26A: Amazon.co.uk: Diana Evans: Books

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Product Description

Boyd Tonkin, The Independent, Rising Star of 2005
The great Neasden novel has arrived...Evans' Neasden of the 1980s becomes a place of mystery, fantasy, joy and melancholy

Independent
'Very enjoyable...beautifully realized and wholly convincing...Evans writes with tremendous verve and dash.'

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 26a is wondrous, 18 April 2006

By	C. C. Ah-kang "Carina" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 26a (Paperback)

I had never heard of this book before I found it on a shelf in Smiths, but after reading the back cover I thought that i would give it a go. It took a few pages to get into but once i was passed that i was hooked! The synopsis doesn't do the book justice. Each character is totally believable with their own gentle warmth and personality and with the writers use of language and description form a brilliant image in your mind and a place in your heart. It wasnt long before the unusual conversations and childish thinking become second nature to me and I understood exactly what they meant. However in a book that triumphs in so many ways the real storyline winner is the relationship between the twins, Bessie and Georgia, so magnificently told. Throughout the book you cannot get away from the strength and intensity of love that the twins have for one another. From the opening pages about their birth right through to the last sentence the feeling of 'twoness in oneness' is omnipotent. Anyone who manages to read the last few pages without crying their eyes out(as i did) cannot be human. In a nutshell this book tells the story of childhood innocence, adolescent realisation, family dynamics, differences in cultures and the breakdown of a mind with perfect perception and detail.What more can i say...this book is pure gold.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written but incredibly sad, 22 May 2007

By	J. Streeter (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 26a (Paperback)

26a is a story about a mixed White/Nigerian family growing up in Britain and briefly in Nigeria in the 1980s and 1990s. The characterisation is deep, emotional and superb and one is really drawn in to feel empathy with each character in some way. The prose is beautiful and the pace is constant with a good rhythm. I understand from another reviewer that this is partly autobiographical which makes the story only more impacting. In summary, this is an excellent read and gives the reader a great insight into the lives and thoughts of four girls growing up in late 20th century Britian but my only warning is that this is a tragedy. It is incredibly sad and the descriptions of onsetting mental illness/depression and its outcome at the end are poignant and perhaps too upsetting for some.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inexplicably brilliant!!, 29 Mar 2007

By	A Reader (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 26a (Paperback)

Words cannot express the emotions that this book stirred in me. I read this book with such a heavy heart and a lump in my throat. Diane Evans so accurately describes and explains all the emotions that Georgia and Bessi experience, taking the reader along with them. I cannot explain how much the 2 characters became a part of my world whilst I was reading this book. I genuinely felt fear and frustration for Georgia and ached to be able to help her. Never before has a book touched me or affected me so much. This is the most moving and emotional book I have ever read! I would urge everyone I know to read this book and I defy anyone not to love it.

I read many great books in 2006 but this was by far my favourite book of the year - if not ever! Diane Evans certainly deserves every award she won for this book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Grossly overrated, underwhelming debut
This book falls neatly into that "multicultural, mixed-race" trend. The book itself is not awful but it's not very good either. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Book Hunter

5.0 out of 5 stars The mystery of our lives
As an identical twin, I completely identified with the two main characters in this story (Bessi and Georgia). Read more

Published 5 months ago by Allie Lo

3.0 out of 5 stars Strange!
Well I am left having read this book and still not knowing if I enjoyed it or not? Glad I read it, however not at all what I expected from the synopsis! Read more

Published 13 months ago by LindyLouMac

4.0 out of 5 stars Touching and sensitive book
I'm glad this book was recommended to me otherwise I would never have picked it up. The blurb does not do justice to the depth and sensitivities of the novel and topics touched... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Netty

2.0 out of 5 stars Difficult to get in to and then frankly a little dull

There's a story in there, somewhere, but it really does take an age for it to come out. It's very 'sensitive' though if you like that kind of thing.

Published 22 months ago by Claire Marshall

4.0 out of 5 stars Magical ..
Story about the Hunter family living at no 26a in Neasden, originating from Nigeria.

Mum finds it hard to settle in England,husband is a character and the children... Read more

Published on 28 Jun 2007 by CK

4.0 out of 5 stars a well written story
I have just finished this book, and found it very thought provoking, as it focuses on twin girls growing up in London, in a mixed race family, they are joined together all the... Read more

Published on 10 Jun 2007 by J. Heycock

5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful, moving book I have ever read...
This book was amazing, it really moved me to an extent that no other read could match. When I reached the end was shocked at how much I missed missed the characters from the book... Read more

Published on 19 Dec 2006 by Penny Richardson

3.0 out of 5 stars A difficult read, but a beautiful, personal story
I've read the 3 or 4 reviews below mine and find that I agree with both the positive and negative comments on Diana Evans' first novel. Read more

Published on 10 Nov 2006 by missp85

4.0 out of 5 stars If I could I'd give it 4 and a half...
I really liked this book. The reason I wouldn't give it the full 5 stars is that at times it was a bit too intangible, it's hard to explain but it's like it got a bit too... Read more

Published on 22 Aug 2006 by Kate

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26A (Hardcover)

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