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• This is a dark, moody book. Kate, the main character, is spoiled, self-centered, shallow, and mean. David, another pivotal character, is uptight and also selfish in his own way. Jamie, David's 17-year-old son, has a big role in the book and also does some questionable things, but he at least has the excuse of having a mother who committed suicide and his age. So why did I give it 4 1/2 stars? The storyline itself was compelling, and it was like watching a car accident in slow motion. You want to look away because you know things are going to end badly, but you just can't. The ending is good. Most of the loose ends are tied up but not too tightly to make it unrealistic.

  4.50 out of 5

  CatieN

• This book will not make a splash -- it's merely quietly well written and sparely told -- an old-fashioned kind of novel. To me, however, this was its greatest appeal. The main character, Kate, is a forbiddingly independent modern woman of a certain age who reveals unguessed depths as the story unfolds. Hadley brings real people to life in The Master Bedroom -- people who struggle with communicating, with feeling, with finding themselves in the emotional maelstrom of life. This book is like a calm sea that hides strong currents -- beware the undertow.

  4.00 out of 5

  emccullough

• i started the master bedroom, hesitantly b/c i'd read other not so great reviews on a few other book sites, but i really really enjoyed it. the characters, while not exactly likable, were fascinating and real. the dialogue was snappy (i thought the lack of quotes would bother me but it didn't). i was prepared to dislike kate, who was entirely self centered and vain, yet she grew on me. i really enjoyed ms. hadley's writing, she envoked a sense of place very well. even tho some of the characters were less than appealing, she was able to convey their inner emotions, making them very human. i was, i'll admit, a little perplexed by suzie, not sure what was going on with her; in fact, i think her storyline was a little weak, but it did contribute to david's therefore serving a purpose. am looking forward to reading more of tessa hadley's work. p.s. i would agree with allisonmariecat's review, wherein she says the book description sounds "seamy" - it turns out to be anything but...

  4.00 out of 5

  kathy_h

• On the downside, I didnt really like any of the characters in this contemporary study of post-feminist angst in London. The main character is selfish and narcisstic and way too cavalier with the feelings of others. And the other characters all seem a bit two-dimensional and also flawed in their own unique and not particularly appealing ways. However, the author does ascuh an exceptional job of setting up the social train wreck of her life as the bad choices multiply that I found it to be an irresistable page turner--especially after the main plot is established.

  4.00 out of 5

  Gary10

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