The Mermaid and the Drunks - Softcover

Richards, Ben

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0297829157 ISBN 13: 9780297829157

Verlag: W&N, 2003

Über diesen Titel

Críticas:

Events:Vox 'n' Roll reading (with Matt Thorne) at the Mini Bar on Wednesday 19th March. Press:My Stop... feature (METRO).ANGEL MAGAZINE (interview)GUARDIAN (interview for a feature on local government - 12th March) Radio:BA in-flight radio (11th February)BBC Radio BristolBBC Radio JerseyRobert Elms (BBC London) Reviews confirmed so far include: Waterstones Books Quarterly, LiteraryReview, 'His [Richards'] most accomplished work so far...THE MERMAID AND THEDRUNKS is a poetic meditation on exile and return, but it is also a love story, a political thriller and a work of journalistic analysis, which breaks off every so often fo a quick historical recap...In giving full explression to his personal passion, Richards seems to have slipped the restrictive straitjacket of marketable lad-literature for a new realm of light, colour and sensuality. The puritan has shown his true colours as a dashing cavalier.'Alfred Hickling, THE GUARDIAN 'One of the many pleasures of Richards' novel are some of the great in-jokes...The novel cracks along on an alert, playful humour anda knack for instant character appraisal...THE MERMAID AND THE DRUNKS has something to say about our capacity - and possibly our duty - to mourn the fate of countries that are not ours.'Jean McNeil, THE INDEPENDENT '[a] bittersweetand beautifully judged novel.'Hephzibah Anderson, DAILY MAIL ''...very readable...Politics and violence become visceral and the sinister undercurrents ofcontemporary Chile begin to crack the surface of calm and seeming coherance.Ben Richards uses this to create an intensely felt and often subtle analysisof Chilean society, suggesting the range of possibilities and perplexities, and the limitations set on both love and damage.'Chris Moss, TLS '..full of unexpected detours...Though fantastically removed in both theme and geography from Richards' last outing...it shares many of the earlier book's qualities: narative slyness, human warmth, above all, the inestimable merit of a stall set out in markets where contemporary fiction rarely strays.'D J Taylor, INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Ben Richards weaves Chilean myths and the history of the conquistadores and Pinochet's regime into his well-delineated story without hisnarrative becoming stilted: the lyricism and background they offer makes an absorbing read.'METRO 'This is fiction of a high...standard...Richards' proseis well shaped.'Roger Howard, TIME OUT 'Richards has lived in Chile both before and after the Pinochet era and is married to a Chilean. He skilfully describes what Chile feels like for a foreigner. He catches the way the violence of the Pinochet years still has echoes in Chile today. And he blends in incidents from the country's history and myths..Take the novel as a crime story ora book that helps you understand what Chile and Chileans are like. It works on both levels.'IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Ben Richards' knowledge of Chile comes first hand, being married to a Chilean and having spent several yers in South America. He shares his perception of the country in a richly atmospheric novel that examines belonging and roots, friendship, loyalty and love.'PUBLISHING NEWS 'Richards's compelling story creates an understanding of the fascination Chile exerts on those who know and love it - and despair for it.'GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Richards is a talented writer...The bok has a strong sense of place and we observe the political tensions of the country...the author skillfully combines the harsh realities of politics with a romanticism of the country's history.'New Books.mag **** 'Richards creates complex, three-dimensional characters with ease, and his avoidance of tied ends and happy endings is to be applau

Reseña del editor:

Fresia, the daughter of Chilean exiles, leaves London following the suicide of her father to embark on a journey of self-discovery in her mother country. She meets Joe, a Scottish academic on a research trip, and Roberto, a wealthy local. The shadow of Pinochet and his legacy provide the backdrop to this novel which examines nationality, belonging and roots, friendship and loyalty, and, of course, love.

THE MERMAID AND THE DRUNKS takes its title from a poem by Pablo Neruda.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: W&N
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0297829157
• ISBN 13: 9780297829157
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288