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
35 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Life Mask
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

Life Mask (Paperback)

by Emma Donoghue (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (22%)
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.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, July 15? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
16 new from £1.99 19 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £14.99 £14.99 15 used & new from £1.43
Paperback (Reprint) 29 used & new from £1.19

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue

Life Mask + Slammerkin
Price For Both: £14.48

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Life Mask by Emma Donoghue

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Slammerkin

Slammerkin

by Emma Donoghue
4.1 out of 5 stars (14)  £7.49
The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits

The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits

by Emma Donoghue
4.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.99
Touchy Subjects

Touchy Subjects

by Emma Donoghue
£6.99
The Road Home

The Road Home

by Rose Tremain
3.9 out of 5 stars (74)  £3.20
Stir-fry

Stir-fry

by Emma Donoghue
4.0 out of 5 stars (7) 
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 624 pages
  • Publisher: Virago Press Ltd; New edition edition (7 Jul 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1844081753
  • ISBN-13: 978-1844081752
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 276,471 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #8 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > D > Donoghue, Emma

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

Product Description

Review
'A born writer' New York Times Book Review '... another bright, bruising slice of eighteenth-century life in London ... Why should Michel Faber hog the glory?' Elle 'Donoghue's latest book pulsates with the vibrancy of London in an era that couldn't be more extravagant. While Mad King George was teetering on the throne, the grotesquely privileged carried on a gaudy social whirl' Time Out

Sunday Telegraph
‘Emma Donoghue is a scrupulous researcher with a knack for unearthing telling details and bringing them to life’

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Life Mask
67% buy the item featured on this page:
Life Mask 3.0 out of 5 stars (10)
£6.99
Slammerkin
21% buy
Slammerkin 4.1 out of 5 stars (14)
£7.49
The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits
12% buy
The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£5.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A rediscovery of the 18th-century, 4 Jan 2007
By Zannie (London) - See all my reviews
I have to admit that, with the exception of joyfully breezing through Jane Austen, I generally find 18th-century novels hardgoing. However, Emma Donoghue has succeeded in writing a convincing 18th-century novel while maintaining a deftness of touch to engage the 21st-century reader.

While by no means simple, the plot narrative is striking in its clarity to ensure that a deep understanding of 18th-century politics is not a pre-requisite. It educates and informs without obstructing the story, and I felt more than a little smug after reading it that I could excuse the hours I spent immersed in the book has left me with an improved education.

Donoghue should be particularly congratulated also for her excellence in drawing the frisson between Derby and Eliza, especially in the opening chapters. Even in the comparatively loose society we inhabit today, one is all more than aware of the awkwardness that is caused by a mis-judged move for romance, especially in a group of mutual friends and acquaintances. The scenes such as Mrs. Dramer's dinner following a first move by Derby felt deliciously voyeuristic as I could feel and see the atmosphere caused by his discomfort.

The characterisation is underpinned by a cynical sense of humour about class and appearances that are as true today as they were 200+ years ago. Donoghue at times seems to judge her characters from 21st-century standards of what is hypocrisy and hence the line between pastiche and parody sometimes appears to come into view. Regardless of this, it is the best book I have read so far in 2007 out of a total of two and will remain at the top of my favourites list for some time.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, 22 Sep 2005
By A Customer
This is the first book I've read by Emma( a huge crime I know) but I'm completely amazed at how brilliant it was and how she ever could have escaped my attention. Being a huge fan of Sarah Waters someone suggested to me that I should give Emma's books a try and I'm so glad I did.I can honestly say I loved everything about this novel-the charactyers were rich and complex, the setting was fabulous and the intricate details that went into, for example, Anne Damer's profession were beautifully done.

10 out of 10 and even that doesn't do her justice.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Living in interesting times, 2 Aug 2006
There's a missing period of English history for those of us who studied in English schools; we learned lots about Nazi Germany and the Tudors, but even when reading Jane Austen, few of us were told exactly why all those soldiers were all over the country attending balls and breaking hearts. The late 18th century was a fascinating, turbulent, idealistic time; the recent BBC series calling it 'The Century that Made us' got it about right with Enlightenment ideas resonating down to today. Emma Donoghue's novel captures the zeitgeist brilliantly, uncovering 'the World' for us through the eyes of three real people, the sculptor Anne Damer, Lord Grey and the actress Eliza Farren. You'll learn about Whig politics, the French Revolution, 18th century theatre in London and much more. You may, like me, also find yourself deeply involved in and moved by the lives of these three and others in the book. A particular triumph is her characterisation of the novelist & belles-lettres writer Horace Walpole. If this is not yet set for the BBC's costume drama department, it should be snapped up at once!

This book only fails to get five stars because my benchmark for historical fiction will always be Jeanette Winterson and/or Dorothy Dunnett....
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

2.0 out of 5 stars Oh what a waste of time...
I came over this book really cheap and thought, hey this might be good. Well it wasn't so it was a good thing it was cheap. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Grottis

2.0 out of 5 stars paper thin plot
I was really looking forward to reading this and was hugely disappointed: the plot (is there a plot?) is minimal and the characters go nowhere. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Roman Clodia

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing
Having enjoyed Slammerkin, I couldn't wait for this book but was sorely disappointed.
At page 297 I wondered why we were still setting the scene instead of getting into the... Read more
Published on 7 May 2007 by Thierry

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical with bite
A perfect antitode to the flood of Regency romances currently packing out bookshops. Emma Donoghue, like Melanie Gifford and, to an extent, Sarah Waters, is not afraid to endow... Read more
Published on 5 May 2007 by I. Garbutt

2.0 out of 5 stars total lack of plot + unsympathetic characters = 2/5
Most books, I find, are focused either on character development or on plot. Life Mask, regrettably, is focused on neither. Read more
Published on 23 Jul 2006 by la_pretzel

1.0 out of 5 stars life mask by emma donoghue
please save your time and money, and do not attempt to read this very boring book
Published on 1 May 2006 by Seema Gupta

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Emma Donoghue is a weaver of words. It can take a couple chapters to get into Life Mask, but it's well worth it. Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2004 by M LeBlanc

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

  

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

  

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

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 (73)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (462)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (164)£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