| The Outcast | 
 enlarge | Author: Sadie Jones
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £1.92
You Save: £6.07 (76%)
New (32) from £2.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 39
Media: Paperback
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0099513420
EAN: 9780099513421
ASIN: 0099513420
Publication Date: June 16, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 Fabulous! August 31, 2008
You can't not get totally absorbed in this story about 1950's middle class prejudice and hypocrisy. The story kept me completely hooked and I read it in just 2 evenings (and nights!!!). Lewis's (main character) journey takes you through all emotions possible, from sadness and despair to anger and even complacency. An excellant read that portrays the real bare bones of human nature and relationships. You ceratinly won't regret this read! Enjoy.
an examination of pain August 29, 2008
I read this book in 1.5 days much to my wife's irritation since I was supposed to be helping look after the children while on holiday! Other reviewers have referred to the clautrophobia of the 1950s which I would entirely concur with, there is a fawning sense of hierarchy and keeping up appearances regardless of underlying realities.
A great novel dealing with hypocrisy, failed communication between father and son, failure of articulation of great distress and possible resolution.
I strongly recommend reading it.
 a bit disappointing August 28, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really wanted to like this after all the hype but to be honest I found it a bit boring and melodramatic. The central idea was good but I never really got inside Lewis's head and towards the end the fact that every female character in the book found him irresistible got a bit silly. The final scenes in the church and at the railway station beggared my belief, you could see the book was written with a movie deal in mind. I found myself skipping large chunks and was a bit bored.
Sublime August 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of fiction. This is the book I wished I had written and the friends to whom I've lent my copy say the same. I sincerely hope that this isn't the one and only book Sadie Jones has in her, but what a read The Outcast is; fan-blooming-tastic!
Not as good as its reputation August 25, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I can sort of see why a lot of people like this. All the ingrediants are there, but Sadie Jones is no Delia when it comes to getting the right result. A good story is ruined by too many viewpoints that switch without reason (sometimes mid-paragraph) leaving you to wonder who's the real main character. It's meant to be Lewis, but we see the action from at least 7 other characters that it all gets a bit jumbled and lost. Where was Ms Jones' editor? Asleep, I guess. And the prose - far from being elegant and beautiful as some reviewers would have you believe, it's childish and uninspiring. How did this get onto the Orange shortlist? I'm only glad Rose Tremain won.
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