Life: An Exploded Diagram
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Life: An Exploded Diagram for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
A brilliant coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Cold War and events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Product Description
Clem Ackroyd lives with his parents and grandmother in a claustrophobic home too small to accommodate their larger-than-life characters in the bleak Norlfolk countryside. Clem's life changes irrevocably when he meets Frankie, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and experiences first love, in all its pain and glory. The story is told in flashback by Clem when he is living and working in New York City as a designer, and moves from the past of his parents and grandmother to his own teenage years. Not only the threat of explosions, but actual ones as well, feature throughout in this latest novel from one of the finest writers working today.
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)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mal Peet is gradually gaining a reputation for quality fiction with a nostalgic edge, that is invariably accessible to a wide range of age groups. After the masterful Keeper and excellent Tamar he seems to have gone from strength to strength and this recent effort is as quietly impressive as just about anything else he has written.
The story has two strands - the first follows a working-class East Anglian family from the end of World War II up until 2001. The main focus of this ordinary family is Clem Ackroyd - the book's narrator and chief protagonist. Clem's love affair with the moneyed Frankie leads him to his darkest hour, while his yobbish father and plain mother strive to put him through Grammar school - Clem himself more keen on his regular rendezvous' with Frankie.
The second strand of the story kicks in about a third of the way through, and follows the 1961 nuclear stand-off between the US and Russia, from the Bay of Pigs incident to the brink of global annihilation. Peet gets under the skin of both Nikita Khrushchev and JFK, and we see the dire situation growing steadily worse as bloodthirsty US Generals and cold Russian Ministers urge their respective leaders to fire first.
The book quickly absorbed me - I felt I learned some history but not at the expense of an entertaining love story cum drama. Another highly recommended (by me at least!) novel from a fine writer.
The story has two strands - the first follows a working-class East Anglian family from the end of World War II up until 2001. The main focus of this ordinary family is Clem Ackroyd - the book's narrator and chief protagonist. Clem's love affair with the moneyed Frankie leads him to his darkest hour, while his yobbish father and plain mother strive to put him through Grammar school - Clem himself more keen on his regular rendezvous' with Frankie.
The second strand of the story kicks in about a third of the way through, and follows the 1961 nuclear stand-off between the US and Russia, from the Bay of Pigs incident to the brink of global annihilation. Peet gets under the skin of both Nikita Khrushchev and JFK, and we see the dire situation growing steadily worse as bloodthirsty US Generals and cold Russian Ministers urge their respective leaders to fire first.
The book quickly absorbed me - I felt I learned some history but not at the expense of an entertaining love story cum drama. Another highly recommended (by me at least!) novel from a fine writer.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Life: An Exploded Diagram is a coming of age story set in rural North Norfolk during the Cold War. These two things alone made it a bit of a must read for me. Having never read an Mal Peet I wasn't sure what to expect but I can honestly say I really enjoyed it.
Life is one of those books you can devour in a matter of hours despite its size (at just about 400 pages long it is a bit of a monster). I was totally engrossed and found myself just wanting to read more and more to find out what happened next.
As I said Life is basically a coming of age story following the life of Clem Ackroyd a boy from rural north Norfolk focusing particularly on his teenage years and the relationship he develops with local rich girl Frankie. When I was reading it it reminded me both of Boy by Roald Dahl in its narrative and style but also a bit like an Adrian Mole story in how ordinary Clem actually was. I loved the relationship between them and I was on tenderhooks waiting to see what was going to happen between them.
I loved the Norfolk references being a native myself. I hate it when stories are "set" in a place but it is obvious that the person has never been there. Apart from the fact that a few names are changed (I loved the use of the name Hazeborough - if you are from Norfolk you will get the joke - if not I don't think I can explain it) you can really tell that the author is writing about someehere he has actually been and about experiences he lived through earlier in his life.
I also really enjoyed the historical references. The books is a prime example of the type of historical fiction I love and the type I think appeals to Young Adults themselves. It doesn't attempt to over burden your with detail after detail about the period but rather builds them into the story to give you a real sense of period without the reader really realising it.
I must say the end came as a bit of a suprise and I had to go back over a couple of pages to check I hd got it right. I didn't see it coming at all but it fit really perfectly the story as a whole and I loved how poetic it was against the historical backdrop it was written in.
all in all an excellent book which I really enjoyed. I will be recommending this one regularly.
Life is one of those books you can devour in a matter of hours despite its size (at just about 400 pages long it is a bit of a monster). I was totally engrossed and found myself just wanting to read more and more to find out what happened next.
As I said Life is basically a coming of age story following the life of Clem Ackroyd a boy from rural north Norfolk focusing particularly on his teenage years and the relationship he develops with local rich girl Frankie. When I was reading it it reminded me both of Boy by Roald Dahl in its narrative and style but also a bit like an Adrian Mole story in how ordinary Clem actually was. I loved the relationship between them and I was on tenderhooks waiting to see what was going to happen between them.
