Alphabetical Order and Donkeys' Years - Michael Frayn

Advantages: Setting detail, Frayns playwrite skills are definative
Disadvantages: At times can be slightly disjointed

...Michael Frayns modern novel, 'Spies' is only achieved when the Author has conciderable experiences similar to that of He/She has characterised and I think maybe this is why Spies is rather successful, the books realism, depth and at times understanding is somewhat pleasurable. Frayn started off writing for the Guardian and later, the Observer, publishing plays and novels. What year I am unsure, however I know a few of his novels which include Tin Man (1965), The Russian Interpreter (1966), Alanding on the sun (1991). So as you can Frayn has been writing for a great number of years. Frayn often uses his own life as a basis for his novels and plays, for example The Russian Interpreter, Frayn learnt Russian whilst he did two years public service. So his novels undeniably contain a certain truth behind each page; However a more extravegant... Read review

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Advantages: I could not put this book down
Disadvantages: don't drink coffee and read this, your head might blow off!

...Headlong is a new paperback from renowned author Michael Frayn. The hero of the piece is a young philosopher cum art historian who moves to his second home with his wife and young daughter to concentrate on his research. Being easily distracted he soon discovers what he believes to be a major painting by Breugel, which has been lost for hundreds of years. The story starts of brilliantly written and gets better and better as our hero swings from excitement at his discovery to despair at his possible foolishness. As he plots to get the picture and sell it for a fortune the pace of the book picks up, until the last few chapters speed by. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters and story are excellent. The history is superbly written and very easy to understand.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Dual Narrative Perspective.
Disadvantages: Possibly over-Complex Timeline

...I first read this book at the end of last year, and thrououghly enjoyed it. A bildungsroman from the perspective of Stephen Wheatley as both a ten year old boy and as an old man. The book provides an insight to what a child sees and how the child thinks, especially in a time of war. The adventures that lead to more than Setphen and Keith had wished for were only started as fun... but the mystery of Uncle Peter is unwrapped as a tunnel becomes an ever more important part of thier routine. Dual Narrative ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Through following the dual narative, the reader picks up the thoughts and feelings of Stephen Weatley more and more as the book goes on. We are able to understand the childs thoughts and feelings, however naive, but we can also understand the old man's thoughts when he adds to and questions his childhood memories... Read review

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