Message from Dean - May 8th 2007

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Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780571232765
ISBN: 0571232760
Label: Faber and Faber
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: June 19, 2008
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Studio: Faber and Faber

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Rating: - Superhyped rubbish
I bought this book in early November and have just, by an effort of willpower, finished it. Lacking any real plot and characterisation it left me feeling like descending into opium. There was no characterisation and in no way can the descriptions of London be compared with Dickens (or anyone else of that era and subsquently). There really is no plot, just a sequence of events that bring about the decline of Gabriel Swift, but no attempt to explain why he reacts / behaves the way he does, as there is no back story. And the last section only makes matters worse - why couldn't he just have been buried alive and done us all a favour? So no plot, no characterisation, mundane, predictable descriptions (didn't the sun ever shine in Georgian England?)and a writer who should realise that first-person, present-tense narrative is a skill that he has yet to learn.

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Rating: - It's Not As Bad As They Claim It
Having read a few reviews of this book on Amazon I have to conclude that the general consensus is a little harsh. To begin with a lot of moaning seems to be coming from the "unlikeable" protagonist"; correct me if I'm wrong but classics such as The Catcher in the Rye and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Popular Classics) neither had remotely likeable protagonists but were memorable because we could relate to even the worse corners of their personality.

The Resurrectionist's protagonist is much like that, at first you're not quite sure what to assume but later on you'll hate him. Essentially, he's a sadist who for inexplicable reasons touches the very depth of your personality. Areas you'd rather keep hidden.

The Resurrectionist is strangely constructed, which is where it mostly falls short. The short snappy bits of story are difficult to follow at first and the tacked on "ending" somewhat awkward and contrived.

Having said all that this is ... Read More

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Rating: - A Truly Gothic Gothic Novel
It takes a dark mind to write a story like this. James Bradley has the are of writing a tale in the Gothic style without resorting to shock tactics or too much gruesome detail.

The early nineteenth century is evoked with clarity as the writer takes us through streets and houses that seem perpetually dark. There is a gloom that hangs about every scene of Part One of the book. Somehow the mood of the character Gabriel colours everything. His story begins in a cold, snowy winter and never brightens from them.

There is corruption everywhere from the decaying bodies to the decaying morals of those involved in body-snatching.

Though it evokes history well, there is a contemporary edge to the story of Gabriel as he mixes with people who are a bad influence or morally corrupt in some way. He cannot make contact with these friends or his lover Arabella. He is unable to push down emotional barriers and reveal himself, and as he withdraws into opium addiction ... Read More

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Rating: - Have to agree with the other 1 stars
Having battled most of the way through this book I eventually lost the will to live with it. The author's use of language is indeed colourful and descriptive but the subject matter is disengaging and depressing. I've read dark novels before and there are many out there which have the capacity to enthral. This however had me reaching for a lump hammer.

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Rating: - Another disappointed reader
I started enthusiastically enough - after reading the back cover and normally loving historical novels I thought this would be a book to relish. The initial descriptions of London were powerful and enthralling but I might as well have stopped after the first dozen pages as it degenerated into a weak plotted, characterless but "nasty" little book. If I wanted to read about drug addicts and animal torturers but don't enjoy following a plot that is at least believable I would have been chuffed with my choice of book - but as that isn't my normal literary entertainment I completely wasted my money. My husband did only get about twenty pages in (without knowing my opinion)and chucked it in the bin.
My advice - don't bother, buy something else, it's not worth a quid let alone all the paper it wasted. Quite simply the worst book in so many different ways that I've read in years.

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