I am so impressed that Faulks has managed to create such distinct characters in each of the novels that I have read by him. Engleby is a difficult character to spend time getting to know. Engleby is obnoxious, arrogant, comments on his quantifiable intelligence; a commentator on the world and a thief. As the novel is entirely from his perspective this can be quite wearing, and its with some relief when the reader realises there was some legitmacy in struggling to find empathy with him.
The first half of the novel is very captivating as the suspense is measured out well as for a "crime" novel. There is a point where it begins to feel a little "spun-out" - new turns are introduced and flashbacks to Engleby's first year at university begins to seem contrived.
The authorial construct of the story never really leaves this novel and this was for me the major drawback, and the reason why I did not enjoy Engleby as much as other Sebastian Faulks' novels. The author's research on life in the 1970s comes through very clearly and feels disingenuous. Especially irritating are sections where there is some speculation about what life might be like in the "future" (our present, or recent past), which happens to be fairly accurate.
What I really like about Faulks' writing is his ability to write believable characters and to write in "their" language. Alongside Engleby's narration are excerpts from Jennifer's diary and these are easily believable as the writings of a middle-class young woman at university in content and in style. There were points in the novel where I found it hard to believe in all aspects of Engleby's life and story, but then he is an untrustworthy narrator.
Overall, I would recommend this book for a read but would suggest that it is not Faulks' best.
