- Paperback: 439 pages
- Publisher: Flame; New edition edition (2 Aug 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340767820
- ISBN-13: 978-0340767825
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 12.6 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 192,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
"Bright Young Things wanted for big project. SAE to PO Box 2300 Edinburgh." From the 2,000 men and women who respond to this intriguing ad, six are chosen: Anne, Jamie, Thea, Bryn, Emily and Paul. All are pulled into a bewildering world arranged for them by a stranger of whom they--and we, the readers--know nothing.
Best-known for her "Lily Pascale" mysteries--Dead Clever and In Your Face--Scarlett Thomas's new novel takes the genre of suspense and twists it. Part I opens with a series of brief character sketches of the bright young things--all, in one way or another, are discontented, looking for the way out that the advertisement appears to promise. Part II begins with the shock: "Where the hell are we?" "Is this some kind of island?" "Please tell me I'm dreaming". Our heroes have woken up outside the front door of a deserted house. "They were all lying next to each other, like a row of dead bodies". To survive, they must solve the puzzle of why they are here and what the mysterious orchestrator has in store for them.
"Why us?"' asks Emily, proposing a (lengthy) game of Truth or Dare. The suspense of the plot turns on the answer to that question, but it's a suspense that the uneven pacing of this novel finds hard to sustain. Scarlett Thomas concocts a heady mix of sexuality and psychology but, like her characters, the narrative falls short of the ordeal it presents. Sharing the curious emptiness of its protagonists (the more we are told about them, the less convincing they seem), Bright Young Things reads more like a script than a novel--something's missing. --Vicky Lebeau --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A generation defining masterpiece' Matt Thorne; 'A compulsive, edgy thriller' Loaded; 'Sassy and confident' Mike Ripley on Dead Clever; 'Lily Pascale is...a sassy character full of contemporary hipness and uncurbable curiosity... Classic investigation with the right dash of modernity' Time Out on In Your Face; 'An ingenious mystery' Scotsman on Seaside
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read Popco (and really loving it) I was a bit disappointed by Bright Young Things.
The basic idea is quite clever, six twenty-somethings apply for a job adverised in a newspaper and wake up on a desert island...
The book is packed with references to computer games, Kevin Smith films, Blur albums etc, which is why I think so many of the reviewers have raved about how 'contemporary' it is. I got the refernces but couldn't help feeling that they were meant to make me feel as if I was part of the 'gang'. It was all a little too self-conscious for me.
Sometimes it felt like a practice run for Popco, which is a far more developed novel and written much better.
It's OK for beach reading but if it's your first go at a Scarlett Thomas novel, I'd read POPco instead.
The basic idea is quite clever, six twenty-somethings apply for a job adverised in a newspaper and wake up on a desert island...
The book is packed with references to computer games, Kevin Smith films, Blur albums etc, which is why I think so many of the reviewers have raved about how 'contemporary' it is. I got the refernces but couldn't help feeling that they were meant to make me feel as if I was part of the 'gang'. It was all a little too self-conscious for me.
Sometimes it felt like a practice run for Popco, which is a far more developed novel and written much better.
It's OK for beach reading but if it's your first go at a Scarlett Thomas novel, I'd read POPco instead.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I only bought this book because I'd stumbled across the website of the author (from the site of someone I know) and you might want to go there to see if you like her writing style or not (the Amazon review rules stop me putting the url in - for some reason - but it contains the words 'bookgirl' and 'org'). It was my enjoyment of the site that led me to the book. I don't think I'd have been interested otherwise - I am mistrustful of books with brightly coloured covers and the title and quotes about zeitgeist gave me the impression of an empty piece vaguely (and not interestingly) about 'contemporary relationships'.
I'm saying all this because I was very very wrong. Yes, it's about a group of young people in contemporary Britain; yes, there are lots of cultural references which may not age well (bad news if you're planning to read this book in twenty years time); and yes, there are (conveniently) 3 men and 3 women stranded on this island - but the result is subtle and moving, a cumulative effect belied by the simple progress of the story.
