Customer Reviews

New Confessions

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i have read everything Wm. Boyd has published--even the screenplays. he's my favorite writer and i have a Ph.D. in Literature. ok--enough said--read this book--it will change you; it will haunt you. i have read TNC about 12 times. it is an insane book. here are Boyd's best, in order (according to snargey me, that is, and who am i to say what's best? an authority, that's who, knucklehead!): 1. the new confessions 2. brazzaville beach 3. on the yankee station 4. an ice-cream war 5. a good man in africa the rest of his books are kind of "uh..." to tell you the truth...but the aforementioned are great!

You know you have read a bad book when you sit through it, sneering in disgust until you reach the end, when you throw it across the room or hide it in shame. The wonderful thing with William Boyd is he is so magical with the subtlety of his messages. Reading Confessions I knew I was in the hands of a good writer, and that I would not be let down. True to form, the ending wrapped Confessions up neatly and fittingly. Reading books like Boyd's are a relief - there is so much [junk] out there and we must all thank God there are published writers who actually have true gifts of literacy (and I challenge anyone to beat Boyd at his game, he is a true master of the english lexicon). All in all, I love this book and if you, like me, feel good books are few and far between, read this for a good dose of refreshment.

I have read and enjoyed most of Boyds' books - but this was by far my favourite.

For the life of me, I will never ever forget the first and last sentences of this book, the slightly-damaged hardbound edition of which I bought for only a dollar(!) in a discount section of a bookstore here in Manila in 1994! A rare, serendipitous literary find for me, indeed. Truly captivating, a biography like this of one John James Todd can only be created by one destined to be a world literary giant. Medicine, Mathematics, Philosophy, 20th Century History, Cinema -- all combined and meticulously woven in one great book of insights. It is as if every turn of a page of this book, a hologram appears and all you have to do is watch, laugh and weep as the 3-Dimensional events happen grandly, clearly, colorfully and ceaselessly before your very eyes.

This novel is so bold. It's protagonist essays a contemprary film version of Rousseau's CONFESSIONS. The aspiration eats up his life, a lifetime which fits nicely into our century and the development of cinematic art. The reader travels through early century London and Gernmany and eventually to latter day Los Angeles. As soon as I finished this book I devoured the Rousseau and loved it as much.

I have read and enjoyed most of Boyds' books - but this was by far my favourite. Buy it now, or borrow it to save paper.

Interesting; very vividly written. Excellent character development. Highly recommend your reading this book. I was down to the last 40 pages and did not want the book to end. I also highly recommend his other book --- The Blue Afternoon.