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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Effervescent Writing,
By
This review is from: Soft (Paperback)
"Soft" is a novel based around three central characters; the reluctant hard man Barker Dodds, bewildered Kwench ! guinea pig Glade Spencer and ruthless advertising executive , Jimmy Lyle. They are all involved in some way with a sinister , subliminal mind-control project linked with the UK launch of the soft drink Kwench ! Predictably things don't go to plan and tragic consequences ensue. The characters of Barker and Glade are explored in detail and despite their different social backgrounds and the random manner in which they are thrown together , their similarities outweigh their differences. Both are essentially loners,disconnected from the world around them, seeking stability and meaning in life after emerging from broken domestic relationships . The working class ,bouncer-turned-barber anti-hero Barker meets the petit-bourgeois art-school waitress Glade. What I enjoyed most about "Soft" (and other Rupert Thomson novels) is the stylish and evocative writing. You could open the book at random and be impressed by the smart observations, the sharp, minimalist imagery and the smoothness of the narration. Here are some examples : "Her eyes were pale grey-blue , the kind of colour that on paint-sample charts would probably be called "Cool Slate" or "Dawn Surprise". "She walked on ,through streets that smelled of exhaust-fumes, blossom and ... toast." "The sky was the colour of beer." Such is the vividness of Thomson's writing that at times you can almost smell it. So why not give "Soft" 5 stars ? Well, probably because the plot was a little inconsequential at times with themes like mind-control underdeveloped as the author focused on exploring at length the characters of the main protagonists, their unfulfilled lives and their relationship with modern society. Barker and Glade both have big hearts and ultimately this proves incompatible with the amoral urban environment in which they must live.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not a single word is wasted.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Soft (Paperback)
Rupert Thompson's books get better and better. If you liked The Insult, you'll love this. His ability to conjure up an entire scene in a single short sentence in unparalleled, and the plot is as clever as the imagery. I finished the book in mere hours; I think my mind has been subtly altered...
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Thumbs Down - description for description's sake.,
By BookReader (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Soft (Paperback)
Disappointed! Having read 'Air and Fire' back in the 90's and absolutely loving it, I finally got round to reading another RT book - and I shouldn't have chosen this one. The story line is weak, and the writing is totally OTT in terms of his need to over-describe everything in a really amateur way - and don't get me wrong, it was his descriptive writing which made me fall in love with Air and Fire. In this novel, it totally overpowers the story, which in its own right is poor. In addition, the link with viral marketing is completely flawed. Sorry Rupert - thumbs down from me!
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