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41.Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World (A Vintage original) by: Louis De Bernieres April 03, 2008
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: £7.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: £5.99 You Save: £2.00 (25%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: £2.32
I stumbled across this little gem a while ago in my local bookshop, and found myself fascinated by the excellent characterisations and idiosyncracies. It is probably a little expensive for what it is, and yes, it's self-indulgent, but it's still an entertaining read, and I would love to hear the radio play.

42.Life Before Man (Contemporary Classics) by: Margaret Atwood January 03, 1998
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In 'Life Before Man', Margaret Atwood presents us with several lead characters, displays their troubled souls and lets their worlds overlap. No-one would envy any one of these characters but perhaps we can identify with some of their traits. In Elizabeth we witness the self-destruction that comes from excessive self-control - I wanted to slap her, shake her, anything to make her speak out. I watched with sadness Lesje's innocent quest to find love that will not suffocate her, although she risks becoming the one who smothers. Nate is almost docile. He tries to find happiness but is pulled apart between Elizabeth's oppressive coldness and Lesje's neediness. This is not a cheerful book, but nor is it overly morose. I found that I could ... Read More:

43.Diary by: Chuck Palahniuk September 02, 2004
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The novel takes the form of a diary written by former art-student, Misty, as she makes some horrible revelations about her husband and the community in which she lives. Unfortunately it is difficult to imagine someone actually writing a diary in the minimalistic, repititive style of Palahniuk. The story becomes increasingly unbelievable, and I'm afraid the ending does not make the novel make more sense (quite the opposite) unlike the ending in the film 'Fight Club'. I haven't read much horror, perhaps the genre requires the reader to dispell his or her disbelief more than I was able to. Why does Misty mention facts about (real) artists constantly, while not mentioning any facts about the fictional artists central to the novel? Is there no local history ... Read More:

44.A Fairly Honourable Defeat (Vintage Classics) by: Iris Murdoch April 25, 2002
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The story begins with the happily married Rupert and Hilda celebrating their wedding anniversary, supping champagne and enjoying their recently installed swimming pool. They are joined by the hilarious, although somewhat less contented couple Axel and Simon. But is this suburban idyll merely an elaborate facade? Iris proceeds to rip apart their illusion of love and happiness, planting the mischievous Julius and the unstable Morgan (his ex lover) in their midst. Added to this intricate maze of human emotion is Morgan's estranged husband, Tallis, who lives with his caustic father and Hilda and Rupert's nihilistic son, in a beautifully realised London hovel. The plot thickens with intrigue, forced falsehoods and manipulated misunderstandings, resulting in a cascade of humour and heart ... Read More:

45.The Counterlife by: Philip Roth October 06, 2005
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The story begins with the happily married Rupert and Hilda celebrating their wedding anniversary, supping champagne and enjoying their recently installed swimming pool. They are joined by the hilarious, although somewhat less contented couple Axel and Simon. But is this suburban idyll merely an elaborate facade? Iris proceeds to rip apart their illusion of love and happiness, planting the mischievous Julius and the unstable Morgan (his ex lover) in their midst. Added to this intricate maze of human emotion is Morgan's estranged husband, Tallis, who lives with his caustic father and Hilda and Rupert's nihilistic son, in a beautifully realised London hovel. The plot thickens with intrigue, forced falsehoods and manipulated misunderstandings, resulting in a cascade of humour and heart ... Read More:

46.The Midden by: Tom Sharpe April 01, 2004
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: £7.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: £5.99 You Save: £2.00 (25%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: £0.95
I found this book really good up to page 26 - BUT then I noticed the story got a bit disjointed! This was however no fault of Mr. Sharpe; in fact pages 27 - 58 were missing and instead I had a DOUBLE HELPING of pages 59 - 90! In case you hold a copy (that you haven't of course read) or are planning to obtain one please note it was the H/B First Ed. by Andre Deutsch Ltd. 1996, and printed by Clays Ltd. St. Ives plc. I'm now looking for a replacement; it's out of print at CARLTON Books (of 20 Mortimer St., London - who now own the rights) and they have zero stock.

47.Deception by: Philip Roth January 17, 1998
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Good or bad? Well, if its going to come down it good - a clever thought provoking book covering some key themes; anti Semitism, relationships and how the sexes approach them, the art of the writer, the native living abroad. Given that's its entirely dialogue its difficult at times to follow who is saying what. Although spread out over some 200 pages its not dense type and can be read quickly; this helps as you feel it's worth holding what you know in a puzzled haze until it unravels towards the end. I can't say this is a great Roth book in the class of American Pastoral, Portnoy's Complaint etc - they for me have much more about them in content and depth of quality. That said such is the quality of Roth's writing there is still plenty to ponder in these pages. If this is to be your first Roth you ... Read More:

48.HMS Unseen by: Patrick Robinson April 07, 2005
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HMS Unseen is Robinson's third book on an exciting theme: hijacked or stolen submarines waging war against the US. It was great to see the return of the old villain Ben Adnam, still up to his tricks. However, one gets the distinct impression that Robinson is trying to cash in on the astounding success of Nimitz Class and Kilo Class, and certainly appears to have written this in a bit of rush, and at times, didn't seem to know where he wanted the story to go. The book starts very well, and initially, I enjoyed it a lot more than I did Kilo Class. However, the bizarre twists in the career Ben Adnam just go overboard, as does the character of Arnold Morgan, who by now is laughable, and doesn't radiate the patriotism that he used to, but rather idiocy. Robinson shold rather have ended the Morgan line in this ... Read More:

49.The Honorary Consul by: Graham Greene October 07, 2004
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With all due respect to the in house reviewer I would like to assure all potential readers of this fine novel that it is in no way a political book. The politics referred to serve to bring the characters together. At no point in the novel does Greene investigate any of the characters' politics. Nor does he analyse the political situation in Paraguay and Argentina where the novel is set. It is a novel about love; about the inability to love and the nature of love. It's about the nature of god and how the protagonists have to come to terms with the difficult idea that god is both good and evil. It's about the nature of the catholic church; the complicated nature of human beings. It's about that favourite paradox of Green's that very often those seemingly furthest from redemption, humanity and god are in fact ... Read More:

50.Birdsong (Reading Guide Edition) by: Sebastian Faulks September 01, 2005
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: £8.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: £6.99 You Save: £2.00 (22%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: £3.72
This book is amazing. I was so moved by the story, it is so well written it is like you are reliving the experineces of the characters and there with them through their ups and downs. I found it to be emotionally draining in places, but worth every second.

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