What Amazon says
In this thoughtful novel set on a sun-baked island, Adrian Hartman, the charismatic director of the Serendipity holiday community, is responsible for ensuring the perfect mindful break, with personal growth and inner peace guaranteed. People return year after year to bare their souls. For some, Adrian IS Serendipity.
But Adrian disappears, and with him goes the serenity of his staff and guests, who are bewildered without their leader. The hostility of the local villagers is beginning to boil over. Is their anger justified or are the visitors, each in a different way, just paranoid?
As romance turns sour and conflict threatens the stability of both communities, everyone has to find their own way to survive. This evocative story explores the decisions of adults who still need to come of age, the effect of well-intentioned tourism on a traditional community, and the real meaning of getting away from it all.
My review
I listened to the audio book of The Infinity Pool narrated by Jack Wynters. I enjoyed the readers voice interpretation of this novel and thought his tones suited the subject matter of the book very well.
The Infinity Pool is beautifully written and compelling and I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is about a vacation camp on a remote island where mainly British people go to recuperate from their stressful jobs and to take various courses aimed at developing them as people.
The camp leader is a charismatic man named Adrian, who is a bit of a womanizer but who is very good at helping other people rediscover the good in their lives and re-energize. As a result, Adrian is popular with the guests, many of whom come specifically to take his courses.
The book starts with Adrian feeling slightly disgruntled with his life and role at the camp and looking for a way to reignite his enthusiasm and vigor. He meets a young local girl and sets out to woo her as he finds her company gives him a new lease on youth.
His relationship with the girl ends and his very modern and cavalier attitude offends the locals who live in a nearby village. It is the last straw in an already strained relationship and a group of young men from the village set out to cause disruption at the camp and among the guests. At times, their actions are outright hostile and even criminal.
This is not a run of the mill mystery, it has a heavy focus on characterization and the development of selected characters in the book as they go through a period/s at the camp and undergo a healing process which allows them to move on from their pasts and change as people.
I enjoyed this story and was happy with the ending except for one small thread which wasn’t tied up for me. Other readers may not think that and it isn’t significant, just a small niggle for me.
roberta-writes.com 
It sounds like a unique tale. I’m not sure if I’d like Adrian or not, but I already feel sorry for him with the locals out to get him.
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Adrian was a charmer, one of those men who everybody loves and who is used to getting his own way in life because of his charms. He isn’t a bad chap though, just thoughtless and a bit self absorbed in some ways.
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Hi Priscilla – I set out to make him charming but irresponsible, we’ve all met men like that. Then I had to keep stopping myself from going too easy on him!
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Great review!
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Great review, Robbie:) Sounds like a good read!
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It was, Denise, very beautifully written and thought provoking.
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I always enjoy your book reviews.
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Thanks, Dan. This was very unusual, beautifully written and quite intellection. I would call it literary fiction.
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You’ve hit the nail on the head there, Robbie. It was my first novel and I had so little idea about genre, i thought could just write what I liked. But on sub the main reaction was “too highbrow to be lowbrow and too lowbrow to be highbrow”. Glad to hear you’ve classed it as lit fic.
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After recently reading The Magic Carpet by Jessica Norrie, I will definitely consider this one.
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Jessica’s writing is simply beautiful, Pete. This is not a run of the mill read, you have to think about the characters and how their minds and emotions work. I really loved it and would have given it five stars, but the ending didn’t quite do it for me. Maybe I should be grateful to be left to form my own conclusions, but I would have liked a little more.
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Thank you Pete. It’s very different and I’d change some things now, but on the whole I’m still quite proud of it.
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This sounds like a very human story, where we will see parts of ourselves in many of the characters. (K)
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Yes, it was a great book. I love books that include psychology and human nature analysis, Kerfe.
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It always adds depth to the story.
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Thank you – I hoped people would see it that way.
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The Infinity Pool sounds intriguing, Robbie. I like the different aspects of Adrian’s character.
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This book is beautifully written, Mae. I really enjoyed the psychology, but it isn’t a run of the mill read.
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This sounds like an interesting premise as it has a real world application of how indigenous peoples are affected by tourist interactions, mixed with a mystery.
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Yes, you have hit the nail on the head. The characterisations are excellent.
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Excellent review as always Robbie… xx
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Thank you, Sally. Have you read this book? I think you would like it.
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I have only read Magic Carpet so far Robbie but will put on my list..hugsx
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Thank you so much for this review Robbie. I actually really like it when people say what they didn’t like as well as what they did (unless they go too far of course!) You’re quite right, there is a thread I leave open at the end… at one point was toying with a sequel but it didn’t get anywhere, and that might be why. You’re more than welcome to suggest your own ending though!
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Hi Jessica I did think about the fact I could now draw my own conclusions and that is maybe better for me as my ideas on how I want things to pan out might be different to yours. Your writing really is beautiful.
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In addition to the characterization, the book sounds particuarly interesting for its themes.
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It was, Liz. I am sure you would like this book. Jessica writes beautifully, just like you do.
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Thank you.
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