Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
28 used & new from £1.75
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Friction
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Friction (Paperback)

by Joe Stretch (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
22 new from £3.15 6 used from £1.75

Frequently Bought Together

Friction + Kill Your Friends + The Amateurs
Price For All Three: £18.77

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Kill Your Friends

Kill Your Friends

by John Niven
3.9 out of 5 stars (34)  £4.99
The Amateurs

The Amateurs

by John Niven
3.8 out of 5 stars (5)  £7.79
Music from "Big Pink" (33 1/3)

Music from "Big Pink" (33 1/3)

by John Niven
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.49
Swung

Swung

by Ewan Morrison
4.1 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.99
Apples

Apples

by Richard Milward
3.7 out of 5 stars (22)  £6.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (6 Mar 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0099515962
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099515968
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 46,051 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

I-D Magazine
`Friction snarls, spits and crackles like an anti Sex and the City or Kafka...'

Arena
`Must read'

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(13)
(10)
(10)
(9)
(7)
(5)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Friction
42% buy the item featured on this page:
Friction 3.0 out of 5 stars (7)
£5.99
Kill Your Friends
35% buy
Kill Your Friends 3.9 out of 5 stars (34)
£4.99
The Amateurs
13% buy
The Amateurs 3.8 out of 5 stars (5)
£7.79
Swung
5% buy
Swung 4.1 out of 5 stars (12)
£5.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written fresh story. Don't mistake it for porn though., 5 Jun 2008
By Mr. Stuart Bruce "DonQuibeats" (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
"Friction" is a novel obsessed with sexual extremism and emotional bankruptcy, doing for sex what "Trainspotting" did for drugs.

The five central characters are all sexually dissatisfied early-twenty-somethings in Manchester, struggling to be satisfied with their lot and looking for 'better sex' in any way they can. This leads us through strip clubs, obsessions and accidents with electrical sex toys and a lot of loveless pain.

Don't buy this book thinking it will be erotic, if anything the horrific brutality should be a real turn-off, and is.

As a story though it's very engaging and thought out, the writing is fresh and pacey, the narrative connections between the main characters are very clever and the epilogue provides an interesting and unexpected twist. It's for those reasons I recommend this book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars writing on beauty, 4 Aug 2008
By M. Major (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Having encouraged most of my friends to read 'Friction' I quickly realized what a great book this is for reinvigorating people's interest in reading. That in itself has to speak volumes for its value. When was the last time you had a book that people formed an actual list to join to read it next?

'Friction' is about the social, political and sexual boredom of a 'now generation' you can read about this in any of its reviews. What makes it rise above it's many contemporaries is the heart-stopping beauty of its writing. This book is not crafted to shock you, it is, in places, fine art that you have the opoortunity to share. I suggest you do.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Life, 28 Mar 2008
By J. Turvey "teen literature fan" (Midlands, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A gritty insight into a group of teenagers and young adults lives in the city of Manchester, this novel is pretty intense right from the beginning. Stretch, a student himself, creates a really believeable world- suspending his characters in a bubble of sex, drink and the treadmill of fashion that just won't stop moving.

This book has an edge to it that makes it very original- it is set at a time in the future looking back at the events of the modern world and how they led people to their demise and the introduction of a new, strict state. The narrator has a strong voice throughout which you can engage with very well as he introduces the young people one by one and follows the way their lives inevitably intertwine.

This novel does not hold back- something that may not seem a suprise considering the first line of the blurb is: 'The pornography of everyday life...'. To some it may be shocking or controversial: there are strip clubs, sex machines and sex chat lines dotted throughout, but they ultimately build into a brilliant tale which will keep you gripped and guessing throughout. If you're easily offended then maybe this isn't the one for you, but if you are looking for a cutting-edge, truthful depiction of the horrors and glory that co-exist in the modern world then this could be the one for you.

I recommend it as I like the originality and it has a strong, believeable plot. A very interesting story it may well open your eyes to just what the behaviour the modern day media encourages could lead to in the end...
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - coma inducing debut
This book comes with a nice Houellebecq style-ee black and white cover of a boy and girl, the girl's breasts covered by the title, the 'O' of Friction blocking out a nipple - and... Read more
Published 22 days ago by LiamF

1.0 out of 5 stars an underwhelming read
Friction came across to me basically as a load of twaddle. Its is a very male sex-obsessed view of the world in which the characters are wafer thin. Read more
Published 1 month ago by T. Kelly

1.0 out of 5 stars whatever
wasn't impressed.
thought i came across as a book written by a 20 something year old boy, who was clearly still very full of hormones. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mentalelf

5.0 out of 5 stars a cleverly written tale of thrill seeking gone wrong
This is the first book by joe stretch,who is lead singer in a band called we are performance.
the book centers around a character called justin , who is left a large sum of... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. P. Warwick

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

›Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (460)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates