- Paperback: 292 pages
- Publisher: what tradition books; 2nd Revised edition edition (22 July 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0956509320
- ISBN-13: 978-0956509321
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.7 x 1.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 857,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Dark comedy. A washed up folk legend tries his hand as a Neil Diamond impersonator in the Far East and suffers an annihilation of identity. 'The best novel I've read in years. Storytelling, architecture, poetry and painting - a few rare novels excel in all four categories. This is one such book' dissident books, New York 'We have a real corker of a tale on our hands. It's a special find, a story with a uniqueness' bookmunch, uk 'A dark comedy stemming from the howling despair of a man who is out of his element in ever way' harmlessfraud.com dublin, ireland 'A rare find. A totally original and fascinating novel that holds your interest from beginning to end' alternativereel.com Florida
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Amen to all sorrows.
With a few splashes of cold water Neil washed away his sins. He watched them slip down the plughole, one by wretched one. The wrongdoings and wrong turns, the bad debts and bad memories, sank beyond the U-bend and his soul lay empty and prepared. A whiff reached him from the urinals, the stale reminder of that catalogue of men who had fallen short at just this point - the last call, the swan song. Well, forget them, he decided. They had their lives and this is mine. He lifted his aching head to the mirror. This time. Maybe this time.
With a few splashes of cold water Neil washed away his sins. He watched them slip down the plughole, one by wretched one. The wrongdoings and wrong turns, the bad debts and bad memories, sank beyond the U-bend and his soul lay empty and prepared. A whiff reached him from the urinals, the stale reminder of that catalogue of men who had fallen short at just this point - the last call, the swan song. Well, forget them, he decided. They had their lives and this is mine. He lifted his aching head to the mirror. This time. Maybe this time.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This black comedy provides a quirky insight into the struggles of a down and out ex-pat in Hong Kong as he seeks to establish a toehold in the entertainment world. Gritty and real in places, surprisingly touching in others, we are drawn into Neil's disintegrating life and the dilemma's he faces in dealing with the devious and inscrutable Elbert Chan. Rather like some TV programmes, I found myself almost shouting at Neil to tell him what to do! Ultimately a satisfying and unusual read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A surprisingly wonderful book about the dreams, hopes and disappointments of a man destined to be one of life's losers. The main character is a wannabe Neil Diamond impersonator who finds himself destitute and abandoned in Hong Kong. We follow the everyday trials and tribulations of his life, as his luck falls, rises and falls again. David Milnes vividly captures the seedy side of Hong Kong and he creates a cast of memorable characters, who continue to live in your imagination long after the book is finished. The dialogue is sharp, witty and convincing, at times tragic and at times very funny indeed. I thoroughly recommend this book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Highly recommended, whether or not you are a Neil Diamond fan. David Milnes has created characters that will stay with you (and you'll want them to!) long after the last strains of melody have faded out. Well-paced, very funny, with some superb descriptions of the seedy side of Hong Kong. You'll find yourself rooting for Neil in some surprising circumstances. And the writing is some of the best I've read this year. I'm recommending this book to everyone I know and a number of my friends will receive copies for Christmas. Watch out for David Milnes - I reckon he's going far!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Ghost of Neil Diamond ( A dark comedy )
We meet Neil Atherton, the hero of this book, in the toilet of a Karaoke bar in Hong Kong and it's Neil Diamond Nite. Read more
Published 4 months ago by PL
Dark, sometimes funny and always entertaining.
I had no idea what I was getting in to when I started reading this book. There was a lack of description anywhere on the front or back cover. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Paul "The Book Guy" Alves
A gem of novel
It's a long time since I read an Elmore Leonard yarn, but there are many elements in the Ghost of Neil Diamond that resonate for me. Read more
Published on 5 July 2009 by Alistair Forrest
Great title, engaging read
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but found myself wanting to pick it up more and more until I couldn't put it down till I finished it. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by L. J. Adlington
Now I'm a deceiver
This is a slow burn which pays out. A precise slice of life of parts of Hong Kong very few know about. Even the dodgy expats who live there. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2009 by Mr. N. Macfie
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