Reviews of novels by Lisa Jewell and Nick Earls

Book reviews from July 1999

You can find other peoples opinions of this book at Amazon's websites (where you also can order the book):
This book at Amazon.co.uk: Ralph's Party (Europe)
This book at Amazon.com: Ralphs Party (USA)

During the years 1996-1997 a popular tv-series called This Life were produced by the British BBC to lure over young viewers to their channel. During the spring/summer 1998 the series appeared at one of the channels at the Swedish television. Anyway, this series were about some lawyers sharing a flat in London, and I thought it was a great series. Keep in mind that I during my lifetime have thought Alf being one of the best shows ever, Roseanne being hilariously funny and that The Cosby Show was the highlight of a dull Sunay afternoon. I wonder if the shows really are so non-watchable or if it is me who has changed. Well, the point is, I think This Life was great, and was rather frustrating when the series just ended abrupt. A few weeks ago I was ordering some books from UK and spotted this book, Ralph's Party at the bestseller-list. About some people sharing a flat...in London.
To be honest, I don't know if I was the primary target for this book, but without fear of jeopardizing my macho-image I will state that this book is bloody good.
You will get to know Smith, the proper dull guy desperatly in love with the beauty at the top floor, Ralph, his flatmate and since years back best friend, an artist that is struggling up at mid-day to watch tv. Jem, the girl that recently moved in with the guys, and disturbs their evenings in front of the telly. On the floor above you will find Karl, the radio DJ living together with Siobhan and their dog, and at the top floor is Cheri, a beautiful man-eater. You will follow the lives of these people, and how they intervene with each other, and everything ending in Ralph's Party. Learn what life in the UK in the nineties could be like, or perhaps is? You will have a couple of evenings of great fun reading this book by Lisa Jewell.

About Lisa Jewell:

She started to write this novel after a bet at a pub, that she wouldn't be able to scribble down the first chapters of a book. Lisa were born in London and still lives there with her boyfriend. She studided art and fashion for four years and have had a variety of jobs, for example, in-house PR for a fashion company and PA for a firm of Jermyn Stree shirt-makers. Lisa Jewell is thirty years old and this is her first novel.

ZigZag Street by Nick Earls fiction Pan books, published 1998 ISBN: 0-330-35533-3 275 pages Review written on the 30th of July 1999 I rate this book 9/10: ********** You can find other peoples opinions of this book at Amazon's websites (where you also can order the book): This book at Amazon (UK) ZigZag Street This book at Amazon (Deutschland) ZigZag Street This book at Amazon (Canada) ZigZag Street This book at Amazon (USA) ZigZag Street

Meet Richard Derrington, single and not coping well with the fact that he and his girlfriend broke up six months ago. After the death of his grandmother he has moved into her house and was supposed to renovate the place, so far he has managed to do a lot of thinking about renovating but not getting into action about it.
Meet Greg the flea-inpested cat, which Richard inherited from his grandmother.
Meet Purvis the Sock Friend, the friend Richard made for his grandmothers cat Greg as a companion when Richard is away at work. Richard is in not doing that well at all, at work he can hardly get anything useful done, at the tenniscourt with his friends he cannot play at all and he is definetly single. Richard doubt things ever gonna change and doubt that he'll ever get over his ex-girlfriend. But a life with junk-food & discussions about weird things with his friends will soon change, and you'll have the chance to follow the events evolving around Richard.
This is the first novel by Nick Earls and it's great. You will feel sad when the book is over and not be able to follow the weird things that happends and the weird discussions that takes place. Since 1996 when this book was first published, Nick Earls has written more novels and I will surely get a hold of those. He is he seriously funny making observations about life which surely is worth thinking about. I believe this novel is about to be made into a movie this year as well.

Read my other reviews of Nick Earls's books: My review of Bachelor Kisses My review of Perfect Skin Reviews of books written in a similar style: My review of Lisa Jewell's Ralph's Party My review of Mike Gayle's My Legendary Girlfriend

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