Finally

Name: Finally
ISBN: 9787532783830

爱德华·圣奥宾 / 冯洁音Shanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaAug 2020

4.2

Word count: 94K words
Chapters: 15
ISBN: 9787532783830

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Summary

Patrick's mother dies, and family, friends, even enemies keep arriving to see her one last time. For years Patrick has believed that without his parents' constraints and oppression he possessed freedom, but now he asks himself: is that really true? After the ceremony, the family gathers one last time. When the music ends and the guests disperse, Patrick is alone in his room, knowing he has finally bid farewell to the shadow of childhood and at last gained the hope of peace.

Editor's review

Finally is the closing chapter of British writer Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose quintet—not merely the completion of a series but a reckoning and reconciliation that reaches deep into the soul. The Shanghai Translation Publishing House edition sustains the series' characteristic coldness and precision. The book focuses on Patrick's later years: he seems to have emerged from childhood trauma and adult dissolution, with a stable family and career, yet the shadow left by his father, his mother's death, and his own sense of existential void still haunt him like ghosts. With scalpel-like prose, St Aubyn dissects the protagonist's arduous journey toward reconciliation with the past, with his family, and ultimately with himself. The writing is at once cruel and full of black humor, emotional undercurrents and philosophical reflection surging beneath a calm narrative surface. The value of reading this book lies in experiencing a rare kind of "healing" that offers no cheap consolation. It does not tell how to forget but shows how to live lucidly with one's wounds and finally find a trace of peace amid brokenness. For readers who have followed Patrick through a lifetime of service, this is undoubtedly a long-awaited and emotionally complex farewell.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have followed the Patrick Melrose quintet to this point and long to witness the character's final fate
Literary enthusiasts interested in deep psychological portraiture, family saga, and contemporary British literature
Readers who appreciate a cold, satirical style and do not flinch from confronting human complexity and existential plight
Thinkers reflecting on the relationship between trauma, memory, and reconciliation

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or fast-paced plotting
Readers who want a clear, optimistic ending

Reading tips

Reading the entire quintet in order is recommended to fully appreciate the character arc and emotional weight.
While reading, note how St Aubyn reveals inner turbulence through detail and dialogue rather than direct confession.
Be prepared for a complex reading experience mixing bitterness, humor, and rare insight.

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章

FAQ

Can I read Finally without having read the first four books?

Although the book has a completeness of its own, it is strongly not recommended. Patrick's lifelong struggle and his relationship with his parents are the core threads running through the quintet; lacking that history would greatly diminish the final chapter's impact and emotional depth.

Has the style changed compared with the earlier books?

The tone is continuous, but the narrative pace is more restrained and contemplative. The earlier mania and sharp satire give way here more to a weary lucidity and a sifting of the past, reflecting changes in the protagonist's age and state of mind.

What is the relationship between Edward St Aubyn and the protagonist Patrick?

The series is widely regarded as highly autobiographical. St Aubyn himself has spoken of childhood abuse by his father and years of drug addiction. He transformed these painful experiences into literature, giving the work astonishing authenticity and emotional force.

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About the author

爱德华·圣奥宾 Author

Edward St Aubyn is a Chinese-book author writing in the field of foreign literature. His representative works include Mothers Milk, the five-volume Patrick Melrose series, and other titles such as At Last and Hope, with seven works currently held in the collection. Due to limited publicly available information, details about the author's biography, nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unclear. Judging from the existing works, his writing often centers on the fate of characters and the difficulties of life, with a relatively delicate narrative style that emphasizes emotional and psychological portrayal. The works are readable and noteworthy within the foreign literature category and are suitable for readers interested in contemporary narrative fiction.

冯洁音 Author

Feng Jieyin, about whom public information is limited, appears from her available works to be chiefly engaged in the translation, annotation, and editing of foreign literature. Seven of her works are held in the collection, spanning foreign literature, culture, and politics. They include Lolita: The Annotated Edition, Borges the Professor, The Patrick Melrose Novels (five-volume set), Culture and Memory Loss: Writing on the Edge of Time, Rebuilding the World, Finally, and Living in a Corner. These titles suggest that her interests range from close reading of classic fiction and the presentation of writers' lectures to cultural memory and political questions, combining literary and intellectual concerns. Her editorial and translational work helps Chinese readers understand textual backgrounds and details, and offers solid editions for the spread of the relevant writers and works.