Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ambition, 21 April 2010
I can't believe this book was written 20 years ago. Unless one awkwardly decided to reflect on what has happened in the world, mostly politically, since such a long passage of time has elapsed, it is easy to imagine that this fantastic story was written yesterday.
I was never a great fan of Julie Burchill as a columnist. FAR too polemical. Polemical for the sake of it. But this book is a mind blowing, self-indulgent treat. Susan Street is a career climbing journalist. Yet she hits the glass ceiling and finds her unlikely saviour is the urbane, mega-rich, horribly intelligent and deeply cynical Tobias Pope. Pope is the new proprietor of the international news agency that has just snapped up Susan's workplace. He dangles the carrot of editorship of one broadsheet but there's just 6 labours he wishes her to perform. What follows is a series of sexual ballets around the globe choreographed by Pope, usually accompanied beforehand by his scathing critique of the locale, it's economy and the sexual voracity of the inhabitants. His character is so larger than life I feel it's a shame he wasn't used by JB again in more fiction. Alongside the main thread of this story, there are mini sagas and large conspiracies all circled around the two main characters. As everything comes to a head, one is assured that the story will end happily for a few, badly for the rest. Which, as Tobias Pope would say, is how it should be.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1.0 out of 5 stars
Is it that bad? YES!!!, 31 Aug 2011
I dont think I have ever read a worse , more cynically written book. Everything about it is cheap and nasty , and yes cynical. Within the first 10 pages Burchell manages to plug most of the newspapers and magazines she writes for. The typeface is deliberatly set to make you think you have a substantial book - its not - theres alot of white space!!
And it is so so badly written. Cliche after cliche , lists of consumer products to try and impress the reader,characters that are so flat they would topple over in the slightest breeze.
Its rubbish.
Total rubbish.
Its not even enterertaining rubbis.
And dont be fooled by the mentions of sexon the cover into thinking it may be a tittilating read.
Because , you've guessed , the sex is rubbish too!!.
And I do not think it overly cynical to wonder about the motivation of other reviewers who have made positive comments about this book!
Not recommended!!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very hot! Trashiness at its best, 21 Mar 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Ambition (Paperback)
Having followed Ms Burchills carreer from the early days of NME..Our herione has an "AMBITION" to be a top journilist. She finds that the male ego, dominated profession means she has only one option to make it ...Sex. She is offered a chance for her dream job, but with strings attached. The owner of the paper, gives her 5 tasks of ever increasing sexual complexity. Her Ambition is so strong, she agrees. Not knowing what she is letting herself into she is taken on a venture aimed at humilating her and exploring how far she will push her sexual behaviour. She complicates things by falling for his son. Julie Burchill has a very vivid and erotic imagination. She has produced a brilliant erotic, trashy story. A girlfriend took it on holiday and by the end of the week all four of us had read it and found we couldnt put it down.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|