Technically it is intriguing, with almost the entire novel taking place at the funeral and wake wake of his mother, Eleanor, a device effectively used elsewhere in the sequence.

The style remains as superb as ever, making the reading of it an experience that is joyful even if the content was very often far from that. Fascinating to see how subtly St Aubyn explores so thoughtfully, wittily and sensitively the astonishing range of traumas of his damaged cast.

A great read and unreservedly recommended.