At Last: A Novel

"This novel is the fifth and last in the brilliant series by Edward St. Aubyn. They are all astonishing in their wit and honesty and virtuosity. As St. Aubyn moves Patrick Melrose, his main character, through life, taking him from boyhood to manhood, a lot of ground is covered, including childhood abuse and neglect, drug addiction and life with small children. At Last, in which Patrick attends his selfish and deluded mother’s funeral, is hilarious, melancholy and even, in the end, redemptive. Some books from December 2012 were published too late to make it on last year’s roundups; they were considered as candidates this year."