Amy S. Wilensky

Advantages: Excellent and educational autobiography
Disadvantages: Perhaps a bit too close for comfort at times

...Disorder (OCD). I had always thought (and still do) that OCD is generally a psychological problem related to anxiety. Anyway, technicalities aside, I thought the book looked interesting. The book cost £3.73 (rrp £6.99) and is an autobiography written by an American called Amy Wilensky. The book was first published in 1999. This edition was published in 2006 by Pocket Books, and has a picture of a young girl on the front. I wasn't intending to read the book all in one go yesterday - In fact I wasn't going to start it until this morning on the train. However, once I'd started I couldn't put it down, and it is only 211 pages. Amy Wilensky came from a privileged background in the USA. However, during a ballet lesson at the age of eight, she caught sight of herself in the mirror - her head was twitching involuntarily. Over time... Read review

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Advantages: Fast paced and relevant to today's society
Disadvantages: Some may find certain passages offensive

...thirties called John Self. He is overweight and apparently does nothing with his life but drink, whore and eat. However, the whole of his life circles around one element and that is money. Amis explores Self's dpendancy upon this precious resource of the '80s in a way that only he can. The novel is narrated from Self's viewpoint and the reader is led to sympathise with his viewpoints and is even directly addressed by Self. The awareness that the lead character has of his readers and his position as a character in a book or a tale (be it fact or fiction) is eerie; giving a sensation that Self subconsciously knows what is to come and what is the ending of this bizare and almost plotless story. However, his encounters with a writer in the book called Martin Amis and his admissions that he has lied to the reader along the way provoke... Read review

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Advantages: Still an enjoyable book
Disadvantages: Slow and difficult to get into.

...I have read five Martin Amis books after I became completely hooked two years ago. I was saving 'the rachel papers' as I knew it was guaranteed to be one of the best..after all the did turn it into a film. However when I got around to reading it I found it a huge disappointment. Maybe I chose to read it at the wrong time, but I found I couldn't get into the book now matter how many times I tried. I found it very slow. There was a clear plot: boy needs girl and must get her. The boy is nearing 21 (I believe he was played by Dexter Fletcher in the screen version) who is transfixed by a girl who is in a completely different league to him - a rather upperclass girl who treats him like dirt and seems to string him along to draw out the book. He spends the majority of his time hidden in his basement bedroom drinking alcohol... Read review

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