The Maidens

Unreliable. In most novels, we can count on at least one character to anchor the story, mostly because we recognize their behavior because of our own life experience. In Alex Michaelides novel titled, The Maidens, it seemed as if every character was unreliable in some form or other. We’re told that protagonist Mariana Andros is a brilliant psychotherapist, but she seems clueless or incompetent in every setting that would draw upon her expertise. A Greek professor at Cambridge does things no contemporary teacher would get away with, and his dialogue was often more suited to a London pub frequented by traveling salesmen than to the heights of the academy. The young female students referenced in the title seem quite different from what we would expect of anyone attending Cambridge. Some readers will delight in the plot twists, but I found some inevitability in how the story ends and was pleased to finish the last page here and turn to something else. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase The Maidens from amazon.com.