I loved the Norfolk references being a native myself. I hate it when stories are "set" in a place but it is obvious that the person has never been there. Apart from the fact that a few names are changed (I loved the use of the name Hazeborough - if you are from Norfolk you will get the joke - if not I don't think I can explain it) you can really tell that the author is writing about someehere he has actually been and about experiences he lived through earlier in his life.
I also really enjoyed the historical references. The books is a prime example of the type of historical fiction I love and the type I think appeals to Young Adults themselves. It doesn't attempt to over burden your with detail after detail about the period but rather builds them into the story to give you a real sense of period without the reader really realising it.
I must say the end came as a bit of a suprise and I had to go back over a couple of pages to check I hd got it right. I didn't see it coming at all but it fit really perfectly the story as a whole and I loved how poetic it was against the historical backdrop it was written in.
all in all an excellent book which I really enjoyed. I will be recommending this one regularly.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I now know a lot more about the Cuban missile crisis than I did a few days ago! Clem Ackroyd is growing up and discovering sex in rural Norfolk while the Russians and Americans are each threatening to turn the planet into a cinder. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the UK in the 1960s was having lots of sex and drugs and rock n roll, and Clem, a grammar school boy from one of the new council estates that had appeared in post Second World War Norfolk, is still at the exploring stage with his girlfriend, Frankie.
Having read the battered copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover that was passed round his form, he has ironically become a sort of Mellors character by taking up with the local landowner's daughter. They decide they must have sex properly if everyone is about to be blown up, but finding somewhere private is not as easy as you might think, so they head for the beach - with disastrous consequences.
There are some wonderful characters in this book. Clem and Frankie are so real. They have their whole life ahead of them, but their future, and the future of the entire planet, is being threatened by the sabre-rattling of the super powers. Clem's granny and her Brethren have been waiting for the end of the world for sometime and are actually looking forward to being whisked off to Kingdom Come. The bombs can't fall fast enough for them! George and Ruth, Clem's parents, met and married during the second world war having only known each other a ahort time so when the war ends and they are reunited, they realise they have a less-than-wonderful relationship. However they stick together and make a decent enough life for their only son.
I really enjoyed this book. Mal Peet is a gifted writer who has won the Carnegie Medal in the past, and although this is definitely a book for older teens, I am sure it will be listed in the nominations for this year's prize.
Having read the battered copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover that was passed round his form, he has ironically become a sort of Mellors character by taking up with the local landowner's daughter. They decide they must have sex properly if everyone is about to be blown up, but finding somewhere private is not as easy as you might think, so they head for the beach - with disastrous consequences.
There are some wonderful characters in this book. Clem and Frankie are so real. They have their whole life ahead of them, but their future, and the future of the entire planet, is being threatened by the sabre-rattling of the super powers. Clem's granny and her Brethren have been waiting for the end of the world for sometime and are actually looking forward to being whisked off to Kingdom Come. The bombs can't fall fast enough for them! George and Ruth, Clem's parents, met and married during the second world war having only known each other a ahort time so when the war ends and they are reunited, they realise they have a less-than-wonderful relationship. However they stick together and make a decent enough life for their only son.
I really enjoyed this book. Mal Peet is a gifted writer who has won the Carnegie Medal in the past, and although this is definitely a book for older teens, I am sure it will be listed in the nominations for this year's prize.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent
This is not my normal type of read; I picked it up out of curiosity, having heard a lot of good things about it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ML Jensen
A totally satisfying read
Mal Peet's extremely satisfying novel is a both a tender love story and a brillliant piece of analysis of the social and political history of the twentieth century. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fiction Fanatic
Beautiful prose, but just not that compelling.
As a fan of YA fiction, historical fiction and literary fiction, my expectations for this book were quite high. Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. Prather
A singular life compellingly written.
Clem's story begins as the chimney of his mother Ruth's house shatters into pieces as a Spitfire goes through it in pursuit of a German bomber and she goes into labour. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jo Bennie
compelling
I loved Tamar and I loved this book! Yet again, Mal Peet cuts across the age-suitability barrier. If you were 'young' in the sixties, you will delight in the nostalgia of the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Hoppy
A terriific book in every way.
Brilliantly written, moving, funny, educational...this book is truly remarkable. If you're an adult and think it's just for teenagers, think again. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Savonnerie
Subtle yet explosive.
With its vast geographical and historical sweep, from World War II Norfolk through Cold War Cuba to 21st century New York, and journey through life's key moments, birth,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by toomuchavery
Wonderful deep satisfying love story
This book is a winner. I didn't know Mal Peet before I read it but I saw a review in the Guardian and thought it sounded worth a look. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Parent of teens
loved it!
I loved this book by Mal Peet. Probably my favourite so far (although closely challenged by Tamar.) His choice of words and innate talent for telling a story shine through. Read more
Published 10 months ago by reno
bad ending to a great book.
I have never read Mal Peet before and I thoroughly enjoyed the book until the last chapter. I thought it was a cheap trick to connect the main characters lives to the Twin Towers... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr Singer
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Children's Books > Fiction > Romance
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
