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The Rain Before it Falls (Hardcover)

by Jonathan Coe (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.99
Price: £15.29 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: The Rain Before it Falls by Jonathan Coe

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 277 pages
  • Publisher: Viking; 1st ed. edition (6 Sep 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0670917281
  • ISBN-13: 978-0670917280
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.4 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 169,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #16 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > C > Coe, Jonathan

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Product Description

Book Description

A mesmerizing study of human character from one of the undisputed titans of contemporary fiction


Product Description

'What I want you to have, Imogen, above all, is a sense of your own history; a sense of where you come from, and of the forces that made you.' Rosamund lies dying in her remote Shropshire home. But before she does so, she has one last task: to put on tape not just her own story but the story of the young blind girl, her cousin's granddaughter, who turned up mysteriously at her party all those years ago. This is a story of generations, of the relationships within a family - and of what goes to make a child. Called "the best English novelist of his generation" by Nick Hornby, Jonathan Coe extends his range in this magnificent account of a Shropshire family in the last half of the twentieth century.
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The Rain Before it Falls
74% buy the item featured on this page:
The Rain Before it Falls 3.5 out of 5 stars (40)
£15.29
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The House of Sleep
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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
57 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic story and beautiful writing, 4 Sep 2007
By Rachel G (London) - See all my reviews
I was interested to read the review already given here , as my experience of reading this book was totally different.

It's odd to hear someone complain about the print size - true, it is a little bigger than that used in most books I have read, but it's not that big. And the truth is, I got so absorbed in the story that after a few pages I really didn't notice it.

Virtually the whole narrative is made up of a series of photographs, each one described in detail by the narrator, Rosamond. Her death at the beginning of the novel instigates several questions - her niece is instructed to contact Imogen, a little girl who Rosamond lost touch with years before. Over the course of the book, Rosamond's story starts to emerge from the series of photographs, and you start to learn more about the things that happened to her and who Imogen is. This sounds like a tricksy device but in fact it works really well - you are only given pieces at a time, which makes the whole thing even more compelling.

I absolutely loved this book - it's so beautifully written, with characters that you really care about. It's a bit shorter than some of Jonathan Coe's other books, but the brevity goes really well with how elegant and sophisticated it is. It's definitely worth reading - I'd recommend it to anybody thinking about buying it .
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars development of an accomplished novelist, 23 Sep 2007
By DT (Liverpool, UK) - See all my reviews
This is a beautifully crafted work, a pleasurable journey through the generations put together by a seriously gifted writer. JC's characters (as always) conjure empathy and pathos. I enjoyed this as much as any of JC's novels, though for different reasons. There is so much to make the reader smile, and it is (on this occasion) no loss to forgo the "laugh out loud" moments which punctuate earlier works. Clever and original, without a hint of intellectual ruthlessness or arrogance, this novel will take its place in the author's growing portfolio as a significant accomplishment leaving readers (like myself) ready for the next offering but without any pre-ordained ideas as to what might come in the future. Other than the certainty it will be pure quality.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Highly disappointing, 25 Sep 2008
This review is from: The Rain Before it Falls (Paperback)
More than two thirds into the story,Rosamond the woman who tells the story in the book begins a chapter with the following words:
"Thank goodness! I am growing tired of this story, and you must be exhausted,listening to me chatter on for hours on end. (....) It will be over now,all over , very soon.A relief all round ,I am sure."
There is not much to add really , this is exactly how I felt after 200 pages - rarely have I witnesed a more contrived story and as little character development as in this book .
As a great admirer of Coe's previous work I can only advise readers to stay away from this one and read any other of his books which are all great (especially House of sleep,The rotter's club and What a carve up).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Familial hatred, neglect and damage
The device by which we receive this story is deliberately distanced and perhaps as a male writer, writing about lesbian relationships and with few, if any sympathetic male... Read more
Published 19 hours ago by E. Shaw

4.0 out of 5 stars A haunting and memorable story...

Jonathan Coe (along with Lionel Schriver - We Need To Talk About Kevin, anyone?) always has the ability to write a book which I think about for days afterwards, and The... Read more
Published 4 months ago by L. C. Shingles

1.0 out of 5 stars Tiresomely mediocre
I felt doomed after reading the first couple of pages with the 'birds singing in the trees' style narrative and then finding out that the plot style was to consist of described... Read more
Published 7 months ago by A. Andersen

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rain Before it Falls
Jonathan Coe is a writer I only discovered a few years ago when I happened upon The Closed Circle, his 2004 sequel to his previous novel, the televised The Rotters' Club. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Leyla Sanai

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not his best
This is a decent, pleasant and compassionate book, but Coe's masterpiece is 'What a carve up!'. If you haven't read that yet, buy it today.
Published 9 months ago by Mr. R. P. Mountford

2.0 out of 5 stars Trying to like it
It grieves me to say it, because I am a Jonathan Coe fan, but this book disappointed me. The chosen structure, of telling a story through one person's eyes as she looks at old... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Clevor Trevor

2.0 out of 5 stars Bit too obvious
I'm afraid I found this book laboured and obvious - but I suppose mildly compulsive too, in some strange way! Read more
Published 10 months ago by Amazon

3.0 out of 5 stars A little contrived for my taste
The story told here is moderately interesting, rather than page-turningly exciting, and I found the device of the old lady telling it, prompted by a series of photos, somewhat... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Victoria Blessing

3.0 out of 5 stars A photographic story
The best thing about this novel is its layout: we start with a chapter or so of background, narrated in the third person, and then move onto a series of tapes left by a childless... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Essex Girl

4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative and well crafted...
Having previously read "What A Carve Up!" and "The House Of Sleep", I expected Jonathan Coe's latest to be more quality fiction laced with his slightly mischievous, surreal edge... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ben

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