Gone: Amazon.co.uk: Helena Echlin: Books

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Review

"Her cold eye on the moronic inferno of life is harrowing and richly entertaining." -- Robert Stone

Book Description

A gripping d-but that is an intimate study of the unspoken passions of the English middle class.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gone, 28 Jun 2002

By

Anna Rocca (Sonoma County, Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gone (Paperback)

In her first novel, gone, Helena Echlin writes about a timeless subject -- locating one's sense of self and reconciling who we once were with who we are now (and leaving plenty of room for who we might become) -- in a fresh and invigorating story. I loved her entertaining comparisons that effectively contrast the way the same ideas are conveyed between England and America; e.g., "chatting up" versus "hitting on," which sounds so much more civilized in England but which has the same crass meaning. After the first two chapters, she had already layered her characters (even the ones we hadn't yet met) with enough complexity that I wanted to know all about them, and I knew I was in good hands with a talented writer who would make them interesting and at the same time real and believable. My litmus test of good characterization is when I have a visual image of the people and events while I'm reading a book, and I felt that I was simultaneously watching a movie as the story moved along. This is a first novel by an author who was born to write, and who fortunately has chosen this medium to let us in on her unique point of view of a world that is not at all what it seems on its face.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Want to be moved and entertained?, 27 Jun 2002

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An Islington Book Lover (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gone (Paperback)

Anyone who is interested in the relationship between mothers and daughters MUST read this book. It's a sensitive dissection of family relationships, reminiscent of Alice Munro, perfectly balancing irony with sympathy. It's also beautifully written, strewn with sensuous images like the description of Elizabeth's boyfriend Spencer with his 'close-shaved scalp that feels as rough as a cat's tongue'. Recommended holiday reading!!!

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, 28 Jun 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Gone (Paperback)

I loved this book. Once I began reading it, I literally could not put it down. It made a strong impression on me for a number of reasons. The first is the absolute honesty with which it is written; the book deftly explores the emotions and situations that everyone feels and experiences to one degree or another but hardly anyone is brave enough to talk about. Gone is an intriguing exploration of the tension between the roles that people assume based on everyone's expectations for them, but despite the importance and weight of the subject matter that is explored, it's also a really fun book to read. The story itself has many interesting twists and masterfully weaves together the main character's past and present into a somewhat startling ending. Ms. Echlin also display both humor and a great command of language in her writing; the book is laugh-out-loud funny in parts (to be honest, I find myself borrowing particularly amusing phrases from it on a regular basis), and it skillfully conveys whole ranges of emotions and events with a minimum of words. I think it's an amazing first novel which I would highly recommend to anyone.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars
Gone is a startling debut. The characters are at once complex and accessible; the plot is both a page-turner and a subtle exploration of love, loss and the struggle between the... Read more

Published on 23 July 2002 by sam goodstein

1.0 out of 5 stars silly story, unbelievable characters, but nice imagery
The main character, Elizabeth, while being complex and thoughtful (she is both drippy and also daring and it's the point of the whole book, it seems, to reconcile these two... Read more

Published on 3 July 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars A fresh, highly readable debut
I totally disagree with the first review. I picked this up because I liked the cover, took it home, and read it in one sitting. Read more