London is a global village, and what brings the international residents of Pepys Road together is perhaps capital in the other sense - money: its tyranny over emotions, talents, lives. The sub-theme of the 'We Want What You Have' conspiracy adds depth and will keep you well and truly gripped until the last page.
The anonymity and vastness of London is the powerful setting for this novel. Although a thriller, it conveys the utter hopelessness of life on the streets for the thousands. The story introduces us to a feral existence and Adam's ability to survive and remain hidden from a ruthless killer is ingenious. A well-written and fast paced story that will grip you until the final page.
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One to read slowly and turn over in your mind. The narrator, a writer, relates conversations with a wide range of people on how we construct the narratives of our lives, our identity, our relationships. She, herself, remains an enigma.
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Will Xan Meo stay true to his wish to be a 'new' man - or will thousands of years of caveman conditioning prevail? The England of Martin Amis's blackly comic parallel universe is frighteningly recognisable and I'm very glad I visited it. Though I certainly hope we aren't going to have to live there.
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A day in the life of one man, his family, colleagues, friends and foes. But this is no ordinary day, this is the day that millions flocked to London to protest against war, the day that Henry is forced to face a personal dilemma. Ian McEwan's characters are so strong and convincingly real that I didn't feel I was observing Henry's life but actually living it with him. I enjoyed this book immensely.
Demanding but unforgettable, this story of survival on a London estate will have you rooting for the 'youngers' whose lives are blighted by hatred and poverty. Cutting across generations and races, it places its faint hope in the power of love.
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If you're a gobbler of words - a synonym lexiphile (I made that up), you'll relish this book. A lot of Eley's delight in words comes through in her bubbling inventiveness, and I just loved the twists and turns of the back story as well.
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At its heart is the eviction of a group of female sex workers from their Soho brothel. Yet this multi-layered, multi-character story is far richer than its back page description suggests. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle, the narrative threads slowly come together as each character's backstory is revealed. I was expecting a sex novel, but instead discovered a surprisingly opulent tale of friendship and courage rivalling bureaucratic greed.
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Rich is our eponymous narrator and a typical narcissist - charming, manipulative, impulsive and self-serving, but also wittily introspective. The novel combines two staples of modern fiction – a midlife crisis with the usual adulterous relationship, and a literary alter ego to extract useable material from real-life experiences, friends and family. The title also refers to the philosophical question of what we should most value in life.
This is a novel full of insightful, witty observations and is a joy to read despite the countless dramas, conflicts, contradictions and fraught relationships. The foibles and failings of the characters are handled with stylistic brilliance and insightful tenderness. We truly feel included in the moral conflicts of their lives in this masterclass of convincing, captivating writing.
View The Bee StingYou won’t find the biggest bestsellers on Whichbook as everyone knows about them already. But you can use your enjoyment of a current bestseller to see titles with a similar mood that you might try next.
