Review ‘There are books we like well enough to recommend, but there are a very few – To Kill a Mockingbird, Catch-22, The Things They Carried – that we remember forever. To my own shortlist I can now add My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent … The word “masterpiece” has been cheapened by too many blurbs, but My Absolute Darling absolutely is one’ Stephen King‘If you liked Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, you’ll love this’ Daily Mail‘A powerful tale with a howitzer of a heroine and a plethora of extraordinary scenes’ TLS‘A heartrending debut that will shock, then shake, then inspire you’ Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You‘An outstanding book that could be this year’s A Little Life’ Guardian‘My Absolute Darling is an absolute triumph’ National‘The writing is beautiful and vivid, while the story is brilliantly urgent, brutal and uncompromising’ Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days‘Tallent’s breathtaking debut is a harrowing and at times psychologically difficult journey on the scale of A Little Life or The Goldfinch, but it’s worth it . . . a true inspiration’ Harper’s Bazaar‘Once a year – certainly no more – along comes a special novel that turns its readers into literary holy rollers. A couple of years ago it was Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. Before that Ferrante fever. This year, I suspect it will be My Absolute Darling’ The Times‘This is a compelling and unsettling novel that sucks you into its darkly warped world and doesn’t let go until the last page … powerful, violent, savage and quite brilliant’ Daily Express‘A gut wrenching, terrifying novel written so beautifully it sings off the page’ Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat‘This is a bloody, bru Book Description The Sunday Times bestseller See all Product description
M**R
Horrific, so graphic, really unsettling and disappointed at how highly it was recommended
Was a book club choice so I went with it. I had no idea it was so awful. Based on the reviews I saw prior, I would have never imagined the dark, twisted abuse that would be described. Some of the writing was beautiful - the landscape, the friends she finally made; but overall I hated it. Maybe it was the content, maybe it is actually an acclaimed book because it will stick with me the rest ofmy life. All I know is it was absolutely soul-wrenching and I feel for every abused person out there. This covered it all - sexual, emotional, physical - it was just exhausting.
E**Y
Astonishing
I'm never normally moved to write a review but this book is quite simply breathtaking. Raw, explosive, intricate, gripping. It's everything a book should be.
P**T
Read it!
In many ways a shocking story but beautifully written. A real page turner, I read it quickly just to find out how it ended, and now I'm reading it for a second time to fully appreciate the beauty of the prose. It's a story of love, hate and abuse and coming of age. A wonderful novel with a powerful theme, brilliantly crafted.
S**N
Hard subject/beautifully written
This is both a beautiful written and at the same time difficult subject to read about. I recommend it because the author obviously understands the abuse issues and has crafted a story that weaves the good and bad in all the characters throughout drawing you to like and dislike them in equal measure believing and not believing what might be happening in a family. Illustrating how hard it is for others to know when abuse is taking place.
J**B
We have never before written a review, but with this book felt compelled to write one.
We feel we have duped by the hype surrounding the book which is being sold as a ' best seller'. We all struggled to read it and because of the horrific abuse and unnecessary foul language, failed to appreciate the wonderful descriptions of the Californian coastline.The book may be well written, but is shocking and brutal and reading it has left a bitter taste in the mouth.
M**O
Not as expected
It wasn't what I expected. I found quite a lot of it difficult to wade through. Half way through and had had enough. Left it a while and came back to it but in the end didn't finish it.
L**Y
If you really want to engage emotionally, this is the book to read - utterly incredible.
What a stunningly amazing read. Such reads stay with you well beyond the end of the book - my quest for more literary engagement like this, never ends. Shocking at times, but such incredibly beautiful use of language - I was mesmerised and didn’t want the end of the book to come. Gabriel Tallent is a phenomenally gifted writer. Thank you for moving me to such extremes of emotion and for reigniting my passion, in a way that only the most beautiful and masterful prose can.
P**A
Beautiful; both a joy and a sorrow to read.
I cannot bear to have finished this book. A beautifully written book, a gem amongst so many mediocre reads. Each word so careful chosen. Brilliant.
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