The Restoration Of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer

...and another one!! Book review from another book that I read during the Holidays that I had to write a review about. A slow moving read but beautiful in many ways.

So this is the book The Restoration Of Otto Laird by Nigel Packer. Terrible Pic because you can't really see the design of the cover but no matter because I don't even think that is the official one. My copy is an ARC...and I was fortunate enough to be one of the many peeps that got to read it first. It took me a minute to jump right to it....only because I knew the reviews went on about it being slow moving and slow moving is completely okay with me but when you have a house filled with chaos created by kids "slow moving" can sometimes get lost in the world of oblivion and it's quite easy to get disinterested real quick. Did that actually happen??...Almost but not quite.

Here is the story of Otto Laird...living a serene and quiet life in Switzerland with his wife Anika. Once an eccentric architect with an eccentric sense of style he now spends his time writing letters to friends that he never actually mails out. All is well with the world until one day he discovers a building he designed in the 60's is scheduled to be demolished soon. This news prompts a sudden trip to London (in the hopes of saving this building from demolition) and eventually his past...the past having much to do with his first wife Cynthia and his son Daniel. After that it is a whirlwind of dramatic emotions and memories. It's a beautiful read that confronts many issues...many human realities, aging, estrangement, family drama, world (historical) issues, confronting regrets and bad decisions...a slew of raw emotions. The story is deep and poetic but sometimes rather slow.....still, beautiful. 

Did I love the book?? Yes, for the beauty that it is...the depth to which the writing style goes. Love it completely?? No. I found myself wanting more from Otto Laird. A name like that..the description for him initially I wanted more from it. At times I found myself a little bored..the reason for me thinking it was getting a bit slow. The book has potential. It gets into things..the rawness of life...but then it stop short...leaving me yearning for more. It's still a book that is unique in it's tale...beautiful in it's thoughts..but not quite "days later haunting". I wanted it to be...it almost was...but not quite.

Thanks to Nigel Packer and the great peeps at goodreads for making my win of this free ARC possible..all in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave!!