Read this book so long ago and unfortunately didn’t post my review in time! Review to come, apologies for the delay

This was not for me! I really struggled with the writing and the pacing, and while I can see how it might work for other readers, it felt very jarring and all over the place. The characters were also a little underwhelming and underwritten.

This is Sunny Brighton in 1968, it’s the swinging sixties on a precipice as dramatic events the world over are forcing change. Our story takes place around the filming of a movie curiously titled “Emily Bracegirdle’s Extremely Useful Ladder to the Moon”. Our three main characters Talbot, the producer, Elfrida, the directors wife, and Anny the leading lady all have a big secret. As the story progresses and their lives become increasingly complicated something has to give and how each of them handles the pressure says a lot about the world they’re living in.
I adore William Boyds writing, and he didn’t disappoint this time around. The way he writes about the human experience just pulls you along. It’s a special gift to write a character so completely from a different world, but still so relatable, and how he constructs every character so they just leap off the page, even the ones with the briefest of appearances is a pleasure to behold.

I adore William Boyd's novels and Trio did not disappoint. Though different in style to his sweeping life stories such as Any Human Heart, all the hallmarks of his writing were there: well-rounded and believable characters, the recent history in his settings, and clever plotting. Well recommended.

Backlog Books. Trio by William Boyd

I love William Boyd’s tender and gentle way of capturing the experience of being human. I fell in love while reading Any Human Heart and I make a beeline for his new work, but the last year has been so busy with blog commitments this one has been languishing on my NetGalley shelf way too long.

A producer. A novelist. An actress.

Set in the summer of 1968, this is the year both Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. Students are rioting in Paris and the Vietnam War is out of control. While the world around them is reeling our three characters - a producer, a novelist, an actress - are involved in making a Swingin' Sixties movie in sunny Brighton. All these characters are leading secret lives. Elfrida has writer’s block, but drowning herself in vodka might not help; Talbot, seems to be coping with the daily dysfunction of making a film, but has an apartment on the quiet where he conducts a secret life; finally the glamorous Anny is confused about why the CIA is suddenly so interested in her. But their show must go on and, as it does, this trio's private worlds will take over their public ones. Pressures build inexorably - someone's going to crack. Or maybe they all will? This is an exhilarating and tender novel that asks the vital questions: what makes life worth living? And what do you do if you find it isn't?

The film being made is a literary adaptation called Emily Bracegirdle’s Extremely Useful Ladder to the Moon. Anny Viklund is the film’s star and is enjoying an affair with young co-star, Troy Blaze, that is when her French boyfriend isn’t on the set. Any is the hired glamour, brought on board to bring a sprinkle Hollywood glitter. However, the producer isn’t so enamoured of his star due to rumours that she has a dependency on sleeping pills. That’s not the only secret she’s keeping, because it turns out Anny had been married to a controversial figure who seemed to disappear when they separated. She hasn’t seen her ex-husband since the split and the FBI are in pursuit, wanting to question him on charges of domestic terrorism. Now the FBI are close by, thinking he may be in London hoping to see his ex-wife.

The novelist Elfrida Wing, the author of the book they’re adapting for the big screen, has suffered chronic writer’s block ever since Emily Bracegirdle. She’s now turning to drink and is pursuing an affair with the film’s director is Reggie, who has delusions of artistic grandeur and wants to be called Rodrigo, despite being little more than a journeyman. Critics had compared Elfrida’s early novels with Virginia Woolf, much to : her disgust. Her dislike for Virginia Woolf seems to have developed into a minor obsession with novelist’s death, and she’s considering developing a story based around Woolf’s last day. However, the project never goes further than her opening sentence and Reggie feels like a distant connection despite sharing a home.

Producer Talbot Kydd also has a secret. He has a wife living in Chiswick, but Talbot has rented a house where he spends most weekends - Brighton. Aside from this he’s worried about the film and is considering hiring a script doctor to improve what they have. He can’t see the current script working and he doesn’t like the ending, but he holds the purse strings and there isn’t a lot left. The tight budget has no contingency, having been stretched to its limit by Reggie’s creative ideas.

I always enjoy how Boyd sets a scene and this one felt authentic right from the start. The structure he uses allows us to see things from each character’s perspective, but stays in the third person. The historical detail feels right and Boyd captures the time period with everyday details, only briefly mentioning events such as Martin Luther King’s death. This shows Boyd’s deft touch. He doesn’t need to labour the point by bringing these events too far into the story. Often, depictions of the 1960’s can be so heavy handed they feel like the opening credits to an Austin Powers film or an outtake from Woodstock. Boyd cleverly shows a Brighton that’s rather more parochial than today, where it’s become a byword for gay pride, artistic freedom and bawdy stag and hen weekends. Boys is brilliant at creating intricate, interwoven narratives that form a tapestry of times, viewpoints and different places. Here the narrative is simpler, staying fairly chronological but relying on the differing viewpoints of the same events to add interest and complexity. This seems to strengthen and ground the story, giving it an extra dose of authenticity. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although it didn’t live up to the likes of Any Human Heart. This isn’t really a failing, but rather proof that Boyd is a talented writer of such modern literary classics I can imagine people reading them for decades to come.

My thanks to Penguin Group U.K. Viking for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Trio’ by William Boyd in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the late feedback.

As I have previously enjoyed a number of William Boyd’s novels, I was confident that this would be a good fit and had proposed it as the December selection for my reading group.

The trio of the title are a film producer, a novelist, and an American actress. All three are leading secret lives. In the turbulent summer of 1968 they are each connected to the filming of a Swinging Sixties Brit flick in sunny Brighton with the quirky title of ‘Emily Bracegirdle’s Extremely Useful Ladder to the Moon’.

