Mercury audiobook

If I said this book was about "middle aged passion," you might expect the heroine to fall in love with a younger man, or even an age appropriate one. But the heroine of Margot Livesey's latest finds her midlife passion for . . .a horse. Hers is not a romantic liaison, of course, but it is a truly all consuming, drive-you-mad relationship that causes our heroine to make ill considered decisions, risk other valued relationships and even break with some of her most dearly held political beliefs. I've long been a fan of Margot Livesey for her quiet, wise observances of contemporary life, and Mercury doesn't disappoint. It reminds us that even the most intelligent and careful among us can need to feel connected and committed to the feelings -- and creatures -- that make us feel most alive.

When I look through the new book shelf at the library, I always do it in hopes that something will surprise me and end up being exactly the book I want. This almost never happens. But it happened today with MERCURY, which I checked out this afternoon and finished by bedtime.I am a book person. I read a lot of advance copies of books. I pay attention to buzz. I have heard NOTHING about this book, and yet it grabbed me from the beginning and would not let me go. I don't know how this book flew under the radar but don't let the fact that you haven't heard of it deter you.This book is both my favorite kind of book and my least favorite kind of book. I probably overlooked it seeing its plot about a marriage growing stale. I get bored of books about tedious marriages stuck in middle-aged meditations. But I love books about regular people in normal circumstances who find themselves involved in something they never would have predicted through a series of mostly reasonable steps. I love the way this kind of book builds, I love wondering what is the big thing that is clearly going to happen, I love a narrator that drops just enough hints to keep you going.Somehow Donald and Viv, the couple at the center of the book, did not bore me. Sure, Donald is the exact kind of character I'm totally tired of. A man who loves his wife and kids, grieving the recent death of his father after a long illness, didn't reach the heights he'd originally hoped in his career because of family obligations, living a comfortable life in a comfortable place. Donald is the kind of character you hate in a lesser writer's hands. And while I can't explain why Donald's narration immediately brought me into the story, it absolutely did. Donald cares very much about people. Donald feels good about the decisions he's made in his life. (Donald's greatest regret is giving up on a youthful penpal.) Donald sees his wife drifting away from him and doesn't understand. Perhaps what's different about Donald is that eventually he does understand, at least a little. Donald is forced over and over again to see life outside himself, to try to consider someone else's point of view, to let himself be upset by what he sees when he changes his perspective.Or maybe it's just that Livesey is so good at the subtle dropping of hints here. It's clear quite early that something is going to go bad. The horse, Mercury, will be at the center of whatever this something is. But it's not at all clear what this something will be, even as the hints get larger. It's excellently done. I could not stop reading. And even though the climax comes earlier than I expected (about halfway through) Livesey still keeps the tension up as Donald tries to decide how to respond to the big, terrible thing and what it will mean for everyone going forward.I have read at least one (maybe two?) of Livesey's novels before and have not had strong feelings about them. So I don't know if this is a typical novel from her or a big leap forward. Regardless, I enjoyed it quite highly. A great domestic drama that you can tear through and also pick apart at length. Definitely recommended for book clubs. There are similar elements to Fates and Furies here, but it's a much more normal and realistic marriage at the center, which may make it more accessible to some who found F&F to be too much.

I think it was a slow start, and I wasn't sure where it was going. It's not until the end of Donald's first narrative that I started to become interested. And when Viv gave her account, I wanted to stand up and applaud. I love the way she mentioned things that Donald had mentioned, conversations from her point of view. Even old memories. It felt very real to me, they felt very real to me then. And when Donald came back, it was a nice welcome. I had missed him. Overall I think the book does very well with both perspectives. I can see why it had the ending it had, again it felt very real to me and that's what I thoroughly enjoyed. It was unexpected. I'm not giving it a five star writing because though the writing was very good, there were a lot of names and I kept having to stop myself and think, okay who is this person? Once that even happened with thier pet. And I've never complained about not being able to keep track of my characters ever before.... It's possible it's just me. But it also doesn't get a five star because it took a long time for it to become a page turner, though it was worth the wait. Just not five stars.