On some ways it's a fantasy work - the plot device of stranding the characters on an island is (just about) plausible, but plausibility isn't really that important. Much like in Sartre's Huis Clos (where 3 characters are in a room in hell that they cannot leave) it isolates the characters from society and forces them to think about what they want from life. As a result of this, the characters engage in some confessional/philosophising monologues that some readers may think are unlikely - but I was taken up in the freewheeling speculative nature of the story and had no problem with this (preferring it, in fact, to a reticent realism). Also, where other authors (such Ian Banks or Ian McEwan) might use a kidnapping scenario to dive into an abyss - I was impressed by the redemptive quality of the story.
I suppose the author (that I know of) that this has most in common with is Douglas Coupland - a similar tone and a desire to niggle away at what 20 and 30 somethings think they're doing with their lives.
All in all, I rattled through it, enjoyed reading it and was left satisfied.
I'm saying all this because I was very very wrong. Yes, it's about a group of young people in contemporary Britain; yes, there are lots of cultural references which may not age well (bad news if you're planning to read this book in twenty years time); and yes, there are (conveniently) 3 men and 3 women stranded on this island - but the result is subtle and moving, a cumulative effect belied by the simple progress of the story.
On some ways it's a fantasy work - the plot device of stranding the characters on an island is (just about) plausible, but plausibility isn't really that important. Much like in Sartre's Huis Clos (where 3 characters are in a room in hell that they cannot leave) it isolates the characters from society and forces them to think about what they want from life. As a result of this, the characters engage in some confessional/philosophising monologues that some readers may think are unlikely - but I was taken up in the freewheeling speculative nature of the story and had no problem with this (preferring it, in fact, to a reticent realism). Also, where other authors (such Ian Banks or Ian McEwan) might use a kidnapping scenario to dive into an abyss - I was impressed by the redemptive quality of the story.
I suppose the author (that I know of) that this has most in common with is Douglas Coupland - a similar tone and a desire to niggle away at what 20 and 30 somethings think they're doing with their lives.
All in all, I rattled through it, enjoyed reading it and was left satisfied.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The overall concept of this novel was interesting and you do find yourself wondering what you would do in a similar situation. 'Bright Young Things' also seemingly captures the ideals and feelings of a generation of disillusioned youngsters let down by our 'see it, want it, have it' culture. However, whilst being readable, the novel is let down by the superficial and one dimensional handling of the six main characters - they become more cliched and unbelievable as the story progresses. The ending too is very jarring and a little disappointing - presumably it was designed to give the reader an 'Oh my God, what now?' shock. Instead it creates a rather hollow effect, cheating the reader of a satisfactory conclusion. Food for thought though...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
so boring
This book is called `Bright Young Things', and yet, the characters in the book don't show an ounce of brightness. Read more
Published on 3 July 2008 by Hazel Cryostat
A good read
Having just finished (and been very impressed with) `The End of Mr Y' I thought I'd try out Scarlett Thomas' other books. This is my second one now and will not be my last. Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2007 by SJSmith
More! More! More!
What a fantastic read this was! There are six characters - all major - but well defined enough that you don't confuse this girl with that one, etc. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2006
absolutely fabulous
go and buy it, its probably THE book of the last century (and i should know it - working in a bookshop for 10 years now....)
Published on 14 Feb 2005 by thehammer
Disappointing but readable
I found this a rather poorly written novel, which could have been so much better. I am therefore surprised to see co-reviewers rate it so highly. Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2002 by Mr. T. H. E. WHITE
Disappointing ending
It's hard to give this book a star rating. This is because the book itself is page turning, the idea is brilliant and I liked the characters. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2002
A FANTASTIC BOOK!!
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I had recently bought it for holiday reading.
I would like to recommend this book to everyone and anyone who loves a good read,... Read more
I would like to recommend this book to everyone and anyone who loves a good read,... Read more
Published on 17 July 2002 by Lisa Ward
Shallow and derivative
A shallow derivative book, full of cliches and unnecessary up-to-the-minute references. A designer book for a vapid readership. Definitely not worth the money. Give it a miss. Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2001
Definately the book for the 20-somethings!
I thought this book was so good! It echoed reality perfectly and the way the characters talked, as well as the contemporary issues they talked about makes this wonderfully written... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2001 by kevinsweetman@hotmail.com
I feel stupid and contagious
This is the best book I have ever read. Thomas gets right inside the minds of young British people today. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2001
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