- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Sphere; 2nd edition (7 May 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1847442080
- ISBN-13: 978-1847442086
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 406,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Gay Divorcee
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Product Description
Review
'Immensely enjoyable' --Julian Clary ('A Young Man's Passage' / 'Murder Most Fab')
`Easily one of the most important gay commentators of his generation' --Attitude
'An entertaining novel that, like most relationships, is bittersweet and heart-warming. A new angle on chick lit. Loved it! Five stars'
--Now Magazine
`Easily one of the most important gay commentators of his generation' --Attitude
'An entertaining novel that, like most relationships, is bittersweet and heart-warming. A new angle on chick lit. Loved it! Five stars'
--Now Magazine
Review
'A wonderful, wicked and witty, laugh-out-loud funny and touching observation of Soho gay life 2009. We know the characters so well. I hope future gay generations will shudder. Burston's best yet. Loved it!'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am left more than a little suspicious of the numerous 5 stars this title has received. My book group have just finished it and without exception everyone thought it was a pedestrian, clichéd, shallow piece of poorly written fiction. We could not believe it has had so many great reviews until one member of our book group suggested we have a look at the `see all my other reviews' of those giving it 5 stars. To no one's surprise we discovered that the vast majority of those reviewers have never reviewed anything before - Burston's book is the only one. We then checked the author's Facebook site and discovered him thanking all his friends for posting reviews.
The book is like his characters, shallow and with little merit. It is not suffice to simply state book after book that the gay scene is awash with hedonistic, drug-taking, permissive people, surely even Burston is getting bored writing this by now. It is like stating there are more minorities in prisons and not asking why or there are more teenage pregnancies in Britain than the rest of Europe without asking why.
This book is less a triumph of satire and prose and more a triumph of Facebook marketing. Don't be fooled by the 5 star plaudits on here. My advice from now on is to check reviewers other reviews. If you see too many by people who have only reviewed that book, you can bet there is an author thanking his friends on Facebook for their reviews.
The book is like his characters, shallow and with little merit. It is not suffice to simply state book after book that the gay scene is awash with hedonistic, drug-taking, permissive people, surely even Burston is getting bored writing this by now. It is like stating there are more minorities in prisons and not asking why or there are more teenage pregnancies in Britain than the rest of Europe without asking why.
This book is less a triumph of satire and prose and more a triumph of Facebook marketing. Don't be fooled by the 5 star plaudits on here. My advice from now on is to check reviewers other reviews. If you see too many by people who have only reviewed that book, you can bet there is an author thanking his friends on Facebook for their reviews.
16 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I totally agree with `Book `Em's' review (dated 5th May).
These `reviews' are VERY suspicious. Having also witnessed Burston in 'review me' mode, the ones on here CANNOT be taken seriously. This book, like all his others, is poorly written, with clichéd plots and very little in terms of character development. For someone who professes to understand the gay community so well, Burston always chooses to focus in on the negative stereotypes, with little explanation as to motivation. In fact, he's starting to come across as `self-loathing'. In a struggling market it amazes me how he manages to find a publisher. No doubt they know that he will shift copies based purely on his continuous and, ultimately, self-defeating, self promotion.
This book is like the literary equivalent of being bombarded by advertisements for a Hollywood film - and then minutes after sitting down to watch it you realise you're watching a poorly scripted and clichéd dud.
The only good thing I can say is that if you are looking for a book on `how not to write a novel' - this is the one for you. Now watch a 4 or 5 star 'review' pop-up after this one...
These `reviews' are VERY suspicious. Having also witnessed Burston in 'review me' mode, the ones on here CANNOT be taken seriously. This book, like all his others, is poorly written, with clichéd plots and very little in terms of character development. For someone who professes to understand the gay community so well, Burston always chooses to focus in on the negative stereotypes, with little explanation as to motivation. In fact, he's starting to come across as `self-loathing'. In a struggling market it amazes me how he manages to find a publisher. No doubt they know that he will shift copies based purely on his continuous and, ultimately, self-defeating, self promotion.
This book is like the literary equivalent of being bombarded by advertisements for a Hollywood film - and then minutes after sitting down to watch it you realise you're watching a poorly scripted and clichéd dud.
The only good thing I can say is that if you are looking for a book on `how not to write a novel' - this is the one for you. Now watch a 4 or 5 star 'review' pop-up after this one...
25 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I do not understand why this book has been so warmly reviewed. The characters are one-dimensional, the prose style cliched and pedestrian, and the plot completely predictable. In its favour? Well, it doesn't take long to read and it is an accurate depiction of a very narrow segment of gay life. It is, however, a profoundly depressing read. This is partly because of its lack of literary merit but mainly because of the vacuous and superficial world it portrays. Did we really fight for this? I wouldn't mind if the narrative voice suggested some kind of critical perspective but then that would be asking for skills that the author simply doesn't possess. For what it's worth, I know that I am not alone in thinking this: the book was read by my local lesbian and gay reading group last month and was slated by the dozen or so people who attended and who'd had the misfortune to read it. If you want a light holiday read, try "My Lucky Star" by Joe Keenan - it has a lightness of touch, wit and panache that this book completely lacks.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5 stars? You bet!
This has to be my favourite Burston yet! I made the mistake of taking this delightful book away with me on holiday and ended up missing a day of sea and sun because I couldn't put... Read more
Published 4 months ago by FShelling
Loved it.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book: loved the entertaining plot, some tasty twists and a refreshingly natural narrative style. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jack Scott
Fab Frolics and a Page Turner
I picked up this little gem as I fancied a fun read, I wasn't disappointed. I read it in one afternoon, frothy characters, witty and fun dialogue and it left me smiling.
Published 6 months ago by J. C. H. Welford
Bad chick-lit with a gay twist
The other negative reviews have said it already, really. I found this book trite, shallow, cliched and lacking in any emotional depth or truth. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ms. J. Parish
Enjoyable read!
I just read this (Kindle version) and have to say I really quite enjoyed it and living in London I kind of like that it mentions real bars/mags like Boyz or G-A-Y, etc. Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. Conrad
Disappointing
I bought this expecting more of the same from Paul and was totally disappointed. I wonder if he is on some 3 book deal or something as "The Gay Divorce" just seems churned out ... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Nambour
What's with the catty reviews?! I'm not biased and you don't have to...
I won't write a plot summary as many other reviews can tell you the basic premise of the story and the title says it all really. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Sarah Durston
nice light read
Nope, its not Shakespeare or Dickens and to be fair this book never sets out to be. It's a simple story of love, relationships and what happens when unfinished business catches up... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Terry Eastham
No decree nisci required!
"The Gay Divorcee" was my first foray into the literary world of Paul Burston. As a straight woman I found this book funny, intelligent and socially relevant. Read more
Published 19 months ago by sam shortt
Thoroughly enjoyable
Once in a while a book comes along that picks you up, sweeps you along in its narrative and leaves you wishing there was a sequel. `The Gay Divorcee' is one of those books. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Joan Cooper
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