Goddamn, I ate that. Couldn’t put it down. First book I’ve read by this author. Won’t be the last.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.Donald and Vivian are living the American dream. They're married with two adorable children, in a loving and committed relationship, and have a close circle of family and friends nearby. Sadly, their dream relationship begins to take a wrong turn and things go from bad to worse in Margot Livesey's latest, the psychological thriller Mercury.Donald was born in Scotland and came to the United States with his family as a child. He went back to Scotland as an adult and studied medicine before returning to the US to work as an ophthalmologist. He enjoyed his career and serendipitously meets and falls in love with Vivian (Viv). Soon they have two lovely children, a boy and girl, get married, move to the suburbs, and restructure their lives to suit their families needs. Fast forward a few years and Donald is working as an optometrist and Viv is no longer working in high finance but is now a horse trainer working at a local stable with her childhood best friend. Viv seems happy with her life as a trainer, mother, and wife until a new horse is brought to board at the stables. Soon she is spending all of her time at the stables, obsessing over training with this horse, obsessing over possible danger to this horse, and just obsessing. She's no longer the woman Donald married and Donald isn't quite sure when things went wrong, how to fix it, or whether he even wants to fix his marriage.I found Mercury to be an engrossing read that hooked me from the very beginning. Although I read this book in one day, it is quite possible (and highly probable) that I would have finished it in a few hours if I weren't dealing with a migraine that progressed from moderate to severe throughout the day. Even with the multiple breaks I was forced to take, I couldn't wait to return to this story to find out what happens next. Ms. Livesey has crafted an incredible story with amazingly real and realistically flawed characters that made me believe the action was really happening rather than mere words on a page. I was intrigued by this book's synopsis and the cover image and smiled when I got to the point where the image layout made sense (read the book and you'll understand). I also enjoyed reading about a character with my first name, Vivian (even though I didn't really care for the abbreviated Viv). I could tell you more about what happens in the story but I won't (okay, there is a parrot that you'll enjoy reading about). It is sufficient to say that Mercury includes family angst and drama, marital discord (not knock-down drag-em-out fights or anything but discord nonetheless), obsessions, lying to family and friends, cover-ups, and more. If you enjoy reading books about family drama, psychological suspense, or just want a good book to read, then I strongly urge you to grab a copy of Mercury to read. Trust me, this is one must-read book you'll want to read sooner rather than later. I also recommend you make sure you have sufficient time set aside to read this book (like a weekend) because you probably won't want to put it down once you start.Original review posted on 10/12/2016 on www.thebookdivasreads.com/2016/10/201....

There is much in this book: horses, obsession, marriage and family, friendship, grief, gun rights, and vision, or the lack of it. It is in 3 sections, the first narrated by Donald, an optometrist from Scotland. The second section is narrated by his wife, Viv, who is obsessed with a magnificent horse named Mercury, and the last is narrated again by Donald. Donald has been distant since the death of his father. His wife becomes totally obsessed with the horse Mercury and goes to great lengths to care for and ride the horse that does not belong to her. These lead to a tragic event that alters the lives of various people.There are also subplots that involve friends and coworkers and passion and temptations. But the story really revolves around Donald's inability to really "see" his wife and her subsequent turning to fulfilling a childhood dream of riding a horse in competitions. This obviously puts a great strain on the relationship and does lead to some damaging behaviors, to say the least.I was actually between 4 and 5 stars in this one, for I felt that the novel did drag for just a bit in the 3rd section. However, there was so much there and the author did her research and was able to write intelligently about some very important issues.

Margot Livesey has a proven knack for writing literary page-turners, and she does it again in her latest novel, about the challenges a marriage goes through when the wife becomes obsessed with a horse. The husband, an optometrist born in Scotland, shares more emotions with the reader than he does with his spouse, which is one of their problems. However, despite the fact that the couple both get to tell their story in their own point of view, he is clearly the more sympathetic character, even though he too has a tendency to tell lies that severely complicate the situation of the family and their friends. Livesey is Scottish, and in the wife, Viv, she draws on that perspective to create one of those classically American characters so desperate to prove her own specialness that she is willing to risk her marriage, her reputation, even her family. Livesey is adept at dropping hints of things to come, which is one of the things that keep the pages turning, but she also makes sharp, well-informed observations about so many things -- keeping parrots for pets, the human eye, what it's like to go blind in adulthood, and horsey people and their love of those large, four-legged creatures. In a Livesey novel, it's about both the journey and the destination.