Film producer Talbot Kydd has been closeted his entire life though recent changes in the law has left him wondering if it might be time to come out. Elfrida Wing is married to Reggie, the film’s director. Despite having three successful novels in her early career, she hasn’t written anything in ten years. As she struggles to write Elfrida secretly drinks.

Finally, movie star Anny Viklund has a complicated love life. Back in the USA her ex-husband is wanted by the FBI and agents have come to the U.K. keen to question her. In addition, her French lover has been involved with the recent violent student protests in France. Making another trio, she is conducting a secret on-set affair with her dishy co-star, Troy Blaze, a pop star turned actor.

‘Trio’ is also a witty examination of the world of Sixties pop culture and film making with a touch of intrigue and mystery. Aside from the central trio, it contains a number of larger than life supporting characters. Boyd’s background as a screenwriter undoubtedly aided in creating a very realistic portrayal of the chaos of the film-making process.

William Boyd skilfully weaves in some superb comic scenes though there are also darker themes, poignant moments, and tragedy. I consider Boyd’s ability to accomplish this level of complexity, seemingly effortlessly, as a sign of his strength and confidence as a novelist at the top of his game.

Overall, I found ‘Trio’ a highly engaging, character led novel that celebrates this heady period of British history.

Recommended.

My first book by William Boyd and it won't be my last. Why did I take so long to find this author.

This was not my usual type of book to read but I really enjoyed it. It was well written and I like the characters, they were interesting.

Definitely recommend.

I absolutely adore this author. He’s got the absolute knack of writing so beautifully but without pretence. I spent all day today devouring this. Am now at that disappointed stage of wondering will any book ever delight me this way again…..

William Boyd suffers from people repeatedly comparing his novels with Any Human Heart as if his intention is to compete with this brilliant novel. In fact, he is a very versatile author and Trio is very different from much of his earlier writing.

Boyd’s knowledge of films and the world of movie-making is at the centre of this story, but it is driven by the developing relationships of its three main characters. They are fascinating creations and bring to life a period about which there are so many myths.

It is important to appreciate this novel for what is there rather than what is not there. It does not set out to tell a single life story but to open a window on a world that feels very different from our own. In its way, it is a masterpiece, though it will not please those looking to make comparisons with Boyd’s earlier work.

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. It may be one for other readers, but I was unable to finish it.

Not usually my style of book but I thoroughly enjoyed this! The three characters were equally interesting and I wanted to know more about them even by the end. Very different story arcs and each character was unique in their style and lifestyle. I would definitely read more from the author.

Another exquisite read from Boyd. I enjoyed reading this and entering the world of the three main characters. All of them are interesting characters with interesting lives and stories to tell. This is easy to read and get stuck into.

Boyd is such an accomplished writer and storyteller, I must admit I was disappointed with this. Yes, I turned the page, yes there is delightful writing and characterisation, but even so, they felt like stock characters and I wasn't as intrigued and challenged as I am by the other people he's created in the past. For Boyd's characters are always human, complex people and this crowd? Meh. Not really.

Trio by William Boyd
The Trio in the title are three people linked by the making of a film in 1960s Brighton. I like William Boyd’s novels but this is not one of my favourites. I found it difficult to care about the characters - a failing alcoholic novelist called Elfrida Wing (!), a closeted gay man and an American actress. Their lives are complicated to say the least but none are particularly relatable for me. Boyd, as usual writes well, but this book was not really for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I love William Boyd’s books so I was excited to get a copy of his latest one.
I found it very readable and I enjoyed the characters and can imagine that this is what life in the entertainment industry is like.
I found the book sad in parts, funny in others and I wanted to keep reading to see how the story ended.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed William Boyd books but also to anyone who enjoys a good story.

This is not a difficult to read book , its characters are diverse but not one of them is who they seem to be. They all have extra marital affairs, a hidden LGBT personna, more than the requisite number of boyfriends. What none of them has is a storyline to carry them through this narrative in a way that will engage the reader. I could not care less about them, the supposed film they were making, the ways they were all planning against each other or anything else. Not for me this one

I usually love this authors books but I'm afraid this one wasn't one of his best Set in the sixties it centres on Three main characters lives and although I liked one of the characters story the others didn't gell for me I'm sorry to say. I'm sure that it will appeal to many readers but just not me unfortunately

my first sensation beginning to read was to sigh with pleasure - I was in the hands of a master - I was confident that despite what felt like a long time build up, something would come - the characters were funny and Elfride (sp?) the writer who'd had success and now hid, and told lies to protect herself, is a wonderful depiction - deft and observant. the film has all the characters that we not only imagine will be there, on set, but we want them to be there - and even though they act in familiar ways - we want that - and it is confidently suppled - there's a great deal of pleasure in being on the receiving end of such reassuring material. so, it does not jounce along with too much forward drive, or obsessively stick to an action plot - it gets there and it's satisfying. I loved this one, as I have loved many of Boyd's novels over the years.

Boyd always guarantees a good read and as much as I like this I didn't feel it was his best.
It's a very character driven book (which personally I like) and the 3 protagonists are all unique characters which is what will keep you reading. For me the book lacked plot but I loved immersing myself in the era and the lives of the trio. If you're new to Boyd then maybe I wouldn't start with this one but if yore a fan then I would still recommend this. I do think this would maybe be better suited to the screen....

This book was not as good as William Boyds's other books. The characters were poorly drawn and very unsympathetic. I'm not sure whether even the writer knew whether he was writing a straight novel or a "spoof". Either way, the plot was uninteresting.
As with so many other books, the ending was awful. I would only give it two stars.
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