Annie is morbidly obese, lonely and hopeful. She narrates her own increasingly bizarre attempts to ingratiate herself with her new neighbours, learn from past mistakes and achieve a ""certain kind of intimacy"" with the boy next door. Though Annie struggles to repress a murky history of violence, secrets and sexual mishaps her past is never too far behind her, finally shattering her denial in a compelling and bloody climax. A quirky and darkly comic debut - giving readers a glimpse of a clumsy young woman who has too much in common with the rest of us to be written off as a monster.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
A Kind of Intimacy
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
'An intense and intriguing novel that never quite lets the reader get comfortable. It understands about the fuzzy boundary between the normal and the strange, and weaves them together in a gripping, ever-darkening narrative' (Jenny Diski)
'who wouldn't kill for a comic gift like Jenn Ashworth's?' (Guardian
'a hugely readable debut novel...about the inability to know others and ourselves' (Independent)
'evokes a damaged mind with the empathy and confidence of Ruth Rendell' (The Times)
'extremely intense and powerfully intriguing' (Waterstone's) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
'who wouldn't kill for a comic gift like Jenn Ashworth's?' (Guardian
'a hugely readable debut novel...about the inability to know others and ourselves' (Independent)
'evokes a damaged mind with the empathy and confidence of Ruth Rendell' (The Times)
'extremely intense and powerfully intriguing' (Waterstone's) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
About the Author
Jenn Ashworth was born in 1982. Her first novel, A Kind of Intimacy, was published in 2009 and won a Betty Trask Award. COLD LIGHT, her second novel was published in 2011 to critical acclaim and she was chosen by BBC TV's The Culture Show as one of the 12 Best New British Writers. Her third novel, THE FRIDAY GOSPELS, will be published by Sceptre in 2013. She lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family and writes an award-winning blog at www.jennashworth.co.uk.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Bakey
Format:Paperback
This book starts with the main character Annie moving into her new house and she soon becomes obsessed with her neighbour.
I felt sorry for her at first but as her past is gradually revealed throughout the book I found her more and more disturbing.
A Kind Of Intimacy is difficult to put down and keeps the reader in suspense to the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jenn Ashworth's debut novel and if her other books turn out to be half as good as this one then we're in for a treat. Definitely an author to look out for in the future.
I felt sorry for her at first but as her past is gradually revealed throughout the book I found her more and more disturbing.
A Kind Of Intimacy is difficult to put down and keeps the reader in suspense to the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jenn Ashworth's debut novel and if her other books turn out to be half as good as this one then we're in for a treat. Definitely an author to look out for in the future.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Ms. R. Burns
Format:Paperback
From the very first page, I was completely engrossed in this psychological novel of obsession - and totally fascinated by its rather unhinged narrator Annie.
It's dark and suspenseful yet contains flashes of great humour, and it's very well-written. Despite the story sometimes stretching things a little too far, I only occasionally found aspects of the characters a bit unconvincing, and overall I was able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.
It somehow manages to show Annie as monstrous, dangerous and obsessive, yet at the same time she gains our sympathy as she reveals details of her past and her many vulnerabilities. As the story develops and reaches its climax so do her feelings of being misunderstood, and her ability to justify her own hideous actions. It's a terrific story - and since it was author Jenn Ashworth's debut novel, I can't wait to see what she produces next!
It's dark and suspenseful yet contains flashes of great humour, and it's very well-written. Despite the story sometimes stretching things a little too far, I only occasionally found aspects of the characters a bit unconvincing, and overall I was able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.
It somehow manages to show Annie as monstrous, dangerous and obsessive, yet at the same time she gains our sympathy as she reveals details of her past and her many vulnerabilities. As the story develops and reaches its climax so do her feelings of being misunderstood, and her ability to justify her own hideous actions. It's a terrific story - and since it was author Jenn Ashworth's debut novel, I can't wait to see what she produces next!
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jenn Ashworth's debut had me hooked from the first page. In Annie, Ashworth has created one of the most interesting, mysterious, endearing but at the same time terrifying characters I have ever had the uncomfortable pleasure of encountering in a book.
There are times when I felt that I simply wanted to hug Annie and make it alright. Tell her that everything's o.k. and that she IS beautiful. I balk when I read that sentence back, too, but that is what Annie does to me... I had that feeling a lot reading this novel, and each time i had it it made me feel uncomfortable, sensing that Annie was more than she seemed, feeling inadequate and arrogant: my hug wouldn't be enough, and would i be able to give it, and would i be able to cope with the consequences.
Ashworth really keeps her cards close to her chest, maintaining mystery and surprise throughout, revealing pieces and dropping hints of the fullness of Annie's past, the horror of her present, past and future.
This book is a love story of sorts, a crime novel of sorts, but most of all it is a tender and compassionate portrait of a lonely young woman, emotionally battered and psychologically disturbed.
There are times when I felt that I simply wanted to hug Annie and make it alright. Tell her that everything's o.k. and that she IS beautiful. I balk when I read that sentence back, too, but that is what Annie does to me... I had that feeling a lot reading this novel, and each time i had it it made me feel uncomfortable, sensing that Annie was more than she seemed, feeling inadequate and arrogant: my hug wouldn't be enough, and would i be able to give it, and would i be able to cope with the consequences.
Ashworth really keeps her cards close to her chest, maintaining mystery and surprise throughout, revealing pieces and dropping hints of the fullness of Annie's past, the horror of her present, past and future.
This book is a love story of sorts, a crime novel of sorts, but most of all it is a tender and compassionate portrait of a lonely young woman, emotionally battered and psychologically disturbed.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 14 reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome.....
Especially for a debut.
Really Creepy!
Many times as I read I was thinking How delusional the protagonist was rather angrily. Read more
Really Creepy!
Many times as I read I was thinking How delusional the protagonist was rather angrily. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rich1987
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!!
I'm the sort of person who finds books hard to get in to - they have to hook me right away or else I get bored quite quickly. Read more
Published 6 months ago by dustbunny
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
I loved this book! It is funny and chilling at the same time and it is like entering the mind of a stalker! Read more
Published 8 months ago by vevi9
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping read
Loved this book. Unsettling and gripping I was hooked from the first chapter. Characters are all very believable and makes you wonder what bizarre things are going on in your own... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Laura
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
I am not going to write a long review. Not sure I could write anything that would do this book justice. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Stacey
3.0 out of 5 stars
inconsistent
I was disappointed after reading all the good reviews to find this novel inconsistent and contradictory. Read more
Published 14 months ago by pierre
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love thy neighbour?
Annie Fairhurst is a complex and intriguing character, one that stays with you long after you have turned the last page of this fantastic first novel. Read more
Published 15 months ago by The story fiend
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intense and clever
Annie has moved into a new neighbourhood and relates her efforts to get to know her neighbours, particularly the increasing obsession with Neil, the man next door. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Janie U
4.0 out of 5 stars
I was fat and he had acne on his shoulders...
"Evokes a damaged mind with the empathy and confidence of Ruth Rendell," says the quote on the front cover, thereby revealing, if not the whole plot, the main feature. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Eileen Shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy, unsettling and totally unputdownable!
This book kept me up till the wee small hours as I just couldn't put it down until I had finished it! Read more
Published 18 months ago by Murf61
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
