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The Life and Soul of the Party
 
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The Life and Soul of the Party (Paperback)

by Mike Gayle (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £11.99
Price: £8.39 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Customers buy this book with The To-do List by Mike Gayle

The Life and Soul of the Party + The To-do List
Price For Both: £17.48

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  • This item: The Life and Soul of the Party by Mike Gayle

    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

  • The To-do List by Mike Gayle

    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

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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (21 Aug 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 034082543X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340825433
  • Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,513 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #3 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > G > Gayle, Mike
    #28 in  Books > Fiction > Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards > Lad Lit

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Product Description

Review
'Packed with drama, friendship, love and tragedy, this is a brilliant touching tale of what happens when real life catches up with us.' (Heat )

'Moving and powerful'**** (Mirror )

'Gayle (rather bravely) often writes in the first person as a female character, but he hits the right notes, and the result is a warm and unforced comedy... Gayle's humour is human and he has a fine eye for the quiet pain of unrequited love.' (Telegraph )

'What I love about Mike Gayle is the way he seamlessly blends humour and sensitivity - his books are always rip-roaringly funny, yet so humane too.' (Freya North )

Product Description
Meet Melissa and Paul: Five years after they split up he's still looking for love in all the wrong places while she wants the one thing she can't have: Paul.

Meet Chris and Vicky: They're so in tune they even brush their teeth in time with each other. So what is Chris doing risking it all for a meaningless affair?

Meet Cooper and Laura: He wants to settle down, she wants to take a grown-up gap year but can their relationship really survive a year apart?

Set across a year of leaving dos, birthday parties and anniversary celebrations The Life and Soul of the Party is a warm, funny and moving tale celebrating love, life and those special moments we've all spent in the kitchen at parties.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Life and Soul of the Party
42% buy the item featured on this page:
The Life and Soul of the Party 3.8 out of 5 stars (11)
£8.39
The Life and Soul of the Party
28% buy
The Life and Soul of the Party 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£3.99
The To-do List
18% buy
The To-do List 4.4 out of 5 stars (7)
£9.09
Wish You Were Here
7% buy
Wish You Were Here 3.6 out of 5 stars (28)
£4.89
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Subtley tugs the heartstrings..., 21 Aug 2008
By A. Kohli "Anameeka" (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is Mike Gayle at his best... a writing style that is humorous without trying too hard, always touching (I can't count how many times I got goosebumps or had tears in my eyes) and very easy to relate to, especially if you have a mixed group of friends.

It is written in first person but from the point of view of every character, which works well, and will therefore appeal to both sexes even more than is usually the case with Mike's novels.

Overall, a more serious mood throughout the book - and a more mature version of his previous work.

Wanted to savour this book, but I really couldn't put it down. You are gripped from the very first page. Definitely a new competitor for my favourite Mike Gayle book!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Gayle's is fanstastic, 11 Nov 2008
By P. DATTA "Pritthijit Datta" (Stockton on Tees, Teesside) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Gayle should seriously consider the idea of writing a screenplay. The Life and Soul of the Party perfectly fits the bill. The novel is compelling, emotional and really witty. A screenplay like this will make perfect TV material and attract large audience. We could really could do with quality dramas on mainstream TV.

The novel is beautifully written with the prinicpal focus on three couples. The couples experience the lows and high times of the year. Parties, social gatherings, nightouts and arguments dominate their lives. A few of the couples's life are on the verge of changing forever. Although Gayle novels are purely male dominated, he has provided a typical accounts of the opposite sex on life. The accounts are really impressive and an accurate reflection. Gayle's latest novel shows the depth of knowledge he has in the field of relationships and the 30 age group. The novel has taken the issue of relationship to a new and interesting level.

Gayle's conversational writing adds real credibility as the reader is drawn closely to the story and shows emphaty to the characters. The fact that six characters are featured shows how adaptable and original the author can be like. Gayle latest novel "The Life and Soul of the Party" shows he is a fanstastic writer as the book is enjoyable to read. It provides a fine combination of drama and humour.
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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Mike Gayle- Life and Soul of the Party, 30 Jul 2008
By K. Sheldon "Kayleigh2585" (Chesterfield) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I love Mike Gayle - as a woman i naturally enjoy a good romance but, not really being one of these smushy over the top with affection women i sometimes struggle to appreciate the writing style of some of the more popular female authors out there. Mike Gayle, writing with a male viewpoint gets straight to the point and doesn't waste precious page space inflitrating every conversation with twenty sweethearts and darlings which can bog down a plot and make it seem unrealistic. This book is really really well written and as it tells you on the first page how it ends the whole sense of foreboding made me cry more than once. The party setting throughout is brilliant as it really makes you want to go and crash a house party just to steal there most expensive bottle of wine!. Whilst it remains mostly upbeat i did cry several times as, the situation lead character melissa is in is incredibly similar to my own that the reading fell a little close to the bone sometimes. otherwise a must read!!! not as good as my all time favourite gayle novel brand new friend but very very good all the same !!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Weddings And A Funeral
Nice concept the story of 3 couples told over the course of a series of parties. Each tells their side of the story in the first person it takes a few pages to get the idea but... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ian Paterson

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a classic Gayle
After reading the first few chapters of this book, I felt that Gayle was churning out another book, lazily knowing it would sell based on previous success. Read more
Published 5 months ago by S. Shaw

5.0 out of 5 stars The Life and Soul of the Party
I haven't read this book yet. I know I will love it as I do all Mike gayle's work. I was very happy with the speedy delivery and extremely good value for money!
Published 5 months ago by Ms. T. Roberts

4.0 out of 5 stars If you loved Cold Feet....
Then you'll love life and soul. The novel portraying lives and loves of 3 couples living in Manchester has many similarities to Mike Bullen's excellent TV series of the late 90s -... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Hajdownunder

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good read
I was excited to hear Mile Gayle had a new book out as I have read and enjoyed all his previous books, so I snapped this one up quick and I wasn't dissapointed. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ce Cordell

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best....
I own all of Mike Gayle's other titles so was quick to snap this one up. I have to say I found it quite disappointing. Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. Joseph

4.0 out of 5 stars Like An Old Friend
To me, a Mike Gayle novel is like a good friend that you see from time to time. When you meet up you automatically pick up where you left off, and it's with some sadness when the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Derek Johnson

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful
Oh, dear. Mike Gayle's books used to be comfort reading on holidays but with The Life & Soul Of The Party, he has not done himself any favours. Where to start? Read more
Published 10 months ago by Andy Y

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