Published by Virago on November 2, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 272
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Susie Boyt's sixth novel is the story of the first year of a marriage. Eve a nervous young actress from a powerful theatrical dynasty has found herself married to an international expert on anxiety called Jim. Could it work? Should it work? Must the show always go on? This is a highly-strung comedy about love, fame, grief, showbusiness and the depths of the gutter press. Its witty and sincere tone - familiar to fans of Susie's newspaper column - will delight and unnerve in equal measure.
I so loved this novel, its originality leaps off the page and it made me laugh out loud. Seldom has an exploration of raw, profound grief been so entertaining (Deborah Moggach)
This is delightful and as tender as an accidental bruise. Boyt's witty, zingy, ping-pong dialogue dances with Astaire-like flair - underneath it lies the darker depths of grief that threaten to draw all her characters down into the murky waters of loss. I found myself praying that the cork floats of hope were still firmly attached (Tamsin Greig)
Susie Boyt has a unique perspective on modern life and close relationships, she is one of the funniest and most individual writers working today (Linda Grant)
Love & Fame is so rich and insightful, and the writing is beautiful. Reading it will help you survive your own personality. There's a special sort of merriment in the book and such a feast of particularity (Andrew O'Hagan)
A book that manages to be both clever AND cheerful! Who knows if you're allowed to fall in love with characters in books any more (or again) but Eve is the most loveable heroine who has walked across the stage of English fiction for a long while. Delivered with wit and brilliance leavened with a sense of tragedy just off stage (Alain De Botton)
I am not sure how to write this review. I have sat here for ages thinking how to word it and discuss it but I am at a loss and I think I am going to be in the minority.
When I was reading this book, I got confused with what was going on. The opening paragraphs were part sentences, and when reading this book a lot of time I felt like I was the third person half listening on a conversation in a coffee shop as I felt like I was missing something. I wasn’t too sure of some the dialogue and I had to keep re-reading passages. Maybe it was the wrong time for me to pick up the book where my concentration has been a bit waning due to fatigue and constant head pains and maybe if I tried it again when I was more switched on my review could be different. The part sentences are left there for you to interpret as we peer into the inner monologue of people, it is deemed a theatrical monologue I have learned.
The blurb hooked me, a woman, Eve, who suffers anxiety, a
When Susie was describing the places they were at, I felt like I could have been there. Eve going for a run in Chicago and it snows, I was right there with her, in the cold feeling the snowflakes. I could have stayed there. I got lost when the characters interacted with each other. The dialogue is clever, but at times a little bit too much. (well for this old brain!)
The cover of this book projects the tightrope of the book and the characters, one wrong move and it all comes tumbling down. Combine that with the writing flowing so fast, you do have to take a breath to catch up, and we have multiple themes highlighted in the book, fame, love, grief, illness, and failure.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Rosie Amber says
That does sound like a strange sort of read, I think I’d struggle with parts of it too.
Zoe says
From the reviews I have read it does sound really good, I think I just struggled. I couldn’t get my head round it but I will definitely try again.
jenchaos76 says
I love your new theme! Yes, I have had books like this. It’s like being in a time warp. It’s good, but not enough.
Zoe says
Ah thank you! It was mentioned to me that the green was a bit harsh on the eyes so I freshened it up. Yes I struggled to follow it, I don’t think I quite engaged with it. I will give it another go as the reviews I have read rave about it so I think it is just me and wrong time of reading