Set in contemporary London, this novel tells the story of one man's deluded obsession with a woman - or is it two women; for Justine has a twin-sister, Juliette. The unnamed narrator, an opium-smoking layabout, becomes increasingly unsure as to the real identity of the woman he desires.
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Gripping. (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Alice Thompson was born and brought up in Edinburgh. She read English at Oxford and then toured the world in the pop group, The Woodentops. Her novella, KILLING TIME, was published by Penguin in 1991. In 1995 she completed a PhD on Henry James and became Writer in Residence for Shetland. She is now writer in residence for St Andrew's University.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This astonishing first novel tells the tale of an opium smoking aesthete's obsessive desire and pursuit of a mysterious femme fatale through the streets of contemporary London. The style is fabulously rich and dreamy, evoking Huysmans and the 1890s as much as the 1990s. The references to De Sade are overt, but Sadegh Hedayat's legendary cult novel 'The Blind Owl' also seems a likely influence.
The plot is an intriguing puzzle that opens out beyond mere tricksiness into a deadly accurate study of the nature of male infatuation. So accurate that it was initially a surprise that a woman writer should understand these things so precisely - but then, who better?
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.5 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
AN INTERESTING, GENTLY EROTIC MYSTERY
7 Jun 2002
By Larry L. Looney
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I discovered Alice Thompson's JUSTINE quite by accident -- and I'm rather glad I did. I was put off at first when I read about its relation to DeSade's writings -- I didn't really want to read a re-hash of that. Upon further inspection, I decided to give it a try.
It's not one of the best books I've read in the last year, but I thought it was quite well-written and interesting. The narrator was just odd enough (in an English way [no offense to you UK residents!]) to make him slightly endearing, even with his rampant obsessive qualities. Without giving away the outcome, I'll add that I suspected what it would be -- but I didn't feel this detracted much from the suspense of the story.
There is quite a bit of eroticism at play here -- but it's understated and subtle, not overt. Those readers who might shy away from something labelled 'erotic', thinking to avoid soft-core (or worse) pornography need not be concerned. The erotic/sexual content of the novel is tasteful and not given to over-wrought, photo-like descriptions -- Thompson has exercised subtlety and taste here.
I didn't notice that the author was a member of the Woodentops until I was well into the book -- it's nice to see someone who has had some success in one artistic genre branching out into another, exercising her talents and imagination.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pretentious and underachieving
12 July 2001
By A. Whitney
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I must admit that I have not read any of de Sade's works, so my review may be colored by that fact. However, I felt that the narrator's voice was tiresome and uninteresting. His take on being an appreciator of beauty wore thin on me. Even with a mild deformity, he was uninteresting. I figured out the story line ahead of time and felt nothing about any of the characters. I wasn't expecting an erotic novel, but I was hoping to get what the book jacket advertised, "the wit of Wilde, the sublimity of Poe." It didn't even come close. Save your money or look elsewhere for something more engaging. Sorry.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting
17 Jun 2000
By Lotan Sharon
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Justine, by Alice Thompson, is a very interesting read. I especially liked the way reality and fantasy are interwined and can hardly be separated. It was a very nice book, though I'm sure my reading it in a Hebrew translation has flawed it's charm. But even in translation, the writing is very flowing and it was simply impossible to put the book down (though I did have a test to study to, at the time). All and all, a very recomended book for th lovers of good fiction.
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3.5 out of 5 stars
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