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Liked It “This is an unusual book for Faulks. It was interesting partly because it covers exactly the period of my own life and includes college in the seventies and all that went with that. Also, much of the narrative is in Cambridge near where I live. However, that's where the identification ends....” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Well written, but not particularly engaging and a little long winded. I found myself 100 pages in waiting for something to happen, and the something finally happened about page 250.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“This is an unusual book for Faulks. It was interesting partly because it covers exactly the period of my own life and includes college in the seventies and all that went with that. Also, much of the narrative is in Cambridge near where I live. However, that's where the identification ends. Engleby is a complex character who is at times sympathetic and at times repulsive. The action of the novel takes place at a slow pace and the revelations come gradually.
Kim wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I found it a fascinating book and enjoyed reading it. ”
“gripping, shocking and just a joy”
tink wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Scored 7.1/10 in my book club”
Martin M wrote this review Saturday, November 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“It's a good read so far.”
Joanne L wrote this review Monday, September 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Well written, but not particularly engaging and a little long winded. I found myself 100 pages in waiting for something to happen, and the something finally happened about page 250.”
Robert D wrote this review Tuesday, September 15 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“What a book! Sometimes I had no idea what was going on. This book is phenomenally written but so deep I became confused. His analogies, metaphors and philosophies are so complex and he uses names and places from England I've never heard of. It was an intellectual challenge but I'm glad I shlogged through it!”
Roberta G wrote this review Sunday, September 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Not his best book but well-written with a good plot. The main character and his actions are disturbing, a loner, not a likeable person. You're never sure what's true, what's false, a psychological enigma. His observations on the world are often funny, help to lighten the dark side of the book.”
Gill S wrote this review Sunday, September 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Slight spoiler warning! This is one of those books that is difficult to discuss unless you give *some* indication of what’s going on.
miyurose wrote this review Monday, August 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
When you meet Engleby, it doesn’t take long to realize that something is "off" about him. To me, he appears more "Asperger’s Syndrome" (especially because of his memorization skills) than "sociopath", but since you never get a definitive answer to the question, I suppose it could be either/or/both/somethingelse. And since Engleby is your narrator, you also aren’t sure what you should or shouldn’t believe. What isn’t said is sometimes more important than what is.
This was a decent read if you’re willing to make the investment. Sometimes Engleby’s train of thought is a little random, and I have to admit I found myself skimming several parts. And while I liked seeing the professionals’ assessments of Engleby (especially when followed up by his own narcissistic reactions to them), I could have done without "the journal of Engleby after 18 years of treatment". I think I would have rather left that to my imagination, though a sardonic wink to the reader at the end would have made it all worth it.”
“amazing book!”
Molls wrote this review Friday, June 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Extremely thought provoking and quite disturbing!”
Ashleigh G wrote this review Sunday, May 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
