Angel - Elizabeth Taylor

The tale of an obnoxious teenage girl who grows up into an obnoxious romantic novelist, her meteoric rise followed by a gradual decline. It reminded me of Brideshead Revisisted, another bittersweet story of a low-born protagonist loved by an aristocratic brother and sister in England between the wars.

Angel herself is a magnificent creation; entirely lacking in self-perception, utterly humourless and callously inconsiderate towards others. Taylor skilfully reveals the fear underneath the brazen exterior, allowing the reader to sympathise with this memorably monstrous character.