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.Brick Lane

by: Monica Ali

April 22, 2004
Couldnt wait to read it and unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out and excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actually finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst all the words. Its sorely overwritten - and honestly i cannot understand the hype.
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.The End of the Affair (Vintage Classics)

by: Graham Greene

October 07, 2004
This is a book about darkness and light, but mostly darkness.

It is about jealousy, vengeance, bitterness, loathing - I could go on. A deeply passionate and angry man, the narrator falls in love with a married woman who then inexplicably leaves him one day after a close shave with a bomb in war-torn London.

Then follows his quest to uncover why she left. I don't want to spoil what comes next by telling any more, but it is such a moving book. I was moved to tears by the beauty of it when I first read it, aged 15, and it still has the same effect, some (quite a few) years later.


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.Brick Lane

by: Monica Ali

October 23, 2007
What a marvellous first novel by this truly talented author. It takes a couple of chapters to get into, but after that, one just can't put it down! Monica Ali has ventured into a world and an experience that few have managed to portray with so much sensitivity, acuteness and genius. The many facets of Bangladeshi culture, covering most angles, all generations and many of its struggles and issues, are described very convincingly. This book is poignant in places, funny in others and shows many aspects of a complex culture. Whether you are inside or outside that culture is irrelevant, as much of the content, such as the hardships suffered by Hasina who struggles through life in Bangladesh but shows her resilience throughout, or the dwindling aspirations of Chanu as ... Read More:
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.Brick Lane

by: Monica Ali

June 02, 2003
Couldnt wait to read it and unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out and excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actually finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst all the words. Its sorely overwritten - and honestly i cannot understand the hype.
>>See More Reviews & Details on Brick Lane

Used Price: £0.01

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.Alentejo Blue

by: Monica Ali

May 01, 2007
Overall, a rather disappointing book, though the writing is quite good and there are particularly good passages/sections throughout. The trouble is that 'Alentejo Blue' is a fragmented novel with no real central narrative drive or plot to pull together the disparate strands. It reads like a collection of linked short stories set in the same Portuguese area.

Each chapter focusses on a different character living or staying in Alentejo. Inevitably with any book of this kind, some characters are more interesting and easy to identify with than others. I found the first two sections particularly hard going and almost stopped reading, although some of the subsequent sections were better.

I've never been to the area so can't comment on accuracy, but I wouldn't say that ... Read More:
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Used Price: £0.01

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.Brick Lane: A Novel

by: Monica Ali

September 15, 2003
Couldnt wait to read it and unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out and excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actually finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst all the words. Its sorely overwritten - and honestly i cannot understand the hype.
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Used Price: £0.06

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.Brick Lane

by: Monica Ali

October 01, 2003
Couldnt wait to read it and unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out and excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actually finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst all the words. Its sorely overwritten - and honestly i cannot understand the hype.
>>See More Reviews & Details on Brick Lane

Used Price: £0.04

Average Rating:

.Alentejo Blue

by: Monica Ali

June 05, 2006
Overall, a rather disappointing book, though the writing is quite good and there are particularly good passages/sections throughout. The trouble is that 'Alentejo Blue' is a fragmented novel with no real central narrative drive or plot to pull together the disparate strands. It reads like a collection of linked short stories set in the same Portuguese area.

Each chapter focusses on a different character living or staying in Alentejo. Inevitably with any book of this kind, some characters are more interesting and easy to identify with than others. I found the first two sections particularly hard going and almost stopped reading, although some of the subsequent sections were better.

I've never been to the area so can't comment on accuracy, but I wouldn't say that it was particularly ... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Alentejo Blue

Used Price: £0.01

Average Rating:

.Alentejo Blue

by: Monica Ali

June 05, 2006
Overall, a rather disappointing book, though the writing is quite good and there are particularly good passages/sections throughout. The trouble is that 'Alentejo Blue' is a fragmented novel with no real central narrative drive or plot to pull together the disparate strands. It reads like a collection of linked short stories set in the same Portuguese area.

Each chapter focusses on a different character living or staying in Alentejo. Inevitably with any book of this kind, some characters are more interesting and easy to identify with than others. I found the first two sections particularly hard going and almost stopped reading, although some of the subsequent sections were better.

I've never been to the area so can't comment on accuracy, but I wouldn't say that it was particularly strongly ... Read More:
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Used Price: £0.05

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.Brick Lane.

by: Monica Ali

September 30, 2003
Couldnt wait to read it and unlike the book I'll be brief with my review. The characters are well thought out and excellently written. Some absorbing vivid touches but in a book that is ridiculously over-written, these deft moments are lost. Clearly Monical Ali can write prose very well, but her story telling style drove me potty. Unfortunately i didnt actually finish the book...half way through i was lost amongst all the words. Its sorely overwritten - and honestly i cannot understand the hype.
>>See More Reviews & Details on Brick Lane.

Used Price: £0.50