In the heat of September, and the heady rush of starting her graduate degree, Regina Gottlieb is entranced by her seductive, controversial English professor, Nicholas Brodeur. Against all advice, she becomes embroiled in his world, only to betray him in a passionate love affair with the person closest to him. Their romance destroys the equilibrium of all those around them, and threatens to capsize their lives, as Regina and her lover struggle to bridge the gap between duty and desire, obsession and self-preservation. Only years later, when Regina by now a married mother and bestselling novelist living in Brooklyn crosses paths again with Nicholas, do we see the full impact of her first, devastating love. My Education is a classic coming-of-age novel with a delicious twist. One of the most intoxicating stories of erotic obsession fused with literary style to emerge in a long time.
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Since arriving the previous week I'd kept hearing about a notorious person, and now as I entered the packed lecture hall my gaze caught on a highly conspicuous man. 1992
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(Short Books, 14 May 2014, ebook, 445 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveLibs), # popsugarreadingchallenge, a dark academia book)
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I really enjoyed this book. I didn't expect Regina's affair to be with another woman so this was a pleasant surprise. I loved the fact the book is narrated in the first person by Regina. I love this POV when it's used well and it ticks all the boxes in My Education. I related to Regina's obsession with her lover and their family, how she becomes deeply embroiled in their lives because she is consumed by her affair. The book also explores friendship, identity and growing up. Regina is very young at the start of the book and during her affair and I enjoyed spending time in her world as she grows and matures. This is a terrific book.
