Walked up to Haxby and back today. Found some good books and Christmas presents. Bought this one from the Age UK charity shop in Haxby.

Rather immersive, reflective and melancholic tale of a woman's life, of a financial downfall, of what is perceived and what is real... its an on odd, an ambling story that bounces back and forth in time, and from different characters perspectives. Which perhaps makes it sound like a confused chattering mess, and yet I really enjoyed it. The writing is beautiful and it just absorbs you. It's also left me feeling rather depressed as it's not exactly a happy tale. And even more so, what an awful illusion money and wealth is. And in this age they're not even counting out gold coins. Its all just numbers in a computer system. And the more people have, the more careless they become and spend ridiculously. And the more they have, the more greedy they become, desiring even more of those virtual numbers, but merrily investing in a scheme that promises things that are too good to be true. Turns out it was as well. Not all that glitters is gild. Curious that when Vincent is living in this world, nothing is real - her husbands schemes, her marriage, love, her life...
And that the oddly named Vincent (in my mind it is a blokes name and all I can think of is Vincent Price) ends up in a watery mystery, just as her own mother did when she was about 13. Odd reading about these people disappearing and it never all being completely explained. We have had Michael Moseley in the news this week, a UK TV Doctor who disappeared on Greek Island. His body has been found today.

There's also this phrase that crops up in the book; You should swallow broken glass. A viscious thing to be thrown in someone's face. And people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks.

Haunting, curious and a tad depressing if I am honest. I find tales of the love of money grim, even when not intended to be so.

Left this and another book in their second hand bookshop on the first floor of the Manor House on a spontaneous visit. Also bought three books.