MercuryByMargot LivesyWhat it's all about...I can reasonably say that this book is about a girl and a horse. But to better put it it's about a woman...Viv...and a horse...Mercury...and what her love and infatuation with a horse that doesn't even belong to her...did to her life! What her obsession did to her family...husband Don...and her two young children...was strange and unordinary. Why I wanted to read it...I was enthralled with this book's cover and the quirky yet fascinating dysfunction of these characters. What seemed totally harmless in the beginning grew to be a very dangerous obsession! What made me truly enjoy this book...I loved the characters when they were normal. Viv and Don...seemed totally normal...well...almost normal...at first. I loved the way the book was written through their alternating voices. Why you should read it, too...I think if you are a reader who enjoys reading about relatively normal characters who make choices that leave them open to changes in their lives that have the potential to make awful changes to their lives...well...that's the kind of reader who will really get into this book. I read this book slowly because there were so many character traits to think about. Fondly...Patty

This is a book that I picked up on a whim, one I judged by cover and title. It took me about the first 50 pages or so to really find my rhythm with it. And it's a fascinating deep dive into a major turning point in a man's life - a self-reckoning with himself and his marriage and the changes of being in the middle of his life. It's character study and post-mortem all in one. I think the depths of obsession with Mercury are expressed perhaps too peripherally, too small (the limitations of the perspectives used and the characterization given). It makes the pre-reactions (the fallout we are primed for from the beginning), after, seem almost overdramatic. But, for all that, worthwhile for the dissections, the contradictions and the questioning that can exist for whom you believe yourself to be and who you are - and then again as others know you.

This book surprised me. Honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did, but the cover kept enticing me. Yes, sometimes the book is judged by the cover. The summary said the book was centered around a horse, which was unappealing. Instead the book is really about a marriage, and relationships. About not telling the full story, about how a lie or omission leads down a certain path and the results are not what you would anticipate. Donald and Viv Stephenson are the main two view points. Donald tells his story with Viv in the middle. They stopped communicating to each other in any real manner, they started to tell lies to each other. From what is given to us I’m not sure Viv was ever fully truthful to her husband, or if she was, that Donald ever heard what she said. In any case it made for an interesting novel. I wanted to give the book a full five star rating but the last portion of the book faltered slightly. It works out okay in the end, but there were just a few points that didn’t make the book as strong as it could be. In any case I enjoyed the book enough that I might have to read another book Liversey wrote. Last note, I did like that Donald Stephenson was Scottish. Update - May 3, 2017: I received a free copy of this book at a library conference. I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.

Let me preface this by saying that I normally finish a book before bed, and then sleep on it and review it in the morning. However after finishing this I couldn’t wait. I had such a visceral reaction to this book even though it did not relate to me much except for the blind friend. This story follows Donald and Viv Stevenson. Donald is an Optometrist with two kids (Marcus & Trina), married to Viv an avid horse enthusiast who has dreams of competing who currently manages her best friends stables. The story alternates between Donald and Viv’s perspective of how their lives veered off course by a few simple choices and lies. Donald is distracted after a recent death in the family and doesn’t notice Viv’s sudden and strong interest in a new horse at the stable, Mercury. What had been a dream of her youth quickly turns into an obsession that goes unchecked by all around her. When a spree of break ins nearby scare her, her fixation takes hold day and night until she would do anything to protect her horse. A tale of obsession mixed with a marriage in crisis makes for a thrillingly fast read. I could not put it down and stayed up far too late many a night!

ThrillingAt a recent talk Margot Livesey spoke about “Mercury” in relationship to the genre of “thriller” The book is quite dark and could have been written in a breathless, hyperbolic style, but she chose a different approach. She wanted to present obsession, violence, paranoia and denial in a restrained voice, something of a counterpoint to the subject matter. The language of the book is mostly quiet and almost soothing at points. The darkest and most bizarre elements of the human consciousness are presented in the language of quotidian normalcy. I love this because it makes the physical and emotional violence all the more ominous and points to the strangeness of our own lives. Livesey’s prose is simultaneously understated, chilling and delicious. She has written a book in which all the answers are also the questions. The moral resolution depends on the lens through which each character sees the world. The reader is left with a rich and lingering complexity. The book may or may not be a thriller but it is certainly thrilling.

Sympathetic story of a transplanted Scot. Yes, it includes horses, wife, children, mother and father, education and career and a difficult decision. Livesey succeeds in getting the male perspective with rare insight.

Loved this book - always a treat to read a new Margot Livesey - about a man suffering after the death of his father, thus preventing him from noticing that his wife's love of a horse has led to dangerous obsession.

Optometry, horse obsession...these aren't really intriguing to me. But this book was so good! I can't wait to read more of the authors work.