Taken at random from my ageing to be read mountain, this book wasn’t what I was expecting. There’s no gothic atmosphere about it, and some of the narrative jolts you out of the book until you realise the narrator is not who the third person opening leads you to believe. Once I understood that, I quickly got the hang of it. There are three main characters — Danny, a New Yorker visiting his cousin Howie in a castle ruin Howie wants to turn into an exclusive hotel; Ray, a convict undertaking a writing class; and Holly, a once drug addict, now teacher of creative writing. The book is an interesting idea, though the story didn’t offer all that it promised. There are too many interesting threads that lead nowhere and I failed to find the end satisfying because the Holly’s decisions make little sense, especially as she has children. I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. I’ve seen some say the author perfected her style in later books, which sounds interesting, though I may or may not try one. ( )

I think I liked this book (The Keep by Jennifer Egan)...but I’m not sure? The story begins with a young man escaping his problems in New York to help his cousin renovate a castle into a hotel in Europe, but soon Egan shifts to a man in prison taking a writing class. She manages to keep the two stories running in such a way that the truth of what is happening feels bent, and the ending left me very confused. But, I finished it, I (mostly) enjoyed reading it, and I definitely appreciate Egan’s writing style. Egan fans looking at her older titles who aren’t afraid of some strangeness should give The Keep a try. ( )

I think Egan’s strength is in writing realistic fiction. The fantasy/horror elements in this one don’t work so well, and the framing story is interesting but a bit clichéd. ( )

This book is unusual. It is a modern gothic tale of imprisonment and escape, both physically and mentally. It is two stories that merge in an interesting way.

Story one is set in a dilapidated castle in the wilderness of Eastern Europe, complete with a keep and tunnels. It is an eerie setting with elements that border on the paranormal. Protagonist Danny has been invited to the castle by his cousin, Howie, who is renovating it to turn it into a hotel. The cousins were involved in an incident as children, where Danny abandoned Howie in an underground cave.

Story two involves prisoners taking a creative writing class. One of the prisoners, Ray, is writing a story. Writing serves as his mental escape. Teacher Holly has struggled with drug addiction, so she was in a prison of a different kind. Story two contains an ambiguity as to what is real versus what is imagined.

The characters must eventually confront their psychological traumas. There is an undercurrent of fear and anxiety. It can be confusing in places, and it is not for everyone, but I found it weirdly wonderful. I have previously read two other books by Egan, and this is my favorite of the three.
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I received an ARC way back when this book was first coming out and couldn't get into it. I tried again now after seeing an interview with the author and got to 43% on the library ebook I borrowed, but have decided to DNF it. I just didn't care about the characters or their situation.